Aging is inevitable, and it comes with many unwanted signs such as wrinkling and facial lines. And while there’s no harm in having them, no one loves them. So, many people are enhancing their appearance. In fact, in 2020, there were approximately 58.5 billion US dollars used in the anti-aging market, and it projects to rise at a compound annual rate of 7%. 
Remember, aging results from volume loss. It happens that facial tissues thin out, lines etch out around the nose and mouth, and cheeks, eventually looking sunken.
However, you can still look young with dermal fillers, ipl photofacials, Botox, thread lifts, micro needling, etc. Ipl photofacials will treat your stubborn acne scars, dark circles and eliminate visible veins and capillaries. Thread lifts like pdo threads are minimally invasive and will eliminate wrinkles and other anti-aging signs.
While dermal fillers fill out the volume lost over time, polish wrinkles, fill up the lips, and reinstate your youthful look. Traditionally, dermatologists used needles, but today, cannulas have frequented the market. A cannula is a thin tube used in administering medications; in this case, we’ll look at its use in medical aesthetics.
And there’s much more to learn. Keep reading!
What’s a Cannula for Fillers?
While needles have been used for a long time to administer fillers, cannulas are a recent invention. A cannula is a blunt and round device used in delivering fillers as an alternative to needles. Cannulas are non-invasive and have minimal downtime as compared to needles. And that’s why most doctors would choose them over needles anytime.
Needles are sharp and can damage the skin tissues, but cannulas are blunt tips and cannot harm. Sharp needles pass through the deep skin and can injure an artery or a vein resulting in bruising, swelling, and more severe side effects such as intravascular injection. An intravascular injection is a case of the needle piercing through the artery and veins and may cause necrosis, blindness, or even paralysis.
So now you might wonder; what cannulas are for fillers? Cannula injects hyaluronic acid into the skin. These types of fillers could be Radiesse, Juvéderm Ultra, Restylane, Perlane from the Restylane family, Evolence and Yastrid. Most of which have hyaluronic acid as the main component. And so, since cannulas offer numerous benefits, unlike needles, they’re most preferred. Let’s keep learning!
What Treatments are Cannulas Used For?
The cannula technique is primarily used in dermal fillers, thread lifts, etc. As a dermal filler, it’s used in cheek filling, lip filling, tear trough, non-surgical rhinoplasty, amongst others. The technique is very appropriate for these procedures.
For instance, cheek filling makes sure the filler is spread into the deeper layers of the skin. Hence, it results in a perfect appearance, not an overfilled cheek. Besides being the safest method, patients enjoy no side effects like bruising and swelling.
How to Prepare and What to Expect in Cannula Dermal Filling
Commonly, local anesthesia is used in dermal fillers with cannula, not often though, but it ensures the procedure is pain-free. Therefore, if you are concerned about pain or have a high pain level, you can converse with your doctor for more measures to be set.
However, the cannula technique isn’t painful. For that matter, patients agree that the traditional needles and Botox are even more painful with severe side effects than the use of cannula in the dermal filling. Do not forget that using a cannula uses one entry point, which means fewer injections, less pain, so they are the best option for anyone bothered by pain.
How the Dermal Filler Cannula Technique Works
Before beginning the filling, good practitioners recommend a complete evaluation of patients. The facial structure and the general volume loss are checked before the dermal filler or botulinum toxin product is administered. In fact, the doctor needs to start with a conversation concerning the patients’ expectations. They need to agree on the products and techniques that the patient prefers to attain their desired results.
Mostly, as a patient, you’d want to have a uniform increase of volume in the whole face and not necessarily the wrinkled parts alone. And indeed, the cannula technique can deliver that. Cannulas are flexible and long enough to add the lost volume all through the face with a few perforations using a needle.
The doctors can fill the nasolabial folds, the lips, the undefined jawline, the forehead, cheeks, etc. But first, a short, tiny needle creates an entry point for the cannula. Afterward, the cannula is put in the pierced location and moved via the natural planes of the skin tissue.
