Dermal fillers are injectable treatments used to restore lost volume, soften wrinkles and folds, enhance facial contours and improve balance between facial features. Depending on the product selected, fillers may be used to subtly enhance the lips, support the cheeks, define the chin or jawline, smooth lines around the mouth or rejuvenate the hands.
Many fillers provide visible improvement immediately, although swelling can temporarily affect the appearance of the final result. Treatment is customized to your anatomy and goals so that the outcome looks balanced and natural rather than overfilled.
How do dermal fillers work?
Fillers are injected beneath or within the skin using a fine needle or cannula. The product adds volume, structure or support in carefully selected areas.
Hyaluronic acid fillers attract and retain moisture while adding volume to the treated tissue. Other fillers, such as RADIESSE, use calcium hydroxylapatite particles suspended in a gel and can encourage new collagen production.
Different products vary in thickness, flexibility, lifting ability and longevity. Your provider will select a filler based on the treatment area, your facial structure, the movement of the surrounding tissue and the type of improvement you want to achieve.
How are fillers different from botulinum toxin?
Dermal fillers and botulinum toxin products such as BOTOX® Cosmetic, Dysport® and XEOMIN® improve different types of concerns.
Botulinum toxin reduces the muscle activity responsible for expression lines, such as forehead lines, frown lines and crow’s feet. Fillers add volume or structural support to improve wrinkles, folds, hollow areas and facial contours.
The treatments may be used separately or together when a patient has both muscle-related wrinkles and age-related volume loss.
What concerns can fillers improve?
Depending on the product and its approved uses, fillers may help improve:
- Smile lines and nasolabial folds
- Marionette lines around the mouth
- Lip volume, shape and definition
- Vertical lines around the lips
- Cheek and midface volume
- Chin shape and projection
- Jawline definition
- Temple hollowing
- Selected under-eye concerns
- Age-related volume loss
- Volume loss on the backs of the hands
- Overall facial balance and contour
Not every filler is appropriate for every area. Your provider will recommend a product designed for the specific tissue depth, movement and level of support required.
What filler collections are available?
The Dermatology Clinic offers several established filler families, allowing treatment to be personalized for different facial areas and aesthetic goals.
Restylane
Restylane is a collection of hyaluronic acid fillers developed for different treatment areas and levels of facial movement. Depending on the specific product, Restylane may be used to enhance the lips, smooth wrinkles and folds, restore cheek or midface volume, improve chin projection, address temple hollowing or restore volume to the backs of the hands.
Products within the collection vary in firmness and flexibility, allowing your provider to select a filler that provides the appropriate combination of support and natural movement.
JUVÉDERM
JUVÉDERM is a collection of hyaluronic acid fillers formulated for several areas of the face. Different products may be selected to enhance the lips, smooth lines around the mouth, restore cheek or temple volume, improve chin projection, define the jawline or address selected under-eye concerns.
Each product has distinct characteristics, so the recommended option will depend on the treatment area and the amount of structure, softness or movement needed.
The RHA Collection
The RHA® Collection consists of resilient hyaluronic acid fillers designed to adapt to facial movement. Products within the collection may be used to soften dynamic facial wrinkles and folds, improve lines around the mouth, enhance the lips or restore volume in selected areas.
Because facial areas such as the mouth and cheeks move frequently, these fillers are formulated to provide support while maintaining natural-looking movement and expression.
RADIESSE
RADIESSE is a calcium hydroxylapatite filler that provides immediate structural support while also encouraging collagen production. It may be used to smooth moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, improve selected facial contours or restore volume to the backs of the hands.
RADIESSE is not a hyaluronic acid filler and cannot be dissolved with the enzyme used to reverse hyaluronic acid products. Careful product selection and precise injection technique are therefore especially important.
What happens during treatment?
Before treatment, your provider will evaluate your facial structure, skin quality, movement, symmetry and areas of volume loss. You will discuss the type of result you want and whether filler is the most appropriate option.
The treatment areas will be cleansed and may be marked. Small amounts of filler are then injected using a needle or cannula. Your provider may gently massage or shape the product when appropriate.
The appointment length depends on the number of areas being treated and the amount of product required.
Is filler treatment painful?
Most patients experience mild to moderate discomfort. Injections may feel like a brief pinch, pressure, stinging or fullness beneath the skin.
Many fillers contain lidocaine to improve comfort during treatment. Topical numbing medication, ice or local anesthetic may also be used depending on the area and product selected.
The lips and areas around the mouth tend to be more sensitive than the cheeks or jawline.
When will I see results?
Many fillers create visible improvement immediately. However, swelling, firmness or bruising can temporarily make the treated area appear fuller or less symmetrical than the final result.
The filler generally settles as swelling decreases and the surrounding tissue adjusts. Your provider may recommend waiting approximately two weeks before evaluating the final appearance or deciding whether an adjustment is needed.
Collagen-stimulating effects from products such as RADIESSE develop more gradually.
How long do fillers last?
Filler results are temporary. The duration varies depending on:
- The product used
- The area treated
- The amount injected
- The movement of the treatment area
- Your metabolism
- Your facial anatomy
- Your age and skin condition
- Previous treatments
Fillers placed in highly mobile areas, such as the lips, may break down sooner than products placed in areas with less movement. Maintenance treatment may be recommended as the results gradually fade.
