Glass skin is in! Thanks to Korean skin care and culture, this new trend of having dewy, poreless-looking and clear skin is taking over our lives. Although it may seem like a long shot for us, Filipinos, given the climate in the country, Luminisce Holistic Skin Innovations recently introduced a way to make luminous skin possible even for those who always forget to apply creams and moisturizers daily.
Introducing Volite – an injectable from global pharmaceutical company Allergan, that takes pride in longterm hydration and instant glow, addressing fine lines and elasticity problems of the skin. Each Volite session can last up to 9 months, compared with slather-on creams that can only last for a few hours. Although the latter is a preferred go-to skin care, Volite seems promising for people who don’t have time or are always too lazy to maintain a skin care routine.
WHAT IT DOES
Volite addresses skin hydration, smoothness, fine lines, and elasticity, good for 9 months per session. What makes Juvederm Volite different from other fillers is that it contains a special type of hyaluronic acid (HA) unique to Allergan called VYCROSS technology. It produces less pain and swelling (as it also contains an anaesthetic) for the patient while delivering longer lasting results. According to Allergan’s website, it is its “first injectable product specifically designed to improve skin quality”.
In case you’re afraid of HA being injected to the skin, don’t worry because HA is a naturally occurring substance in our bodies. It’s usually found in areas that need moisture (e.g. joints, eyes, and skin). Unfortunately, it depletes over time and this results in dull, dry, and sagging skin as we age. That’s why you’ll remember seeing HA in a lot of topical skin care products in the market. However, note that HA has to be made very small in order to penetrate the skin and work its wonders! That’s where Juvederm Volite is sure of as the HA is injected intradermally (between the skin’s layers).
Fun fact: On our skin, a molecule of HA can hold 1,000 times its weight in water that is essential in keeping it constantly hydrated.
Effects will begin to show several days after the first treatment and it’s good for a maximum of nine months. After which, a patient may opt to repeat the procedure. Patients who are prone to hypertrophic or raised scars, sensitive to HA or certain anaesthetics, pregnant, and breastfeeding are not allowed to use the product. Other than that, anyone is good to go! Don’t forget to consult a dermatologist first, though.
HOW THEY DO IT
Manila Millennial was given the chance to watch the procedure during our visit to the Luminisce branch at Podium, Ortigas. Dr. Kaycee Reyes- Bacani, the Medical Director of Luminisce, demonstrated how it’s done while a client is awake. After consultations and pinpointing trouble areas, topical anaesthesia was applied to the face before the injections. The entire session only took around 30 minutes – 15 minutes for the topical anaesthesia to set and another 10-15 minutes to inject Volite.
According to their client, who has been using HA fillers for some time now, Volite doesn’t have side effects and she didn’t even feel any pain when it was injected. It can be a bit itchy but it’s bearable, considering the good long-term effects that it can bring.
WHY WE LIKE IT
Although fillers may not be the top-of-mind when it comes to skin care, we personally think that Volite is a great innovation that can help a lot of people boost their self-esteem. Not everyone is blessed with smooth skin and some are even going through genetic problems that manifest through wrinkles and fine lines at a young age. Through Volite, everyone will be given the chance to maintain their youthful glow for a longer period vs. other fillers in the market that require you to come back to skin clinics within just 2-3 months. It’s also safe and it can solve a lot of skin woes – dullness, dryness, fine lines, and sagging.
Volite is already available in Luminisce Skin Clinics in BGC, Podium, and Alabang. We’ll also try a new service called Dermablate next week, so don’t forget to follow Manila Millennial on Facebook or Instagram for real-time updates!