As a result, multiple areas are treated with one entry point since cannulas can accurately inject fillers in a wide area. The fillers can successively spread along the tissue plane for desired results. In fact, it’s less painful with little to no discomfort. It is contrary to needles that need several entry points to attain the same outcome.
Another good aspect is that the cannula allows the doctor to feel any resistance in the skin structure. And they can decide whether to exert more pressure or change the direction of the cannula to avoid piercing a vein, artery, or nerve. The beauty of it all is that you can now have a perfect and natural look!
How to Properly Use the Cannula Method in Dermal Filling
Aestheticians and dermatologists today must learn how to use the cannula technique. Why? It’s the most preferred by patients. And to use a cannula, you need more expertise than using a hypodermic needle. And that’s why a cannula isn’t a standard method for facial injectables. In fact, brands in the Restylane family work better with them than with traditional needles.
But how can you well use the cannula in filling? I bet you’d want to know.
Apply Less Force to the Cannula.
Since sharp tip needles penetrate quickly, it’s easy to forget when using a cannula and exert more pressure for it to penetrate, which is dangerous. And this is common for first-timers to inject with much force. And do you know that as you apply more force, it results in pressure to the tube, causing it to force the cannula to spaces unplanned?
Your dermatologist should take extra caution when administering fillers in the nasolabial folds which require deep dermal filler injections. Since the folds are close to the eyes, doctors should handle lip augmentation with the cannula carefully.
If not, this can lead to discomfort especially due to the risk of contact with the periosteum. The periosteum is accountable for the facial structure. It’s the in-between zone and has some nerve endings.
Study the Flow Rate of the Filler Treatment.
With numerous brands of fillers, each filler treatment flow rate is different. While using the cannula, the flow of the dermal filler must be accounted for, especially in areas such as the nasolabial folds. It is vital when using fillers for soft tissues as they depend on a stable movement of the fillers for desired outcomes.
As a result, before the doctor applies the filler, they must ensure they use the appropriate cannula injection to be responsible for the filler flow in the needle. This is to avoid uneven spreading of the filler, altering the patients’ visible results.
Pay Attention to the Cannula
Do you know you can feel the cannula as it moves underneath the skin? Blunt tip cannulas are this beneficial, unlike sharp needles.
So as the facial structure resists the penetration, the doctor must pay attention and ensure that they’re injecting the right place with the right amount of filler during the treatment.
Also, resistance might be a blood vessel or artery, so cannula helps you evade them, saving the patients from vascular occlusion and such. Above all, because the cannula is long and uses one entry point, it’s good for doctors to understand the resistance during treatment for best results.
Well, there are courses and programs to help them learn and have a certification of using cannulas. The good thing is that they’ll offer quality services, and any patient will feel at home in their hands.
Why are Cannulas the Best in Fillers?
The cannula method in the dermal filling is beneficial to the patient and the doctor. As mentioned earlier, blunt tip cannula places fillers accurately. Physicians can feel the resistance as the cannula moves under the skin and know where the filler is being put. The cannula allows the injector to put a level layer and not numerous blobs flawlessly. For that reason, you don’t need to have lots of massages after the treatment to heal.
To the patient, there’s little to no discomfort. Remember, cannulas are blunt, so side effects may not be severe, and in case of any, there’s a brief downtime.
Though sharp-tipped needles are still significant in some cases, cannulas remain the best option for facial fillers in the tear trough and injecting lip fillers. In fact, cannulas are the perfect alternative for needles in situations where the patient cannot handle the discomfort brought by the needles.
So, with the cannula technique, you can now floss your smooth and natural look anytime!
Conclusion
Cannulas are the newest and the best technique for fillers you can opt for. With proper training and experience, physicians become gurus of filler treatment. It’s possible to raise their practice even above their competitors. So, you don’t have to worry anymore about where to get your youthful look back; everything here is explained.
Besides, Yastrid Medical Aesthetics will give you expert advice. We’re also the best supplier of these tools; cannulas and needles too. Combined with our expertise in research, development, and excellent customer service, you’re guaranteed exceptional quality affordably anytime!