Injectables

Dermal fillers.

A hundred years of trial and error, explained in plain English — including the part where medicine learned to insist on an undo button.

Dermal fillers are the most requested and most misunderstood treatment in aesthetic medicine. Social media has turned them into a punchline about overfilled faces, while the actual science has quietly become one of the better stories in modern aesthetics. This page is the plain-English version: where fillers came from, how they work, and how to decode the brand names you have been Googling.

If you are past the research stage and want to know how we plan filler — whole face, staged over time — that lives on our facial balancing page. This page is the textbook; that one is the treatment plan. For the neuromodulator side of the conversation, see Botox and neuromodulators.

01

A short history, honestly told

The urge to refill an aging face is over a century old, and the first eighty years of it went badly. Surgeons in the 1890s tried transplanting a patient's own fat — right idea, unpredictable results. The early 1900s brought paraffin wax injections, which ended in disfiguring granulomas and gave the young field its first scandal. Mid-century, liquid silicone had its turn: it looked wonderful for a while, then migrated and inflamed, sometimes decades later. Injectable silicone for the face is now something reputable medicine has walked away from.

The first modern, regulated filler arrived in 1981 — purified bovine collagen. It was safe and natural-looking, but it required allergy testing before use and faded in about three months. Then came the material that changed everything: hyaluronic acid, first FDA-approved as Restylane in 2003, with the Juvederm family following in 2006. Alongside it came the biostimulator fillers — calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse) and poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra) — which work by provoking your own collagen rather than filling space directly.

Here is the pattern worth noticing in that history: every era's failure was some version of permanence without an exit. Paraffin, silicone and their descendants could not be taken back when something went wrong. The reason hyaluronic acid conquered the field is not only that it works — it is that for the first time, medicine had a filler with an undo button. That lesson is baked into how we practice.

02

How HA fillers actually work

Hyaluronic acid is not a synthetic invention. It is a sugar molecule your own skin makes and uses every day, part of the scaffolding that keeps young dermis plump and hydrated. Its party trick is holding water: HA can bind many hundreds of times its own weight in it, which is why well-placed filler does not sit in the face like a pellet — it integrates and hydrates.

Raw HA would be broken down by your enzymes in a day or two, so manufacturers cross-link it — chemically tying the strands together into a gel that resists breakdown for months to years. How tightly it is tied, and how the gel is textured, determines its character: softer, stretchier gels for lips and areas that move constantly; firmer, more supportive gels for cheekbones, chin and jawline, where the job is structure.

Think mattress shopping. No firmness is best in the abstract — it is about matching the mattress to the sleeper. Choosing the wrong gel for the wrong area is how a lot of bad filler happens, and it is a product-selection error before it is ever an injection error.

The biostimulators play a different game. Radiesse and Sculptra provide less immediate fill and instead recruit your fibroblasts to build collagen over weeks to months. Real tools with real uses — and one significant caveat, covered next.

03

The reversibility rule

An enzyme called hyaluronidase dissolves HA filler — placed too superficially, migrated, overfilled, or simply no longer wanted — usually within hours to days. We perform dissolution under ultrasound guidance, which means we can see exactly where the old filler sits instead of guessing. That includes filler placed at other practices.

Reversibility is also a genuine safety feature. The rare but serious filler emergency — product entering a blood vessel — is treated by flooding the area with hyaluronidase immediately. That emergency exit exists only for HA fillers. It is a major reason our default filler is hyaluronic acid, why we map vessels with ultrasound before higher-risk placements, and why we would tell you to think carefully before choosing a non-reversible product anywhere near your face's critical real estate.

Non-HA fillers are not bad. But with them, patience is the only exit.

04

Decoding the brands

Every brand family below is FDA-approved, and none of them is the best — each is a range of gels tuned for different jobs. This chart is for decoding the marketing, not a menu of our shelf. We stock a focused set that covers the full range of jobs, and we will tell you exactly what we are using and why at your visit.

Filler family What it is Where it shines How long it typically lasts Reversible?
Juvederm Smooth HA gels, from soft to structural Lips through cheeks and chin 6–12 months for lips and lines; up to 18–24 months for structural cheek work Yes
Restylane HA gels; the flexible ones are built for movement Lips that move naturally, smile lines, cheeks Roughly 6–12 months; up to 12–18 for structural products Yes
RHA collection HA processed gently to stay stretchy Dynamic areas — folds and lines that crease when you talk Up to about 15 months Yes
Belotero A thin, skin-integrating HA Fine lines and thin-skinned areas where thicker gels would show About 6–9 months Yes
Radiesse Calcium hydroxylapatite — mineral microspheres plus collagen stimulation Jawline, chin, hands About 12–18 months No — patience is the only exit
Sculptra Poly-L-lactic acid — a collagen stimulator; results build over a series Gradual, global volume restoration Two years or more No
Bellafill PMMA microspheres — essentially permanent Certain acne scars Years to permanent No — and permanence is a bug, not a feature, when faces keep aging around a fixed implant

Two honest footnotes. Durations are real-world ranges, not promises — metabolism, treatment area and how much the area moves all matter, and lips burn through filler faster than cheeks do. And the brand matters less than everything around it: assessment, product-to-area match, placement and dose determine whether filler looks like you or looks like filler.

