Do you know what’s in the pricks? Here is an easy guide

Gives Linda Evangelista (one of the first to declare to use it) a Gwyneth Paltrow (who wants to change the narrative on aging by admitting some help) a Cindy Crawford (who has never hidden the fact that she has included them in her beauty routine) the use of injections of aesthetic medicine proves to be one of the most effective methods for obtaining instant facial rejuvenation and an alternative to a scalpel.

However, it is not always easy to identify the right treatment for oneself because the methods generally proposed as “fillers” are increasingly diversified and evolved for the ingredients used, for the action performed and for the inoculation techniques.

With the help of the experts we have created an agile scheme that takes stock of the most used ones. “The list excludes injections based on PRP (plasma) and autologous fat which represent a niche, always use needles but provide very complex procedures and decidedly more important intervention methods”, explains Professor Lucio Miori, specialist in dermatology. Which is keen to emphasize the importance of always making the necessary investigations. “In addition to identifying competent professionals, it is always advisable to ask for the name of the company that produces the chosen filler and, at the beginning of the session, to take note of the lot number and the expiry date shown on the box containing the vials”.

BIOMIMETIC PEPTIDES, THE NEW ENTRY ANTI-WRINKLE
What are: composed of chains of amino acids, peptides are the elements of which proteins are made, elements that make up the skin structure comparable to small “bricks”.
Where they are used: associated with a minimum quantity (10%) of hyaluronic acid, characterized by soft anchoring bridges and which serves as a vector, they are injected into the dermis to make the wrinkles between the eyebrows and crow’s feet less evident (in these cases it represents a valid alternative of pure hyaluronic acid which can create thickening) and the grooves of the cheeks.
«They are also successfully used to improve the vertical furrows of the lip contour, the so-called“ bar code ”: deposited along the crease of wrinkles, they fill and smooth them” explains Professor Lucio Miori.
How they work: perform a muscle relaxant action similar to that exerted by Botox and give a regenerating boost to the collagen fibers which, over time, lose their elasticity causing furrows and marks on the skin.
Results: completely erase skin depressions in a natural way, with the epidermis that preserves elasticity and softness.time: 4 months.
Contraindications: pregnancy, breastfeeding.

BOTULINO, A LEADER FOR WRINKLES
What’s this: it is a toxin that “freezes” the muscles of the forehead and the periocular area to soften the contraction that causes the formation of furrows and wrinkles.
Where it is used: it is injected directly into the muscle or hypodermis and on specific areas: forehead wrinkles, between the eyebrows and on crow’s feet. Everything else is considered off-label, meaning not approved.
How it works: toxins inhibit the motor nerves to release acetylcholine, the neurotransmitter that activates muscle movement; this temporary reversible paralysis prevents muscle contraction and wrinkles “disappear”.
Results: wrinkles are softened and smoothed out.
time: 3 months.
Contraindications: to be avoided in case of blood clotting defects (haemophilia), muscle weakness, use of anticoagulant drugs, pregnancy, breastfeeding.

HYALURONIC ACID, THE MOST FAMOUS FILLER
What’s this: it is obtained, with modern production techniques, from particular bacteria raised and fermented in sterile and guaranteed environments. It is a powerful hygroscopic, meaning one of its molecules is capable of holding up to 1,000 times its weight.
Where it is used: it is generally injected into the dermis and, depending on the size of the molecules and the molecular weight of which it is composed (low, medium and high weight) and the type of bonds that unite them (they are called bridges and this category is defined cross- linkedata) is used to restore volume to certain parts of the face: forehead, crow’s feet, cheekbones, nasolabial and puppet folds, periocular and chin. The treatment of the glabellar (furrows between the eyebrows) and the nasolabials is particularly delicate because if inoculated incorrectly and not with sufficient experience, this ingredient can give rise to serious problems (skin necrosis); hyaluronic acid can be implanted on larger areas using a protocol tested for a decade in Brazil and introduced in Italy for 5 years. «It’s called the Face Project, it requires appropriate training to be used, and it is a real re-harmonization project that consists in the insertion of hyaluronic acid, at different weights and with molecules joined by flexible bridges, at three skin levels: dermis, hypodermis and supra-periosteum », he explains Raffaella Casilli, aesthetic doctor and teacher of the Fatebenefratelli School of Aesthetic Medicine in Rome.
How it works: it has the property of being compatible with the other components present in the extracellular matrix (collagen, elastin), a peculiarity that allows it to blend perfectly with them, forming a dense flexible network. In other words, due to its viscosity and plasticity, it constitutes a sort of scaffolding that allows the skin to preserve hydration, tone and elasticity.
Results: the skin is plumped and full.
Duration: from 4 to 9 months.
Contraindications: autoimmune diseases, pregnancy, lactation.

BIO-REGENERATION TO RE-LAUNCH COLLAGEN PRODUCTION
What’s this: is the result obtained from the use of different substances such as, for example, polydeoxyribonucleotide or PDRN obtained from trout gonads, calcium hydroxypatite consisting of calcium and phosphate ion microspheres, vitamin cocktails and the neuromodulatory compound dimethylaminoethanol or DMAE.
Where it is used: the substance is injected into the connective tissue of large areas of the face and neck.
How it works: “It relaunches the production of collagen, the fiber that gives tone and firmness to the epidermis” explains Umberto Tozzi, specialist in maxillofacial surgery ”.
Results: the skin appears plumped with an extremely natural, almost invisible result
time: 3-4 months.
Contraindications: pregnancy, breastfeeding.

The ingredients used for the “puncture” are often also included in cosmetics that contain increasingly advanced technologies that imitate the results and promise a compact skin, with wrinkles smoothed out by the botox-like result and lifting thanks to the increasingly performing peptides, hydrated and plumped with a filler effect with hyaluronic acid, and revitalized and regenerated thanks to vitamin mixes. Here is a selection in the gallery.