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Choosing the Best HA Dermal Filler for Your Patient

With all the new and upcoming products on the market today, it can be difficult to choose which products to use on your patients. When it comes down to it, it is all about what works best for you as an injector, what works best for your patient’s needs, how much they are willing to spend, and how important longevity is to them.  Here is our basic guide to all the products out there, and how best to use them. Keep in mind that these are suggestions. It still needs to fit into your comfort zone as an injector and address the needs of your individual patients.

Lip Augmentation and Superficial Lines Around the Mouth

When treating superficial fine lines and wrinkles with filler, we refer to the products as “spackling” agents because they subtly and naturally fill the cracks and lines in a patient’s face. These products are typically used for subtle lip augmentation, filling vertical lines within the lips, or perioral rhytids (smoker’s lines, or lines around the mouth). Spackling agents typically don’t provide volume or lift, but merely create a smoother appearance. Less plunger pressure is required to inject because they are so lightweight and fluid. All of these products contain lidocaine pre-mixed with the product except for Belotero. Here are a few of the “spackling”  products that we are available today:

  • Restylane Silk: From Galderma, Restylane Silk is designed to provide lip shaping and line control for ideal, natural lip shape and size with a silky and smooth touch. Results last up to 6 months.
  • Restylane/Restylane-L: While Restylane can be used to treat nasolabial folds and marionette lines, it is also FDA approved for lip augmentation to give the lips fullness and definition. Restylane can be purchased with or without lidocaine. The “L” indicates lidocaine
  • Juvederm Volbella: Developed with Allergan’s Vycross Technology, Volbella is a very lightweight gel used in lip augmentation and excels at smoothing lines around the mouth. Results have been shown to last up to 12 months with minimal swelling and side effects.
  • Juvederm Ultra XC: Also an Allergan product, Juvederm Ultra provides plumpness and fullness of the lips for those who have experienced a thinning of their lips as they age or for those who simply just want fuller lips.
  • Belotero: If we are talking about the lines specifically above the lips, we must mention Belotero, from Merz Aesthetics. This product can treat superficial lines around the mouth and other areas of the face as well as provide subtle augmentation of the lips. Results of this treatment can last at least 6 months as well with a small recovery time and minimal side effects.

There is our basic guide to Hyaluronic Acid dermal fillers for the use of fine lines and wrinkles specifically around the mouth, and lip augmentation. As always, take a look at our course calendar for an upcoming class near you to learn all about these products and how to properly use them. Next week, we will discuss Hyaluronic Acid dermal fillers for the use in moderate to severe wrinkles and folds.

Restylan Lyft Moderate to Severe Lines, Wrinkles, and Folds

The following products are very diverse and have a medium viscosity for use in various parts of the face. These products all contain lidocaine pre-mixed with the product and are used to treat moderate to severe lines and wrinkles specifically the laugh lines, marionette lines, and nasolabial folds.

  • Juvederm Vollure XC: For moderate to severe facial lines and wrinkles, Vollure works to provide a subtle lift to the facial features, specifically in the parentheses lines around the nose and mouth. It has been proven to last up to 18 months, one of the longer lasting products on the market to treat these specific areas.
  • Juvederm XC: Juvederm XC instantly smoothes the parentheses lines around the mouth and nose with results that last up to 12 months.
  • Restylane Refyne: Used to help soften laugh lines, nasolabial folds, and marionette lines while allowing for natural movement of the face and features. Refyne is flexible and offers a very subtle support for up to 12 months.
  • Restylane Defyne: Defyne is used in the treatment of deep laugh lines and offers additional support. Like Refyne, Defyne is formulated to allow natural facial expressions and movements. Results last up to 12 months.

Lifting and Contouring Cheeks

The following products are used in more heavy lines and wrinkles to provide maximum volume and lift. These products are more viscous and provide more support, thus requiring more plunger pressure into those deeper and more prominent folds and are mainly used to fix contour deficiencies.

  • Restylane Lyft (Formerly known as Perlane): Specifically formulated to add volume and shape to the cheek and midface area as well as correct and smooth smile lines or nasolabial folds. This product is a bit more hydrophilic and results typically last up to 12 months.
  • Juvederm Voluma XC: Designed to add volume to lift and contour the cheek area for those who have experienced volume loss due to age. The effects of this product have been shown to last up to 2 years

There you have it! The basic guide to most of the Hyaluronic Acid dermal fillers on the market today. This is not a complete guide, and should not be used in place of classes and training. Please visit our course calendar for the next class in your area to learn more about these products and proper injection techniques. Each patient is different, and you should provide time for a thorough consult with your patients to ensure that you are choosing the best treatment for their needs.