You’ve investigated online. You’ve seen your friend’s amazing transformations. You've looked up countless before and after photos.
Now, you just want to know – which filler treatment is best for you?
There are so many, after all! Read this post to learn all about the series of products from the leading filler brands on the market today: Juvederm and Restylane dermal fillers.
The expertise and knowledge of your cosmetic injector is very important. When it comes to getting filler treatments, your injector should be a licensed medical professional, have years of experience performing injections, and extensive training and certifications directly from the manufacturers. After gaining this, she will know the properties of each filler product and how certain ones may be more or less suited to address your aesthetic concerns. Your experienced cosmetic injector will select the right dermal filler specifically for you and she will be able to use the application techniques best suited to accomplish your goals.
We always recommend that you book a no-cost consultation. When you come in your cosmetic injector will spend time discussing with you the possible solutions using cosmetic dermal fillers and other treatments we offer to address your aesthetic concerns. Then, you will receive a personalized treatment plan based on your needs.
In the meantime, this blog post will help shed some light on what is common and can be expected as well as which dermal filler may be best for you.
For those wanting to achieve an enhanced facial appearance through dermal fillers, we carry the two market-leading brands used in the U.S. today which are Juvederm(R) and Restylane(R). Each of these brands include a series of dermal filler products.
Allergan, the manufacturer of Juvederm® family of fillers (and BOTOX) is the over all market leader and has been the go-to favorite brand of injectors for years. In addition, Galderma, the maker the Restylane® line of filler products and Dysport (a neurotoxin similar to BOTOX) is a competing leading brand. Both of these brands offer dermal filler products that are made of hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is a naturally occurring substance our body. Dermal fillers are made of hyaluronic acid a non-animal, clear gel that is reported to be very close to the hyaluronic acid found naturally in the body. Based on the size and behavior of the HA filler particles, certain dermal fillers are more or less suited for use in different areas of the face. For example, one filler product may be more lifting in the midface area while another filler product may be more smoothing under the skin and yet another product may be more plumping to create the perfect pout.
While there are always exceptions, read on to learn about the typical indication and use of varioiusJuvederm and Restylane dermal filler products.
Most filler product treatments are available for purchase as a 1 mL syringe. However, some are offered as a half a syringe (.55 mL).
Did you know? a 1 mL syringe of filler is less than 1/4 teaspoon!
Some people may desire 2 or more syringes to optimally treat their areas of concern.
Keep in mind, based on your own appearance, you may desire more than one syringe of a filler product to achieve the optimal result in your appearance. It is not uncommon to receive different kinds of fillers to add volume to various areas of the face all in the same appointment (also know as the liquid face lift!).
Kinds of Dermal Fillers and their Typical Use
Juvederm® Brand of Dermal Fillers
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The JUVÉDERM® collection of fillers is made from hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is a natural substance in the skin that delivers nutrients, helps the skin retain moisture and softness, and adds volume. Most filler products also have added lidocaine, a numbing anesthetic, which helps to make the injection more comfortable.
Juvederm® is used to treat and immediately improve the appearance of the following areas of the face:
lip fullness/enhancement - lip injections
parentheses (smile) lines
corner of the mouth lines
marionette lines (below the corners of your mouth)
vertical lip lines also known as smoker's lines
NEW! JUVEDERM® Volbella XC
Juvederm Volbella is typically used to smooth and enhance the appearance of vertical wrinkles and folds around the mouth.
Juvederm Volbella is commonly used to add subtle volume to your lips and smooth the appearance of vertical lip lines.
Notice, as apparent in the example photos here, the product does not result in a pursed or plumped look for the lips.
The results of this filler are typically more smoothing and less plumping. Results may last up to one year with optimal treatment.
JUVEDERM® Ultra XC
Juvederm Ultra XC product is typically used to enhance, plump and restore or create extra fullness within the lips.
Did you know? The lips are currently the second most treated area for fillers and they are catching up to that top spot (nasolabial folds).
No two lips are exactly alike. Whatever your unique needs are when it comes to your lips, the JUVÉDERM® collection of lip fillers will be able to help you add volume, smooth, define, plump or even-out the shape of your lips.
This product filler can help you discover natural looking, enhanced results that can last up to a year. Here are a couple of examples of using Juvederm Ultra XC in the lips.
Juvederm Ultra XC is a favorite of cosmetic injectors used to plump and add volume to the lips. This product is the tried and true favorite to add plumping volume to your lips where needed.
Notice the results with Juvederm Ultra XC can be rather enhanced and they can be very natural looking as well. This is where the experience of your cosmetic injector will be valuable. Results may last up to one year with optimal treatment.
