Yes, there are so many different fillers on the market and I understand it could be confusing understanding them and deciding which, if any at all, is best for you. Dermal fillers are a gel-like soft tissue filler injected into the skin.
It can help with many things, including facial augmentation, diminishing facial lines and also restoring the volume and fullness in the face. The word "dermis" is a medical technical term that refers to a layer of the skin (below the epidermis, and above the layer of subcutaneous tissue) - you may refer to the diagram below for a reference.
(https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=anatomy-of-the-skin-85-P01336)
The reason for coining the term "dermal fillers" stems from most fillers being most appropriately injected into the dermis layer of the skin. Fillers can be injected in the upper, mid or deep dermis layer of the skin depending on factors such as facial anatomical location and filler type, for example.
As for the term "hyaluronic acid filler", this refers to a filler made of the material hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is also known as the skin's "moisture molecule" as it is able to absorb up to 1000x its own weight of water, hence giving it the ability to lift and restore volume and hydration to our skin and tissues.
A dermal filler may be made of hyaluronic acid (such as fillers of the brand Juvederm), or made of other non-hyaluronic acid materials such as polycaprolactone (Ellanse) or calcium hydroxyapatite (Radiesse). Juvederm and Ellanse are brand names of fillers.
As for specific differences such as which is better, and differences in safety profiles, these will probably be better discussed in person by your physician who can go into a more detailed consult with you. Hope to have shed some information on fillers for your consideration!
Regards,
Dr. Joanna Chan
