Dermal Fillers

Hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers are injectable gels made from a biocompatible sugar naturally found in skin. Cross-linked for longevity, they restore volume, smooth lines, and enhance facial contours while attracting and retaining moisture for a soft, natural look.

 

Benefits:

- Restores lost volume and structure

- Softens lines and folds; improves skin hydration

- Refines facial balance and contours (e.g., cheeks, chin, jawline)

- Immediate results with minimal downtime

- Adjustable and reversible for precise outcomes

 

Common treatment areas:

- Cheeks and midface

- Nasolabial folds and marionette lines

- Lips and perioral lines; lip hydration

- Chin and jawline definition

- Tear troughs (under-eye hollows) in select candidates

- Temples and non-surgical nose refinement

- Scars

 

Longevity:

- Varies by product, area, and metabolism

- Typical ranges: lips 6–12 months; folds/cheeks 9–18 months; chin/jawline 12–24 months; tear troughs/temples 9–18 months; nose 12–18 months

- Results are immediate; fillers settle over 1–2 weeks

 

Reversibility:

- HA fillers can be dissolved with hyaluronidase if needed (asymmetry, overcorrection, or complications)

- Dissolving typically acts within hours to days; rare allergy to hyaluronidase is possible

 

Downtime and aftercare:

- Most return to normal activities the same day

- Expect temporary swelling, redness, tenderness, or bruising for 1–7 days (lips may swell longer)

- Avoid strenuous exercise, heat/saunas, alcohol, and pressure on treated areas for 24–48 hours

- Makeup can usually be applied after 6–24 hours if skin is intact

 

Risks and side effects:

- Common: swelling, redness, bruising, tenderness, lumps/bumps, temporary asymmetry, itching

- Less common: Tyndall effect (bluish hue), delayed swelling, nodules/granulomas, infection or cold sore reactivation, filler migration

- Rare but serious: vascular occlusion (can cause skin injury) and visual changes/blindness if injected into a blood vessel—requires immediate medical attention

- Not suitable with active skin infection, certain allergies, or during pregnancy/breastfeeding; blood thinners increase bruising risk