Is there any downtime?
Most patients can return to normal daily activities shortly after treatment, but temporary injection-related effects are common.
These may include:
- Swelling
- Bruising
- Redness
- Tenderness
- Itching
- Firmness
- Small lumps or unevenness
- Pinpoint bleeding
- Temporary asymmetry
Swelling is often most noticeable during the first several days, particularly after lip treatment. Bruising may take longer to resolve. Plan your appointment well before a wedding, photography session, vacation or other important event.
How should I prepare for treatment?
Before your filler appointment:
- Tell your provider about all medical conditions
- Provide a complete list of medications and supplements
- Discuss medications or supplements that may increase bleeding or bruising
- Report any allergies or previous reactions to fillers
- Tell your provider if you have a bleeding disorder
- Report a history of cold sores or fever blisters
- Discuss previous fillers, implants, surgery, threads or other cosmetic procedures
- Report any dental work performed recently or planned soon
- Tell your provider if you are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Report any active infection, rash, acne outbreak, sore or irritation
- Arrive with clean skin and minimal makeup when possible
Do not stop aspirin, anticoagulants or another prescribed medication unless the healthcare professional who prescribed it tells you to do so.
How should I care for the treated areas?
Follow the personalized instructions provided by your injector. You may generally be advised to:
- Avoid rubbing, pressing or massaging the area unless instructed
- Apply a cool compress for temporary swelling
- Avoid strenuous exercise for the remainder of the day
- Avoid saunas, hot tubs, steam rooms and excessive heat temporarily
- Limit alcohol if it worsens swelling or bruising
- Avoid sleeping with direct pressure on the treated area
- Delay facials, massages or procedures that place pressure on the face
- Avoid unnecessary sun exposure
- Wait until the injection sites have closed before applying makeup
Do not attempt to press, move or reshape the filler yourself.
What are the possible risks?
Common filler reactions include swelling, redness, bruising, tenderness, itching and temporary firmness. Less common complications may include:
- Infection
- Persistent lumps or nodules
- Delayed inflammation
- Allergic reactions
- Changes in skin color
- Product migration
- Prolonged swelling
- Asymmetry
- Scarring
- An unsatisfactory cosmetic result
Some reactions can develop weeks, months or longer after treatment. Contact the office if you experience persistent swelling, redness, tenderness, drainage or firm areas beneath the skin.
What symptoms require immediate medical attention?
The most serious filler complication occurs when product unintentionally enters or compresses a blood vessel. This can interrupt blood flow and cause skin injury, tissue death, vision loss, blindness or stroke. Although this complication is uncommon, it requires immediate treatment.
Seek immediate medical attention if you experience:
- Severe or unusual pain
- Skin that becomes pale, white, gray, blue or blotchy
- Coolness or discoloration near the injection area
- New vision changes or loss of vision
- Severe headache
- Facial drooping
- Weakness or numbness
- Difficulty speaking
- Dizziness, confusion or difficulty walking
- Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction
Contact the clinic immediately rather than waiting for these symptoms to improve on their own.
Who is a good candidate for fillers?
Dermal fillers may be appropriate for adults who want to improve facial volume, wrinkles, folds or contours without surgery.
Good candidates generally:
- Are in good overall health
- Have realistic expectations
- Want subtle, balanced improvement
- Understand that results are temporary
- Can follow preparation and aftercare instructions
- Have healthy skin in the planned treatment areas
- Are willing to return for maintenance when needed
A consultation is necessary because filler may not be the best treatment for every line, hollow or contour concern.
Who may need to postpone treatment?
Filler treatment may need to be delayed or avoided if you:
- Have an active infection, rash or open wound
- Have an active dental infection
- Are experiencing a cold-sore outbreak
- Recently underwent a procedure that has not healed
- Have a history of severe allergic reactions
- Have a bleeding or clotting disorder
- Have an uncontrolled inflammatory or autoimmune condition
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have an allergy to the filler or anesthetic ingredients
- Have a suspicious or unevaluated skin growth in the treatment area
Provide a complete medical history so your provider can determine whether treatment can be performed safely.
Can fillers be combined with other treatments?
Fillers may be combined with botulinum toxin, Sculptra®, laser treatments, microneedling, skin-tightening procedures or other aesthetic services as part of a comprehensive rejuvenation plan.
Fillers primarily address volume and structural support, while other treatments may improve muscle-related wrinkles, pigmentation, redness, scars, laxity or surface texture.
Some services can be completed during the same appointment, while others should be spaced apart. Your provider will recommend the safest sequence based on your skin, medical history and treatment goals.
Why choose The Dermatology Clinic for fillers?
Filler results depend on much more than the product used. Facial anatomy, injection depth, product selection, placement and the injector’s experience all influence both safety and the final appearance.
The Dermatology Clinic offers several filler collections and develops an individualized plan for each patient. Your provider will recommend the appropriate product and amount based on your anatomy rather than using the same approach for every face.
Schedule a filler consultation
Dermal fillers offer a customizable, nonsurgical way to restore volume, soften wrinkles and improve facial balance. The Dermatology Clinic can evaluate your facial structure, discuss the differences between available products and create a personalized treatment plan designed to produce subtle, natural-looking results. Contact us today to get scheduled.
