Fillers
Facial Fillers Charleston, SC
The days of chasing isolated wrinkles with results that look overly puffy and artificial are long gone, thanks to dermal fillers. These versatile products are one of the most effective nonsurgical ways to restore facial volume and soften signs of aging. Made from hyaluronic acid, a substance your body naturally produces, fillers can refresh your cheeks, lips, jawline, neck, and other areas without downtime.
Dr. David Rodwell is an experienced injector with an established reputation for providing safe, long-lasting results. He is a highly trained, double board-certified plastic surgeon and a trainer in the Galderma Aesthetic Injector Network, where he teaches other medical professionals how to improve the treatment experience for his patients.Fillers are a low-risk, high-reward innovation, which is why they’re among the most sought-after aesthetic solutions available today. When you’re ready to learn more, reach out to our team at Charleston Facial Plastic Surgery by calling (843) 628-1415!
Dr. Rodwell’s skill and attention to detail is special, and I consider myself lucky to have chosen a time when he was available to touch my life.
Why Consider Dermal Fillers?
There are many different type of filler formulations available, each with distinct benefits. Sometimes a single product is sufficient to produce the desired results, but patients often see the best outcomes by combining them.
Juvéderm Ultra can:
“Tear trough” filler results
Improve nasolabial folds from the nose to the mouth
- Provide fullness to the lips
Restylane Lyft and Juvéderm Voluma XC can:
- Support the skin’s structure
- Provide volume and definition around the cheekbone
- Lift and improve the appearance of the jowls along the jawline
- Enhance the appearance of the nose with a non-surgical rhinoplasty
Restylane and Restylane Defyne can:
- Improve nasolabial folds from the nose to the mouth
- Improve marionette lines from the mouth to the bottom of the chin
- Add volume to tear troughs (hollowed under-eye area)
- Enhance the lips
Restylane Silk and Restylane Refyne can:
- Provide a soft natural improvement to the lips
- Improve superficial fine wrinkles
- Add volume to the tear troughs
What Can Facial Fillers Do for You?
Dr. Rodwell believes all patients deserve an approach that carefully considers how various features balance each other. During your consultation and examination, Dr. Rodwell will carefully analyze your skin quality, facial anatomy, and the age-related changes you’ve experienced, then use this information to create a custom treatment plan.
Injectable dermal fillers can rejuvenate multiple areas of your face and neck to improve the signs of aging, such as changes in the skin, fat, and facial muscles. These changes can lead to volume loss, sagging skin, and wrinkles. With targeted enhancements, Dr. Rodwell can create a balanced, refreshed appearance without surgery. Temporary improvements can include:
- Cheeks and midface for lift and contour
- Lips for shape, structure, and hydration
- Nasolabial folds and marionette lines for smoothing smile lines
- Jawline and chin for definition
- Tear troughs for reducing undereye hollows
- Temples to restore volume loss
- Neck and décolletage for subtle rejuvenation
Benefits of Dermal Fillers in Charleston, SC
Charleston’s climate and lifestyle often contribute to sun-related aging, making dermal fillers an excellent option for restoring youthful volume and smoothing lines. Patients choose dermal fillers because they offer:
- Immediate results with minimal downtime
- Natural-looking rejuvenation
- Customizable treatment plans
- Long-lasting improvements
- Nonsurgical facial contouring
- Improved confidence and facial harmony
Dr. Rodwell’s Approach to Dermal Fillers
Avoid an overdone and unnatural look. In the hands of an expert injector like Dr. Rodwell, all of these fillers can provide natural-looking results that help you look younger and more refreshed in a way that will not be obvious to others. He will examine your facial anatomy and the condition of your skin to determine the best filler selection, placement, and amount to contour a more youthful look.
Dermal fillers are also sometimes used to enhance the results of facial plastic surgery, such as a facelift, neck lift, brow lift, eyelid surgery, or rhinoplasty (nose surgery). These fillers can often smooth residual lines and facial wrinkles after these procedures.
Why Your Choice of Injector Matters
Not all injectors are created equal, and who performs your treatment matters just as much as the treatment itself. Look for a provider with extensive knowledge of facial anatomy, a well-developed aesthetic eye, and the skill and precision of a surgeon. Don’t hesitate to ask to see your injector’s before and after photos, so you can get a true sense of their work.
If an R.N. or physician’s assistant will be performing your injections, that person should be working closely under the supervision of a qualified physician, preferably a board-certified plastic surgeon. You should also fully disclose your medical history prior to treatment, as certain allergies, skin and neurological conditions, or medications can jeopardize your safety or results.
Ultimately, you should choose a provider for injectable treatments with the same level of care and scrutiny that you would for a surgical procedure.
What Happens During a Dermal Filler Appointment?
Your appointment begins with a consultation, where Dr. Rodwell will discuss your goals and ask about your medical history to make sure dermal fillers are a safe, appropriate choice for you.
Once you’re ready to begin, he will clean the treatment area and may apply a topical lotion or cream containing an anesthetic to help minimize any discomfort. Using a thin needle, he will then inject dermal fillers beneath the skin at the targeted areas. The dermal filler procedure itself is minimally invasive and quite brief, typically taking about 30 to 45 minutes, though most treatments can range anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes depending on the areas being addressed.
After your injections are complete, your skin will be cleansed to finish the treatment.