05

Dermal filler pricing

We price by the syringe, not by the area of your face. The product that goes in your lips costs us the same whether we call it a lip treatment or a perioral treatment, so that is how we bill it. Most sessions use one to two syringes. Which product and how many is a planning conversation — and the consultation is free.

Product Syringe Typically used for Price
JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC 0.55 mL Subtle lip volume, lip lines, under-eye hollows $575
JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC 1.0 mL Lips, perioral area, nasolabial folds $650
JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus XC 1.0 mL Deeper folds needing more support $650
JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE® XC 1.0 mL Smile lines and marionette lines $700
JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC 1.0 mL Cheeks, chin projection, temples $800

A note on VOLBELLA®'s size, because patients ask: it ships as a 0.55 mL syringe — smaller than the 1 mL standard by design, not by dilution. For a first lip treatment, it is usually the right starting dose.

Lip Refinement Program — $975. Lips are better built in two passes than one. We place a conservative first dose, let it settle, then refine what the first pass revealed. Two visits, two VOLBELLA® XC syringes of 0.55 mL each, with the second placed two to four weeks after the first. One price, and no pressure to keep going if the first pass is already right.

More than one syringe in a session. Second syringe in the same session, $50 off. Third and beyond, $75 off each. Discounts apply to the lower-priced syringe first.

Every product above is a hyaluronic acid gel, and every one is reversible with hyaluronidase. Prices are what you pay — there is no facility fee, injection fee or product surcharge added at checkout.

Prices current as of August 2026; reviewed annually.

Frequently asked

What are dermal fillers?

Dermal fillers are injectable gels — most commonly made of hyaluronic acid, a molecule your skin already produces — used to restore volume, support structure, and soften lines and folds. Modern HA fillers integrate with your tissue, last months to a couple of years depending on the product and area, and can be dissolved if needed.

How long do fillers last?

Honest ranges: soft lip and fine-line fillers, about 6 to 12 months; structural cheek and chin fillers, up to 18 to 24 months; biostimulators like Sculptra, two years or more. Movement shortens lifespan — lips metabolize filler faster than cheekbones — and lasting exactly as long as the brochure said is the exception, not the rule.

Are fillers reversible?

Hyaluronic acid fillers are. An enzyme called hyaluronidase dissolves them, usually within days, and we perform dissolution under ultrasound guidance so we can see precisely where the product sits — including filler placed somewhere else. Radiesse, Sculptra and Bellafill are not reversible, which is exactly why we lead with HA.

Are dermal fillers safe?

In trained hands, with the right product in the right plane, fillers have a strong safety record. The serious risks are rare and mostly vascular — filler entering a blood vessel — which is why injector anatomy knowledge matters more than brand, why we use ultrasound to map vessels in higher-risk areas, and why working with reversible HA means the emergency treatment actually exists.

What is the difference between Botox and filler?

Different problems, different tools. Neuromodulators like Botox quiet the muscles that crease the skin — lines of motion. Fillers replace volume and support — hollows, deflation, structure. Plenty of faces benefit from one and not the other, and the consultation sorts out which problem you actually have.

How much do dermal fillers cost?

Between $575 and $800 per syringe depending on which product the job calls for — the full list is above, product by product. Most sessions use one to two syringes. How many and in what order is a planning question, and that is the facial balancing conversation.

Will filler make me look fake?

Overfilled faces come from chasing lines instead of causes, wrong product for the area, and too much too fast — all avoidable. Our standard is that people notice you look well-rested and cannot name why. If what you want is a visibly augmented look, we are honestly not the right practice for you, and we will say so at the consult rather than take the booking.

Start with a consultation. It's free.

Every plan here starts with a conversation, not a treatment. Bring your questions and your skepticism — and if the honest answer is that you don't need us, that's the answer you'll get.

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Important Safety Information & Approved Uses

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Do not use these products if you have a history of multiple severe allergies or severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), if you are allergic to lidocaine or the gram-positive bacterial proteins used in these products, or if you have had previous allergic reactions to hyaluronic acid fillers.

APPROVED USES

JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC injectable gel is for deep injection in the cheek area to correct age-related volume loss, for augmentation of the chin region to improve the chin profile, and for augmentation of the temple region to improve moderate to severe temple hollowing in adults over 21.