JUVEDERM® Ultra Plus XC
Juvederm Ultra Plus XC is used to fill in and enhance the appearance of moderate to severe deep wrinkles and folds around the mouth. Correcting this area of the face to reduce lines and folds appearance is the most common filler procedure today.
It is also not uncommon for clients to need more than one syringe of Juvederm Ultra Plus XC for around the nose and mouth area.
See below, a good example of a client who's received 3 syringes over a year's time. Notice how the added Juvederm Ultra Plus filler optimally fills the marionette and nasolabial folds around her mouth and nose (parenthesis). As you can see, it is an option to start with one or two syringes to begin with and add more as needed over time.
Per the manufacturer, results with Juvederm Ultra XC may last up to one year with optimal treatment.
NEW! JUVEDERM® Vollure XC
Juvederm Vollure like Juvederm Ultra Plus is also typically used to fill nasolabial folds, smile lines and marionette lines, but the injector can go a little deeper to smooth more severe folds. Also, this product, being tighter cross-linked is reported to last longer (18 months) versus the regular Juvederm Ultra Plus (6-12 months) and so it also costs a bit more.
Juvederm Vollure is one of the company's latest filler products which uses a new cross-linking technology. Let's just say that the way hyaluronic acid particles are bonded or "cross-linked" together and how they are made of various molecular weight particles gives it different properties and more or less longevity.
The newer Juvederms - Volbella, Vollure, Voluma all use the latest Vycross cross-linking technologies; while the original Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus use the Hylacross technology with uniform molecular weight particles.
The newer Vycross products: Voluma, Vollure, Volbella are rated to last longer than the original Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus.
Juvederm Vollure is rated by the manufacturer to last up to 18 months with optimal treatment.
JUVEDERM® Voluma XC
Juvederm Voluma is typically used to add volume to the apples of your cheeks and fill midface areas. VOLUMA™ instantly adds volume to correct age-related volume loss.
As we age our cheeks will lose volume and begin to hollow and become less youthful looking. One or two syringes of Juvederm Voluma product can dramatically improve the appearance of an aging face.
Juvederm Voluma can provide the apple of your cheeks with improved contour shape and a subtle lift lasting up to two years with optimal treatment.
Notice in the example above, when Juvederm Voluma is added to the midface area it will have the added affect of reducing the lines around the mouth as the area above those lines is lifted up. This is why your cosmetic injector will sometimes recommend that you do the Voluma filler first before you get treated with Vollure or Ultra Plus for the lines around the mouth.
RESTYLANE® brand of Dermal FIllers
Restylane® family of products from Galderma are also made of a clear gel formulation of hyaluronic acid that is specifically designed to act like your body's own naturally produced hyaluronic acid.
RESTYLANE® -L Restylane-L dermal filler is used to help to visibly correct moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, including the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth (nasolabial folds or laugh lines), the corners of the mouth and marionette lines — the area that extends downward from the corners of the mouth to the jawline. Results of Restylane-L are rated to last from 6 - 9 months.
Restylane is also commonly used for under-eye filler to reduce the appearance of sunken or hollows areas under the eyes.
RESTYLANE® Silk is used to improve fullness in the upper and lower lips and to improve the appearance of wrinkles around the mouth. Results are expected to last approximately 6 - 9 months in some clients.
RESTYLANE® Lyft is used to improve fullness in the right and left midface cheek areas and results may last up to 12 months. Restylane Lyft is the competing product to Juvederm Voluma.
New! RESTYLANE® Refyne is used to improve fullness in the nasolabial folds (parenthesis lines) and around the mouth (marionette). Results are expected to last approximately 18 months with optimal treatment.
New! RESTYLANE® Defyne is used to improve fullness in the nasolabial folds (parenthesis lines) and around the mouth (marionette). Results are expected to last approximately 18 months with optimal treatment.
The newer Refyne and Defyne products from Galderma are designed to move cohesively within the skin for a more naturally enhanced fill appearance while expressions are being created.
According to the manufacturer, the latest two Restylane® products use XpresHAn® technology that allows them to flex within the skin along with your facial expressions for a soft, natural result. The main difference between Refyne and Defyne is that Restylane Refyne treats mild to moderate lines and wrinkles, while Restylane Defyne is used to treat moderate to deep and severe smile lines.
Now you know all about the various Juvederm and Restylane dermal filler products.
The next question usually is, "How much do they cost?" To see our current pricing for each - check here.
You may also be interested in reading our Medspa FAQ page which describes the difference between nuerotoxin products and fillers also gives you an idea of the downtime and what to expect when getting each treatment.
Call today 303-459-4210
Your easy rejuvenating treatment is just an appointment away!
P.S. Remember to always book your fillers and medspa appointments at least two weeks before your special occasion or upcoming trips. This will give your body time to heal from any side effects that may occur after injections. (bruising and slight swelling being the most common side effects)