Because filler results are temporary, patients typically return for follow-up visits as the product gradually wears off, allowing you to maintain your refreshed look over time.
What to Expect After Dermal Fillers
Lidocaine is included in the dermal filler formulas to numb the injection sites somewhat, but an additional topical numbing cream is also applied in most cases. You will need to be in the office for a period of time for the cream to take effect, and then the injections themselves will not take long. You can go home immediately after.
While no downtime is required after hyaluronic acid filler injections, many patients experience mild swelling and possibly some bruising that can last for a few days. You should avoid exercise for 24 hours.
Temporary results are seen immediately but continue to improve over the first 2 weeks. How long a filler lasts depends on a variety of factors including the type of filler material, where it is placed, and each individual patient’s response as the filler is slowly reabsorbed over time.
If you are considering injectables / fillers in Charleston, contact Dr. Rodwell today to discuss your candidacy for fillers or other injectable treatments. Dr. Rodwell is highly trained in cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, along with non-surgical facial treatments.
Charleston Fillers FAQs
Yes. Dr. Rodwell uses both Restylane and Juvéderm fillers, which in some cases may offer lasting results for up to 12-18 months. Hyaluronic acid fillers take their time to break down and absorb into the skin to deliver long-lasting results. Factors that can affect filler longevity include your metabolism, the injection site, and lifestyle choices such as smoking and sun exposure.
Yes. Both Juvéderm and Restylane dermal filler products can be dissolved using an injection with a medication called hyaluronidase. This product disperses hyaluronic acid to quickly reverse the volumizing effects.
Different dermal filler injections accomplish different results. At your consultation with Dr. Rodwell, he’ll discuss a customized cosmetic procedure that’s designed specifically for you. You may seek one or more of these benefits:
- Increase hydration to your neck, face, and décolletage
- Smooth over fine lines on your forehead and the lower face
- Reduce moderate lines from your mouth to chin and from the nose to your lip corners
- Remodel your chin and cheeks for more definition
- Minimize scars
- Plump up lip volume
- Restore facial volume.
Each of these goals is addressed with a specific filler or combination that is tailored to the intended outcomes.
Following your cosmetic procedure, visible results should be apparent immediately with a facial rejuvenation that looks bright and natural. The dermal fillers typically look even smoother after 1-2 weeks.
Many patients find injectable filler treatments highly tolerable, although some patients choose to have a numbing cream applied first. Most of the dermal fillers also have lidocaine in their formulations for additional numbing.
There are two types of facial wrinkles and lines – dynamic and static. They develop for different reasons. Static wrinkles form with age and exposure to environmental factors like sun and wind. Dynamic wrinkles result from facial expressions such as smiling, frowning, and squinting. Dermal fillers work to add volume to soften static wrinkles, while neuromodulators like Botox or Dysport restrict muscle movement to reduce dynamic expression lines like crow’s feet.
Yes, Dr. Rodwell offers autologous fat transfer to restore a more youthful appearance and enhance facial features by addressing loss of volume with a patient’s own fat. Autologous fat transfer is more invasive than dermal fillers in that in harvests excess fat from donor locations, such as the abdomen, flanks, thighs, or buttocks. This fat is purified and then fat injections are strategically placed into areas where volume is desired.
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers like Juvéderm and Restylane offer immediate, temporary volume restoration. In comparison, Sculptra is comprised of poly-L-lactic acid, a biodegradable synthetic substance used in dermal fillers that stimulates collagen production. Rather than providing immediate volume, Sculptra improves the skin’s appearance over time. Sculptra can provide results that up to two years or more.
Some fillers can soften depressed acne scars and improve skin smoothness by restoring lost volume beneath the scar.
Hyaluronic acid fillers, including Juvéderm and Restylane, are safe (FDA approved) for all skin tones and types. They do not affect pigmentation and are ideal for diverse patient populations. Dr. Rodwell only uses FDA approved dermal fillers.
While dermal fillers are considered a safe treatment when performed by a qualified provider like Dr. Rodwell, serious complications can occur. Rare risks can include unintentional injection into a blood vessel, which may lead to tissue necrosis, vision abnormalities, or stroke. This is one of the many reasons it’s important to choose an experienced, qualified injector for your treatment.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Many patients begin soft tissue fillers in their late 20s or 30s to maintain youthful volume, while others start later to correct deeper folds or age-related volume loss.
Absolutely. Fillers pair well with procedures like chemical peels, laser skin resurfacing, and Morpheus microneedling. Dr. Rodwell can help you plan a safe treatment sequence.
When performed by an experienced injector like Dr. Rodwell, fillers provide a subtle enhancement that never looks overdone.
Avoid alcohol, NSAIDs, fish oil, and other blood-thinning supplements for several days to reduce bruising. Arrive with a clean, makeup-free face.
Yes. Strategic dermal filler placement can provide a subtle lifting effect, especially in the cheeks, jawline, and midface.
Look for a board-certified facial plastic surgeon with extensive experience, advanced training, and a conservative, artistic approach – qualities that define Dr. Rodwell’s practice. He frequently travels to national and international conferences to share his techniques with fellow providers and serves as a peer-to-peer trainer through the Galderma Aesthetic Injector Network, teaching other physicians how to perform safe, effective injections using products like Dysport, Restylane, and Sculptra.