Like some other hyaluronic acid dermal fillers including Captique and Restylane, Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus are made from bacteria. Because of that similarity, many patients find it difficult to choose between fillers. As long as the dermal filler works, few patients care about the details. Sadly this can be an expensive mistake. While the hyaluronic acid dermal fillers are made from bacteria, they are not all created equal.
Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus are made from a certain type of Strep bacteria similar to, but certainly not exactly like, the bug that causes Strep throat. We have advanced genetic engineering to such a degree that we can now change the genes in bacteria to do our bidding. This is what the manufacturers of Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus have done. They have created bacteria with just the right genes to pump out loads and loads of hyaluronic acid. What the makers of Juvederm have also managed to do is make that hyaluronic acid highly cross-linked.
Why is cross linking of hyaluronic acid good?
…Because the more cross-linked the hyaluronic acid, the longer it lasts in the skin. Consider that hyaluronic acid is a natural component of every person’s skin. That means that the human body has a way of producing hyaluronic acid and a way of breaking it down and clearing it from the body. This building up and breaking down is a theme throughout biology to keep tissues fresh and healthy. A simple hyaluronic acid molecule is easy for the body to break down. An enzyme snaps it in two or tags it for removal and away it goes. However, if that hyaluronic acid is attached to a number of other hyaluronic acid molecules, it cannot be broken down so easily. The result is a long lasting effect of the hyaluronic acid dermal filler in the skin.
Juvederm is highly cross-linked
Every patient will break down hyaluronic acid at different rates. In other words, one person injected with a filler may get six months of cosmetic benefit while another patient may enjoy a full year. However the amount of cross linking of hyaluronic acid will increase any person’s duration of benefit from the treatment.
In fact, Juvederm Ultra Plus has just about the highest amount of cross-linking available in a hyaluronic acid dermal filler. Patients that received Juvederm Ultra Plus injections into wrinkles and lines of the face can expect positive effects to last for nine to twelve months on average. This effect is about twice as long as most other hyaluronic acid dermal fillers.
Juvederm may be the right choice financially
If you are considering a hyaluronic acid dermal filler, the duration of the beneficial effect is something to take into account. The longer that a dermal filler lasts, the fewer treatments are needed to maintain the facial filling effect. Fewer treatments mean fewer injections and less expense over the long term. While Juvederm Ultra Plus may cost slightly more than other hyaluronic acid fillers, fewer treatments may mean a cost savings ultimately.