Pain Expectation During a Dermal Filler Treatment

The lines of age on your face may be beginning to show. You might be someone who rather has smooth skin for the rest of your life, or at least for the next ten years. Facelifts are relatively expensive, however. A more affordable solution that can clear your skin of wrinkles is dermal filler treatment. Though removing wrinkles is the most common reason patients request dermal filler treatment, it isn't the only reason. This procedure generally increases the volume and fullness of the skin on your face. It could be applied to many places on your face, including your lips and your cheeks. 

With a sensitive practice, it is important to find a surgeon you can trust. Dr. Andres Bustillo is a certified facial surgeon who will honestly tell you whether or not you need a dermal filler treatment. If you don't have any wrinkles on your face, then there's no need for this procedure. Regardless, it is still important to learn more about this procedure before visiting Dr. Bustillo. 

Brace Yourself for the Pain of the Procedure 

This will not be sugar-coated. It is imperative you know this so as to mentally prepare yourself. There will be some pain during the procedure. The pain isn't major, though. Depending on where the filler will be applied, some areas of the face may feel less pain than others. In general, the procedure isn't that painful. 

If you still happen to feel a little anxious, your skin is sensitive to pain, or are afraid of needles, then there are ways to reduce the pain. Some dermal fillers already come with anesthetics in the injection. Just in case there isn't, however, ice can numb your skin. It's simple but effective. There are also certain sedatives that can be used. A topical anesthetic is an ointment applied to the areas of the skin with which you are to be injected. There is also inhalation sedatives, also known as laughing gas. Ointment and gas are the least painful ways to relax your body and painlessly receive your injections.

Motivation to Overcome Pain 

It is possible that you are not interested in receiving these drugs for the procedure. You want to tough it out but can't find the motivation for it. Luckily, mind over matter really does work. One common form of motivation can be looking forward to the end result. Imagine how you will look after the procedure. 

To help this, you can look at before and after photos of other patients who have undergone this procedure. During your treatment, you could think of positive quotes about overcoming pain. One example is "Life hands us storms so we can paint rainbows" by Matshona Dhliwayo. Think of this over and over while the different areas of your face are getting injected. If thinking of quotes isn't the best type of thing to think of for you, then think other happy thoughts. One popular way of doing so is by "going to your happy place." Some can say that this sounds insane, at least the way media depicts it. However, this can be a good tactic to get your mind off of the pain. In your happy place, you could be thinking of the people you love, the location you are at, or something fun you like to do, just to name a few. 

Natural Skin Care Before and After Procedure 

Taking good enough care of your skin can generally help prevent and reduce the number of wrinkles you have. Fewer wrinkles mean fewer areas on your face to get injected and, therefore, less pain you have to go through. These everyday methods can not only help decrease the number of wrinkles on your face but also can leave your skin looking radiant:  

• daily consumption 
• perform stress-relieving activities 
• sleep 

 If you feel you need to change your entire diet just to maintain healthy skin, then you can put those feelings to rest. There are all kinds of foods you can add to your diet that isn't already a part of it. Vitamin C is important for reducing wrinkles. Usually, people think of oranges when they hear "vitamin C," but you could also get vitamin C from strawberries, kiwis, and broccoli on top of other fruits and vegetables. 

 A word you've probably heard of often involving healthy eats is antioxidants. An antioxidant prevents the damage of cells by removing oxidation. In case of skin, it helps inhibit inflammation in the skin, which can lead to wrinkling. Familiar foods with antioxidants include blueberries, dark chocolate, nuts, and purple grapes. If you're looking to add something more exotic to your diet, then look no further than goji and acai berries. They also contain antioxidants. 

Contrary to popular belief, not all fats are bad for you. There are indeed healthy fats that assist you in making your skin look young and restored. What is bad for you, however, is sugar. In addition to many other health problems that can arise from eating too much sugar, it can also give you wrinkles. Avoid sugar as much as you can.  

Stress increases the likelihood of wrinkles. Look for a stress-relieving activity you like. A couple of suggestions would be reading a book or playing certain video games. You could also try your hand at cross-stitching. The monotonous movement can help relax the mind. If you're looking to relax your body as well, then you can look to watching tv or just sitting and hanging out with your friends. Create a place that you call your stress-free zone. This could be in your home or a nearby area. You may even discover a new hobby. Be sure to do one of these stress-relieving activities before you go to sleep. That way you can have good-quality sleep. Also, be sure that you sleep enough. During sleep is when your skin can repair and rejuvenate itself. 

Andres Bustillo, MD FACS is a board-certified facial plastic surgeon. He practices dermal filler treatments, facelifts, and other procedures in Miami, FL.