Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
Also known as HA filler, dermal filler, Juvederm, Restylane
Adds volume and structure without surgery. Dissolvable, which is the main safety advantage — and the reason people overuse it.
US $600–1,200 per syringe. Jawline or cheek structuring often needs 2–4 syringes.
How it works
Cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel is injected into specific tissue planes to restore lost volume, augment structure or fill a defect. It also draws water, adding further volume. Hyaluronidase enzymatically dissolves it, making the result reversible.
How it's used
Structural placement on bone at the cheekbone, chin and jawline gives more natural results than superficial lip and nasolabial filling. Use only HA fillers so the result can be reversed. Insist on a medically qualified injector with hyaluronidase on site and a protocol for vascular occlusion — this is not a beauty salon procedure.
Trade-offs
In favour
- Immediate, visible results
- Reversible with hyaluronidase
- No downtime worth speaking of
- Can define the jawline, chin and cheekbones without surgery
- Good trial period before committing to surgery
Against
- Lasts 6–18 months, then repeats indefinitely
- Migration, especially in the lips and tear troughs
- Cumulative overfilling distorts the face — the "filler face" look
- Expensive over time
- Some product may persist far longer than marketed
Risks and side effects
- Vascular occlusion causing tissue necrosis — rare but serious
- Blindness from arterial embolisation, particularly with glabella, nose and tear trough injection — rare and usually irreversible
- Filler migration
- Delayed inflammatory nodules, sometimes months or years later
- Tyndall effect — a blue-grey tint from superficial placement
- Infection and biofilm formation
Recovery
Swelling and possible bruising for 3–7 days. Avoid exercise, alcohol and heat for 24–48 hours. Lips swell dramatically for the first 48 hours.
How good is the evidence?
Strong efficacy evidence and good safety data in trained hands. Serious vascular complications are rare but well documented, and injector skill is the dominant variable.
Sources
Sources point to guideline bodies and literature searches rather than single papers, so they stay accurate as the evidence moves.