Fillers & Injections
Putting your best face forward.
Fillers & Injections
Our Indianapolis-based Dawes Fretzin dermatologists and physician assistants are highly trained in performing safe and effective injections of fillers, anti-wrinkle treatments like Botox and Xeomin, and Kybella. We are dedicated to delivering natural-looking results while ensuring your comfort throughout the process. Whether you desire to restore lost volume, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, or achieve a more youthful appearance, our personalized approach and state-of-the-art techniques guarantee exceptional outcomes.
Revitalize Your Look with Targeted Treatment
Our dermatology physicians in Indianapolis specialize in dermal filler treatments designed to address common areas of concern such as the cheeks, lips, tear troughs, and lines around the nose and mouth. When you visit our clinic, our experienced physicians will take the time to understand your goals, address any concerns you may have, and explain the treatment process, including potential risks and expected outcomes. We also document your progress with comprehensive before-and-after photos to showcase the transformative results.
Comfortable and Convenient Procedures
Our injection procedures typically last around 30 minutes, ensuring a quick and convenient experience. To ensure your comfort, we provide numbing prior to the procedure, and we recommend arriving 30 minutes in advance. While mild bruising or swelling may occur afterward, most patients experience minimal downtime. Preparing for your appointment, we advise refraining from substances such as NSAIDs, aspirin, alcohol, vitamin E, gingko biloba, fish oil, or bromelain several days prior to expedite the healing process. After your injections, you can also accelerate the reduction of bruising and swelling by purchasing bromelain supplements and arnica gel.
Year-Round Treatment with Lasting Results
Our filler injections can be performed at any time of the year in Indianapolis, as recent sun exposure does not impact the outcome. However, we recommend avoiding dental procedures, including cleanings, and other invasive treatments within two weeks of your filler appointment to minimize the risk of bacteria in the bloodstream affecting your results.
Tailored Solutions for Long-Term Benefits
The duration of fillers varies depending on the product used, typically ranging from 6 months to 2 years. Our experienced injectors will carefully select the most suitable fillers for your unique needs to achieve optimal results. For instance, we may choose a firmer product for the cheeks and a softer, more flexible filler for the lips.
Discover the range of Fillers we offer:
Anti-Wrinkle Injections
Over time, lines can become imprinted in the skin due to repeated movement of underlying muscles. Commonly, such lines occur between the eyebrows (the so-called 11’s), across the forehead, or around the eyes (crow’s feet) or mouth (sometimes called “smoker’s lines”). Try making a variety of facial expressions at yourself in the mirror (best done in private to avoid stares), and you will see what we are talking about!
Say Goodbye to Frown Lines and Forehead Wrinkles
Injections of Botox or Xeomin block chemical signaling of the nerves that cause muscle movement, effectively relaxing or temporarily paralyzing small muscles of the face to allow skin lines to soften. Natural-looking results can be obtained, and the “frozen face” avoided with careful technique and proper understanding of facial dynamics. Your injector will discuss your goals and priorities with you prior to injecting to make sure he/she achieves a result you are happy with. Occasionally, a touch-up may be needed 2 weeks after the initial injection to get the best possible result.
Softening Crow's Feet and Smoker's Lines
Anti-wrinkle injections generally take less than 10 minutes to perform and do not generally require any numbing. There is typically no downtime, although bruising can occasionally occur. The treatment takes effect slowly, reaching its maximum effectiveness typically around 2 weeks after injection. Visible lines will begin to soften once the movement has diminished consistently for days or weeks, depending on how deep the lines are to begin with. Movement will slowly recur after a variable amount of time, depending on the dose administered and your own body chemistry.
Personalized Treatment and Long-Term Maintenance
Your injector will discuss your goals and priorities with you prior to injecting to ensure a result you are happy with. The average time between treatments is 3-6 months, but individual needs may vary. Maintenance treatments can be tailored to your specific requirements to achieve long-lasting results.
Post-Treatment Care and Optimal Results
There is no specific restriction regarding sun exposure with Botox or Xeomin injections, but it may be prudent to avoid intense exercise for 24 to 48 hours after injection, as this may cause results to wear off sooner. We also recommend increased use of treated muscles immediately following injection for the first hour and avoiding any pressure or massage of treated areas for at least 6 hours following treatment. Botox has been FDA approved for more than 30 years and is very safe for cosmetic use.
