Filler

Where it is placed

In women, the fat that often recedes compared with childhood sits at the temples, under the eyes, the cheeks, the folds beside the nose, hollow cheeks and the folds beside the mouth. Forehead, lips and chin are also filled for some people instead of surgery. Filling the upper face is also described as helping the lower face look lifted.

The gel is colourless and can be placed at different depths. Hyaluronic acid is already in the body, especially the joints, where it lubricates and adds elasticity. In skin it supports suppleness and volume. Levels fall with age, which is one reason lines and laxity appear.

Under a hollow eye the aim is both volume and hydration, and a softer look to the shadow. What you see depends on the face you start with.

Why hyaluronic acid

Many filler materials have existed. The type the clinic says is medically accepted today is hyaluronic acid, which can be dissolved and is described as causing less fibrosis than the liquid silicone once in fashion. That older material was linked with distortion of the face.

These gels can be dissolved, some contain anaesthetic, and placement follows an agreed sequence so the face stays balanced.

Choosing a brand

Dr. Kony has written that every brand has different strengths, and that each brand comes in several firmnesses for different areas. The name alone is a poor way to choose. She asks that the doctor pick the product they know, have used, and can match to the concern.

Products differ in concentration and in the layer where the gel is placed. The clinic does not promise how long any one brand will last.

Before

• Stop painkillers, blood thinners, vitamins, supplements and collagen for 1 week, to reduce bleeding, swelling and bruising.
• Please also avoid alcohol, omega-3 and anti-inflammatory drugs for 24 hours beforehand.
• Tell the doctor about conditions and allergies. Some conditions, such as diabetes with poorly controlled sugar, carry a higher infection risk, so medicine and advice can be prepared.

During

A nerve block is used so the injection itself is less painful. A blunt cannula lowers the chance of passing through a vessel and blocking it. Gel is placed close to bone to lift, and to make a lump less visible, though a lump can still show at first.

For cheeks or under-eyes there may be only one needle mark a side, fading in a few days. The injection itself is usually within 30–40 minutes. Volume can be seen soon afterwards. Redness may last about an hour, and the gel takes a few days to settle.

Swelling and aftercare

Right afterwards the face is often not swollen, though it can look slightly fuller and feel tight or heavy around days 3–4. That fullness is often more obvious to you than to someone else.

You can wash your face. Avoid raw food, fermented food and foods the clinic calls “sang” for 1 week, to lower the chance of infection carried by food.

Questions