Q: Like most people, I’m short on time. And every day that passes, reinforces that fact that time is moving on—it’s evident from the way my skin has aged overnight. What can I do to look younger that doesn’t take time away from my over-booked life? Help!

A: Fillers are the latest innovation in facial rejuvenation. Juvederm is one product that Dr. Nicolette Picerno recommends for its longer-lasting quality plus its ability to mold smoothly and readily into facial folds. One of the places on your face that shows your age most are the “marionette” lines around your mouth. Starting at the nose, these lines run vertically downward and deepen as time goes on. A filler like Juvederm can be injected into the area of the line to smooth away the crease. Interestingly, it can make your smile appear to turn upward as a result. Have you ever noticed older women with a lip line that seems to be upside down as if it’s a frown? This injectable treatment that takes no downtime and shows immediate results will eliminate that unhappy expression.

Q: What about my jowl line? It seems to be lower every time I look in the mirror. When I use two fingers to “lift” my lower half of my face, even I can see the difference in the mirror.

A: A “lift” that is surgical is not something that can be done without incurring some downtime, even though today’s procedures are less restrictive than lifts of yesterday. Dr. Nicolette Picerno recommends that patients with a slightly falling jowl line opt for fillers in the facial area, below the check line. The fillers used can range from injectables like Juvederm to fat transfers, using fat from another part of your body to plump up your cheek area. Part of the aging “look” you’re noticing on your own face is a result of the area under the cheekbone losing volume, or fat, as it takes on a hollow appearance. That happens because as we age, the collagen in our faces doesn’t reproduce like it once did. Once this area of the face is restored to the healthy, plumper look each of us has when we’re younger, you’ll also notice that your jowls are lifted and years are removed from your face.

Q: What about the hollows under my eyes? Can they be corrected with fillers too?

A: Absolutely. Injectables like Juvederm are ideal for this area. And the results are immediate. One thing to note is that the under-eye area is tender, so you may be one who experiences slight bruising around the injection site. You can cover any bruises with make-up and you’re not prohibited from participating in any of your routine activities. But, you may want to schedule a family photo session for your holiday greeting cards for the week following, so that any bruising has passed. And once your relatives get your greeting card, you can be sure they’ll be calling to say you look younger than ever!

Q: I understand that some procedures are not for the lower face, like BOTOX. What areas of the face benefit most by different treatments?

A: BOTOX is used from the forehead to the under-eye area. The purpose of BOTOX injections is to “paralyze” the muscle tissue just below the skin’s surface so that it disallows your regular facial expressions from creating creases and wrinkles that “age” your face. When used properly, BOTOX can give your eyebrows a lift. Dr. Nicolette Picerno has treated patients with BOTOX injections in the eyebrow area so that the arch of the eyebrow stays higher which visually “lifts” the overall look of your face. Injectables, on the other hand, are most effective from the brow area downward. That’s because as we age, our face loses volume. Injectables restore that volume to the facial areas in which volume has been depleted, restoring a plumper, more youthful look to your face. And one benefit of plumping up in this way is that the jowl line is lifted slightly too, enough so that your friends will be asking you what you “did.”