Despite the stresses of running my own business, many sleepless nights, and a period where I wasn’t taking the best care of my physical health, I’m lucky that I don’t yet have any fine lines, wrinkles, or sagging skin on my face. Nevertheless, I’m always a champion of taking preventative action, which is why I was eager to try the Dr. Brandt Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask. Designed to restore lost volume and improve the appearance of facial contours, the Dr. Brandt Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask combines hyaluronic acid, palmitoyl oligopeptide, and Adipofill’in Complex for effective anti-aging formulation. But can this mask truly rival the effects of surgical procedures? Read below for my thoughts and opinions!
Hyaluronic Acid Can Hydrate and Plumpen the Skin
Despite its frequent use in both dermal fillers and topical applications, scientists are still unsure of how precisely hyaluronic acid works to hydrate the skin and make it appear more plump and smooth. One theory is that by hydrating the skin, hyaluronic acid loosens densely packed cells in the stratum corneum and subsequently makes the skin more permeable to other substances (Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology). Indeed, the skin plumping seen when using hyaluronic acid may be due to hyaluronic acid’s ability to retain up to 1,000 times its weight in water (Patient Preference and Adherence) – quite an impressive feat, even among hydrating ingredients!
Better yet, hyaluronic acid also has purported anti-tumorigenic effects in murine models, although it is not unreasonable to believe that these effects could be seen in humans as well (Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology). According to the International Journal of Pharmaceutics, hyaluronic acid has also demonstrated antioxidant-like activity on UV-irradiated skin by scavenging free radicals and preventing free radical-induced damage. Hyaluronic acid’s free radical scavenging ability may also contribute to its purported use as a wound healer (American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, Revue de L’infirmiere), although more research is required in order to understand how and why it contributes to wound healing.
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide Can Rejuvenate the Skin
Dr. Brandt Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask makes use of a variety of peptides that can restore lost volume to aged or sagging skin. For example, palmitoyl oligopeptide was modeled to mimic repair signaling sequences. Specifically, this peptide was designed to repair the extracellular matrix by encouraging protein synthesis, cell differentiation, and cellular proliferation – processes that are often reduced as one ages. Better yet, palmitoyl oligopeptide seldom induces adverse effects in users, meaning that virtually everyone should be able to use palmitoyl oligopeptide without fear (Skin Store).
Adipofill’in Can Make the Face Appear More Plump and Contoured
Dr. Brandt Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask makes use of a specially-patented formulated called Adipofill’in, which contains patented L-orithine in a lonosome. Designed to mimic the results of lipofilling but without the use of needles or anesthesia, Adipofill’in is able to restore lost volume and plumpness in skin which has suffered from structural aging. The L-orithine in the Adipofill’in Complex was extracted from vegetable starch and is believed to better target adipocytes than similar treatments.
Subcutaneous adipose tissue (read: beneath-the-skin fat deposits) largely contribute to the appearance of a plump and well-contoured body. However, these fat deposits gradually become deflated and “melted” due to a partially inhibited adipocyte metabolism that can lead to wrinkles, fine lines, hollowness, and sagging skin (Lucas Meyer Cosmetics).
A study of AdipoFill’in was found to activate the transcription factor Hypoxia Inducible Factor (HIF-1 alpha), which in turn led to a growth in adipose (fat) tissue that contributed to a plumping of the skin. Research has suggested that Adipofill’in can also influence adipogenesis (the transition of pre-adipocytes to adipocytes), lipogenesis (fatty acids synthesis), and inhibition of lipolysis (the breaking down of lipids into free fatty acids).
In a study of 20 women ages 40 – 60 who had nasogenian folds (wrinkles that go roughly from the nose to the lips) applied an Adipofill’in-containing topical treatment twice a day for two months. At the conclusion of the study, many of the experimental participants saw a reduction of up to 37.6% in terms of wrinkle depth and 27.5% in terms of skin roughness (Lucas Meyer Cosmetics).
How to Use
After cleansing the skin, gently brush a dime-sized amount of the Dr. Brandt Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask onto the face by brushing an inverted triangle from the chin to the cheekbones. If more of the face mask is needed, gently pat it on. For the best results, you may want to use this mask daily.
Personal Use and Opinion
Many reviewers have noted that the Dr. Brandt Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask achieved results similar to Botox injections when used regularly.
The formula has a fairly faint scent and is a no-mess serum – you won’t have to worry about the mask leaking down your cheeks or leaving behind a greasy residue. After using it nightly for two weeks, I noticed that the serum did make my face appear slightly more plump, especially on my cheeks and around the mouth. However, as I don’t have any noticeable wrinkles (yet!), I can’t speak to its ability to treat the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. While the formulation itself is fairly fluid, I noticed that my face felt a little dry after using this face mask. Therefore, those of you with dry skin may need to use extra moisturizer when using the Dr. Brandt Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask.
While I would definitely recommend this face mask to those with a few fine lines and wrinkles, I doubt that ingredients in this formulation could fight the appearance of deeply-set wrinkles and lost volume, especially compared to hyaluronic acid fillers. Nevertheless, this is still a great formulation for treating early onset wrinkles and prematurely lost volume.
Bottom Line
I enjoyed using the Dr. Brandt Needles No More 3-D Filler Mask. It has a faint scent and a fairly thick consistency that won’t run down your cheeks. While my face did appear slightly more well-contoured and full after using this treatment, I’m not quite sure that this is suitable for those with deep-seated wrinkles and moderately to severely sagging skin. Rather, this is a better treatment for those who are looking to take preventative steps and who have mild cases of wrinkles/fine lines.