The use of dermal fillers in Lone Tree and Denver, including Juvederm, Restylane, Lyft, Voluma, Belotero, Radiesse, and Sculptra, has revolutionized cosmetic dermatology. The old thinking was that tighter was better. Facelifts were overdone, leaving unnatural results with tight but still hollow faces. The fresh thinking is that in order to truly look younger, you need to RESTORE VOLUME. Pulling the skin tighter can help, but only up to a point. VOLUME is needed to hide shadows and concavities, reduce wrinkles, hollows, and folds, and lift sagging skin. Fillers can accomplish this without invasive surgery and best of all, with a NATURAL appearance.

The person who injects you is far more important than the actual brand of filler that is used. Many offices employ a nurse or other non-physician to inject fillers. All filler injections in our office are performed by Dr. Richard Ort, M.D., a board-certified, Harvard-trained dermatologist. Dr. Ort has a reputation in Lone Tree, Highlands Ranch, Denver, and beyond Colorado as a master in the use of fillers to smooth facial lines and restore volume. To be a great injector, one must be an artist and appreciate the ideal human form as well as the changes that occur with age. Dr. Ort is an expert in facial anatomy and advanced injection techniques. He takes great care to provide natural-appearing, smooth results.

Dr. Ort is one of the few doctors in Lone Tree and Denver who has advanced training and expertise in the use of cannulas to inject fillers. Unlike a needle, a cannula is not sharp and has a lower risk of causing a bruise or other side effects. Cannulas are especially useful for certain areas such as under the eyes where there is a higher risk for bruising. Compared to using a needle, a cannula requires more training, experience, and patience on the part of the injector, but the potential benefits to patients are undeniable.

Look at a teenager and notice that their face appears smooth without shadows or harsh transitions. Then observe an elderly person with flat cheeks, deep folds, a down-turned smile, under-eye hollows, and sagging jowls. The main difference between old and young is LOSS OF VOLUME. Unfortunately, this occurs to all of us as we age due to gradual loss of collagen, fat, muscle, and bone. The good news is that fillers can replenish the lost volume and turn back the hands of time!

Fillers are used to rejuvenate and lift the face, including the cheeks, temples, under eye hollows, brows, lips, jowls, and corners of the mouth. Individual lines can also be filled, such as the nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and vertical lip lines. Filler also work well to rejuvenate the hands.

    • Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Fillers – These fillers consist of hyaluronic acid, which is a natural substance produced in our skin. HA binds avidly to water and adds turgor to the skin. HA fillers are the most widely used fillers around the world. Millions of patients have been safely treated with HA fillers. There are many different HA fillers available, including the following:
      – Restylane
      – Juvederm
      – Belotero
      – RHA

Different HA fillers have differing properties. Some are thicker with larger particle size and are injected deeper to provide more robust volume. Others are thinner and are injected into superficial lines and wrinkles. Fillers such as Restylane Kysse are specifically approved for lip augmentation. Our favorite filler for the tear trough (hollows under the eyes) is Restylane Eyelight. For the cheeks, our favorite HA fillers are Restylane Lyft and Contour. Typical duration of HA fillers is 6-12 months or longer. One big advantage of HA fillers is that they can be dissolved if needed with injections of hyaluronidase.

  • Radiesse – Radiesse consists of calcium hydroxyapatite, a component of bone but it stays soft in tissue. It is a robust, long-lasting filler for deeper folds and hollows and for cheek augmentation. It is also used for rejuvenation of the hands. Radiesse can be blended with saline (hyperdilute Radiesse) and used for skin tightening in the face, neck, chest, and on the body. Radiesse comes in a larger syringe size (1.5 cc) which makes it an excellent value.
  • Sculptra – Sculptra is a unique, long-lasting filler which consists of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA). Sculptra is a biostimulatory filler which facilitates the production of the patient’s own collagen. It is used to restore lost volume, particularly in the cheeks. Results from Sculptra can last for up to 2 years or longer! It can also be used to rejuvenate the chest. Multiple treatment sessions are recommended for best results.
  • Botox – Botox is not a filler, but it is also an injectable and works very well in combination with fillers. Botox can actually make fillers last longer. Botox smooths the skin by relaxing the muscles which cause wrinkles. It is used to reduce frown and forehead lines, crows feet, vertical lines around the mouth, and other problem areas.

Fillers have been safely used in millions of patients over the last twenty years. However, all cosmetic treatments have risk. We recommend that you review our consent form prior to your treatment. Dr. Ort has a conservative philosophy and takes special precautions to reduce the risk of any complications. Minor problems such as bruising can occur after treatment but typically resolve on their own. In expert hands, serious complications are extremely rare.

To reduce the risk of bruising, please follow these instructions:

  • If you take ASPIRIN, stop it two weeks prior to treatment. (Do not stop aspirin if you are taking it for medical reasons on the order of your doctor).
  • Stop taking anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen, naproxen, etc three days prior to treatment. (It is OK to continue Tylenol or acetaminophen).
  • Stop taking Vitamin E, fish oil, and herbal medicines (including gingko, garlic, ginger, ginseng, ephedra & feverfew) two weeks prior to treatment.
  • Do not schedule your filler treatment within one week of any important event.
  • We do not recommend that you have any dental procedures for two weeks after a filler treatment.

Why We Are Better at Cosmetic Dermal Fillers

Our goal is to provide the smoothest, longest-lasting, most natural-looking results. We invite you to read Dr. Richard Ort’s reviews on Realself.com.

Use of cannulas instead of sharp needles provides smoother results with less risk, less pain, less bruising, and less swelling.

Many injectors rush their injections, to fit as many patients into their schedule as possible. They do not use cannulas, because they require more patience and finesse. Rushed injections lead to suboptimal results. Simply stated, we do not rush our filler injections.

Our goal is to make filler injections a pain-free experience. We offer numbing creams, dental blocks, local anesthetic, ice, and cold air to make our patients comfortable. Our patients who have been treated elsewhere often note the difference.

Many injectors have been trained by the filler companies to treat all patients the same. This leads to over-emphasis of certain areas and results that do not appear natural. We recognize that every patient is unique. We formulate a treatment plan specific to you, focusing on those areas that need enhancement to bring out your natural beauty.

Dr. Ort has been performing filler injections for twenty years. He is an expert in filler techniques and facial anatomy. Fillers are Dr. Ort’s passion and he devotes significant time to stay up to date in this rapidly evolving field.

When performing the most precise filler treatments, such as when injecting fine lines around the mouth, Dr. Ort uses advanced magnifying loupes to guide his injections and provide the smoothest possible results.

We always carry hyaluronidase in our office to dissolve filler in the rare case of a problem. Many lower end clinics don’t stock this expensive medicine. It should always be immediately available in a filler clinic.

Our philosophy is to use the safest filler, using the safest injection technique, with the most gentle and expert touch. We use FDA-approved products with a long track record of safety. Our most common fillers include Restylane, Lyft, Juvederm, Voluma, Belotero, and Sculptra.

Dr. Ort (not a nurse) performs all filler injections in our office. He is personally accountable to each and every patient that he injects with filler. He will happily see any patient back after treatment to ensure the most optimal result.