Trusted Brands for Optimal Effectiveness
At Dawes Fretzin Indianapolis, we offer the following trusted brands of anti-wrinkle injections:
Kybella
Kybella is an FDA-approved synthetic version of a naturally occurring molecule that targets and breaks down fat cells beneath the chin, commonly known as a double chin. This treatment is most effective for individuals with good skin tone and elasticity in the neck. Optimal results typically require 2-4 treatment sessions, spaced about 2 months apart. Swelling, bruising, numbness, or a feeling of lumpiness beneath the skin are common but temporary side effects. Unlike other treatments, maintenance sessions are not necessary as the destroyed fat cells do not return.
Non-Surgical Treatment
During the procedure, patients may experience a burning sensation shortly after the injection. However, the area is numbed before and after the treatment using ice to minimize discomfort. The injections only take a few minutes once the area is numbed, and most swelling resolves within 3-5 days. A consultation with our physician will determine if you are a suitable candidate for Kybella.
Fillers & Injections F.A.Q.s
Approximately 94% of millennials are considering Botox treatment. The most common area treated is the glabella, commonly known as the “11” lines between the brows.
Patients of different ages consider Botox for various reasons.
- Consider Botox in your 20’s if you’re interested in delaying fine lines from forming.
- Patients in their 30’s begin to develop dynamic lines and wrinkles and may botox to treat these dynamic lines of facial expression.
- Patients over 40 usually consider Botox to achieve a “less tired” look and to maintain a youthful appearance.
Botox has an excellent safety record, especially in the hands of a trained and experienced dermatologist. While any cosmetic procedure has inherent risks, most side effects with Botox are temporary. Some of the complications of Botox include:
- Redness due to the pinpoint swelling at the injection site and from the application of the ice packs. The redness typically lasts about 30 minutes.
- Swelling is usually mild and looks like little bug bites that disappear on their own in about 15 – 30 minutes.
- Bruising can occur at the injection sites and can rarely persist for about a week. Patients on blood thinners, aspirin, and specific vitamins are at a higher risk. Drinking alcohol, especially red wine, within 24-48 hours of treatment may also increase bruising. It is not recommended to stop any prescription medication solely for the use of Botox.
Asymmetry can occur and is most apparent two weeks after the procedure. Botox touch-up appointments are scheduled two weeks after the initial procedure to address any mild asymmetry and follow up on the progress.
- Brow drop can occur when excess Botox is injected into the forehead or when Botox is injected too low on the forehead. Brow drop is more common in men due to the shape of their brows. This self resolves as the Botox wears off, usually within 4-6 weeks. Your injector may be able to treat the muscles that pull down on the brows with additional Botox to help speed resolution.
Ptosis is eyelid droop and rarely occurs when diluted Botox spreads into other muscles around the eye or when Botox is injected at an incorrect depth. Medicated eye drops can offer some improvement, but it should resolve on its own within a few months at most. Avoidance of massaging injection sites in the hours following your injections is important to minimize risk of ptosis.
- Headaches are reported in some patients within 24 hours of their procedure. This is temporary and typically resolves with acetaminophen (Tylenol).
Two to three million dermal filler injections are performed in the United States each year, and complications occur relatively infrequently. While some swelling and bruising are to be expected, uncommon side effects such as inflammation or infection around injected filler or very rare blockage of an artery of the face or eye can occur. We use the safest techniques possible when injecting, including sterilization of the skin prior to the procedure, cautious injection technique, and use of cannulas when appropriate. In addition, most fillers can be dissolved with injection of hyaluronidase in the case of serious or persistent complications.
We also recommend avoidance of filler treatment within 2 weeks of any dental procedures or other invasive procedures that may resulting bacteria entering the bloodstream.
We have all seen images of people who had cosmetic procedures performed to intentionally exaggerate certain facial features, such as the lips. While this is a desirable look in the eyes of some, others prefer a more natural result that simply restores volume to levels present at a younger age or adds volume where perhaps it was not present due to inborn factors, such as in the case of genetically deep hollows beneath the eyes, flattened cheeks or very thin lips. The degree of volumization achieved is up to you, and depends on the amount of filler injected and its placement. It is absolutely possible to have a natural looking result and we make it our priority if it is important to you.
Treatment Pricing
Botox treatments average $200-300 for per treatment area. Treatment with fillers can range from about $500-2000 depending on how many syringes are injected. Discuss your budget with your injector at the time of consult.