JUVÉDERM® VOLUX® XC injectable gel is for deep injection to improve moderate to severe loss of jawline definition in adults over the age of 21.

JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE® XC, JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus XC, and JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC injectable gels are for injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds. JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE® XC injectable gel is for adults over 21.

JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC injectable gel is also for injection into the lips and perioral area for lip augmentation in adults over 21.

JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC injectable gel is for injection into the lips for lip augmentation and correction of perioral lines, and for injection into the undereye hollows to improve the appearance of undereye hollows in adults over the age of 21.

JUVÉDERM® Injectable Gel Fillers Important Information

Are there any reasons why I should not receive any JUVÉDERM® formulation?

Do not use these products if you have a history of multiple severe allergies or severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), if you are allergic to lidocaine or the Gram-positive bacterial proteins used in these products, or if you have had previous allergic reactions to hyaluronic acid fillers.

What warnings should my doctor advise me about?

  • One of the risks with using dermal fillers is the unintentional injection into a blood vessel. The chances of this happening are very small, but if it does happen, the complications can be serious and may be permanent. These complications, which have been reported for facial injections, can include vision abnormalities, blindness, stroke, temporary scabs, or permanent scarring of the skin. Most of these events are irreversible.
  • If you have changes in your vision, signs of a stroke (including sudden difficulty speaking, numbness or weakness in your face, arms or legs, difficulty walking, face drooping, severe headache, dizziness, or confusion), white appearance of the skin, or unusual pain during or shortly after treatment, you should notify your health care practitioner immediately.
  • The use of dermal fillers where skin sores, pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infections are present should be postponed, as this may delay healing or make skin problems worse.
  • The effectiveness of removal of any dermal filler has not been studied.

What are possible side effects of treatment?

The most commonly reported side effects with JUVÉDERM® injectable gels were redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, discoloration, and itching. For JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC, dryness was also reported.

These side effects are consistent with other facial injection procedures and most will resolve within 30 days. Your doctor may choose to treat side effects persisting longer with antibiotics, steroids, or hyaluronidase (an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid).

As with all skin injection procedures, there is a risk of infection.

To report a side effect with any product in the JUVÉDERM® Collection, please call the Allergan® Product Support Department at 1-877-345-5372. Please also visit Juvederm.com or talk to your doctor for more information.

Products in the JUVÉDERM® Collection are available only by a licensed physician or properly licensed practitioner.

What precautions should my doctor advise me about?

  • JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC should only be injected into undereye hollows by doctors who have completed the necessary training for this treatment area. To find a doctor, visit Juvederm.com/find-a-specialist. Doctors who complete the training will be listed with a symbol
  • The safety of these products for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding has not been studied
  • The safety of JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC has not been studied in patients under 35 years or over 65 years for cheek augmentation, under 22 years or over 80 years for chin augmentation, and under 32 years or over 82 years for temple area augmentation. The safety of JUVÉDERM® VOLUX® XC, JUVÉDERM® VOLLURE® XC and JUVÉDERM® VOLBELLA® XC has not been studied in patients under 22 years, and the safety of JUVÉDERM® Ultra Plus XC and JUVÉDERM® Ultra XC has not been studied in patients under 18 years
  • The safety and effectiveness of treatment with JUVÉDERM® products in anatomical regions outside of their approved uses have not been established in clinical studies
  • If you have a history of excessive scarring (thick, hard scars) or pigmentation disorders, treatment in these patients has not been studied and may result in additional scars or changes in pigmentation
  • If you are planning other procedures including laser treatments or a chemical peel, there is a possible risk of inflammation at the treatment site if these procedures are performed closely before or after JUVÉDERM® injectable gel treatment
  • Tell your doctor if you are on therapy used to reduce your body’s natural defense system (such as steroids, chemotherapy, and medicines to treat autoimmune diseases, HIV, and AIDS), as these may increase your risk of infection; and medications that can prolong bleeding (such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or other blood thinners), as these may result in increased bruising or bleeding at the injection site.
  • Avoid applying makeup for 12 hours after treatment and minimize strenuous exercise, exposure to extensive sun or heat, and alcoholic beverages within the first 24 hours following treatment, as these may cause temporary redness, swelling, and/or itching at the injection site
  • JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC was not studied in patients with significant loose skin of the chin, neck, or jaw
  • The effect of JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC injection into the chin on facial hair growth has not been studied
  • Patients who experience skin injury near the site of JUVÉDERM® VOLUMA® XC injection may be at a higher risk for adverse events
  • Tell your doctor if you have already been injected with dermal fillers in the same area as the one(s) you are about to be treated for. This information helps your doctor decide when and whether you should get treatment