Fillers in the face: what you can expect

What is a filler, which areas are suitable and how does a treatment proceed? Explanation about hyaluronic acid, safety and aftercare from ACLINIC, Oostkamp.

Fillers are used in the face where volume gradually decreases over the years. Fillers offer a way to replenish that volume in a subtle and natural way. It is a short treatment, but a medical one, and that deserves the necessary care. In this article you will read what a filler is, in which areas it is used, how a treatment proceeds and why the medical setting is so important.

What a filler is

A filler is a gel that is introduced under the skin with a fine needle or cannula. Most fillers consist of hyaluronic acid, a substance that the body produces itself and that retains moisture. In the skin this provides volume and support.

With age the face loses fat, bone and firmness. Cheeks become flatter, the transition from eyelid to cheek becomes deeper and the folds around the mouth become more pronounced. A filler replenishes that lost volume locally and in a targeted way.

Fillers are often mentioned in the same breath as botulinum toxin, but they work very differently. Botulinum toxin relaxes muscles and acts on lines that arise from facial expression, such as frown lines. A filler does not relax anything, it replenishes. Both are sometimes discussed together and combined in one treatment plan.

In which areas fillers are used

Lips. To replenish volume or contour, or to reduce an asymmetry.
Cheekbones and cheeks. To restore volume that drops with age.
Tear trough. The transition between the lower eyelid and the cheek, where a shadow sometimes arises that can make you look tired.
Folds around the mouth. Such as the fold that runs from the nostril to the corner of the mouth.
Chin and jawline. To support the proportions of the profile and give more definition.
Nose. In certain cases a filler can soften a small irregularity on the bridge of the nose, without surgery.

In addition to classic fillers there are also skin boosters. That is an almost liquid form of hyaluronic acid that gives the skin moisture instead of volume. There are also collagen boosters based on calcium hydroxyapatite, which stimulate the skin to produce collagen itself.

How a treatment proceeds

A treatment with fillers usually takes 15 to 30 minutes. Yet more precedes it than the injection alone.

How a treatment proceeds

1

Analysis of the face

The doctor looks at your face both at rest and in motion. Together you discuss which areas are suitable and what is feasible. Sometimes a filler is not the right choice and that is discussed honestly with you.
2

Anaesthesia

The area to be treated is often numbed with an anaesthetic ointment. Where necessary a local anaesthetic follows, comparable to that of the dentist. Moreover, many fillers themselves also contain an anaesthetic agent, which makes the treatment extra comfortable.
3

The injection

The doctor introduces the filler with a fine needle or with a cannula. That is a blunt needle that gently pushes tissue aside.
4

Aftercare

You can go home immediately. In the first few days it is best to avoid intense heat such as a sauna, and you should not massage the treated area yourself, unless the doctor asks you to.

What you can expect afterwards

Immediately after the treatment there is often some swelling, redness or a small bruise at the injection site. With lips the swelling may seem larger in the first few days than the final volume. After one to two weeks the filler has settled and you will see the final result.

A filler is not permanent: the body gradually breaks down hyaluronic acid. Depending on the product and the treated area, the effect remains visible for approximately four months to a year. Areas that move a lot, such as the lips, generally lose the volume faster.

An additional treatment is possible after a few weeks, if the doctor considers that useful. Those who repeat fillers over time discuss each time anew what is needed. More product is not always the right choice.

Why the medical setting matters

Fillers are often presented as a quick treatment. Yet it remains an injection in an area with blood vessels and nerves. A thorough knowledge of the anatomy determines where and how deep the injection is given exactly.

Most side effects are temporary: swelling, a bruise or a slight feeling of pressure. Rarer are an infection, an inflammation that appears later or small lumps under the skin. The most serious risk is that filler ends up in a blood vessel and obstructs the blood supply to the skin. That rarely occurs, but requires swift and expert intervention with hyaluronidase: an enzyme that dissolves the filler within a few hours. This "solvent" must always be present in a medical setting.

When a filler is not advisable

A filler is postponed or not recommended in case of:

pregnancy or breastfeeding
an infection or cold sore in the area to be treated
certain autoimmune diseases, or an allergy to a component of the filler
a dental procedure shortly before or after the treatment

If you take blood thinners, always report this beforehand. Never stop taking them on your own. That only happens in consultation with the doctor who prescribed them.