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Bellafill


 

Dr. Hamilton is the American pioneer for Bellafill and considered by most doctors - including the developer of Bellafill, Dr. Gottfried Lemperle- to be the present American expert in its use. Dr. Hamilton has used Bellafill® in his office in Beverly Hills & Woodland Hills offices to treat deep wrinkles, depressions under the eyes, depressed acne scars, and chicken pox scars. Composed of PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate), lidocaine, and bovine collagen, Bellafill® is long lasting and can eliminate unsightly lines and wrinkles, leaving the skin looking younger, radiant, and revitalized. Effects look extremely natural. You may be treated with Bellafill® in our offices in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles and in Beverly Hills.

A few of our patients’ most frequently asked questions about Bellafill:

 

How Is Bellafill® Administered?

The area to be treated is injected with Bellafill® after application of a topical anesthetic. Unlike prior approaches, such as Restylane/Perlane injections, the area is not overcorrected (not raised up much above flat skin level). There is immediate improvement as the area treated is raised to about normal skin level.

 

Are Bellafill® Injections Painful?

Generally, there is virtually no discomfort at all at the time of the Bellafill® treatment. Rarely, there is some mild stinging for a day or two afterward.

 

Are There Side Effects to Bellafill?

PMMA has been used in medicine and dentistry for over 30 years and has been left in the body in thousands of patients as bone cement and other forms for many years with no allergies or any harmful effects. The other two parts of the solution have been used for decades with no proof of any health risk. Rarely, as with any filler substance, irregularities have been reported which are normally readily treatable. Because of it's permanence the most important factor in your results is who is your injector. THis is not a procedure for an unregulated "spa". It requires training and the more experience the better (See Dr. Hamilton's background as the U.S pioneer).

 

Is Allergy Testing Required for Bellafill?

Yes. You will be tested for allergy by a forearm injection and we will wait one month to confirm that you are not allergic to Bellafill®.

 

How Many Times Must I Be Treated?

Research in other countries, such as those in Europe, shows that approximately two-thirds of patients needed only one Bellafill®. We have had only one patient allergic to Bellafill; studies showa considerably higher rate of side effects from other fillers (though low) than with Bellafill.

 

What Is The Interval Between Bellafill® Treatments?

At least 3 months.

 

How does Bellafill® work?

The area injected with Bellafill® is raised by the bovine collagen, which then disappears over 1-3 months. As this collagen (temporary) is disappearing, more or less simultaneously the patient’s (permanent) collagen is being produced to replace it. Studies have shown the amount of the patient’s collagen replaces most of the injected collagen, so most of the initial resolution of the defect (wrinkle, etc.) is long lasting. One theory is that the patient's collagen has been stimulated by PMMA. This theory is awaiting further research support.

 

Can Bellafill® Move?

No movement has been shown to occur. It would not be expected to occur since there really is not anything to shift: PMMA micro droplets (microspheres of 30-40 microns) are surrounded by the patient’s own collagen.

 

How Long Has This Procedure Been Done?

The procedure has been performed in Europe since 1992. In the U.S., Douglas Hamilton, MD, performed the procedure on the first patient treated with Bellafill®(Artefill®) in the United States in early 1998. He was one of the 10 investigators chosen around the U.S. (and the only one in the Los Angeles area) to do studies for the manufacturer to apply for FDA approval.  

He presented the first two major addresses at an American meeting of physicians when he was invited to speak at the annual convention of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) in 1999 and in 2000. This AAD meeting is the largest annual meeting of dermatologists in the world. Additionally, he published the first medical journal report in the U.S. on patients treated with Artefill® (2000) and has since published (or in publication) three additional articles in medical journals on the study and use of Artefill®. He was the only M.. invited to the FDA approval meeting; was interviewed by National ABC news immediately after it was approved.

If you would like to learn more about Bellafill® and are in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles or Beverly Hills, please contact Dr. Hamilton today.

One FREE Botox area treated with the purchase of Bellafill!

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