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How Long Do Dermal Fillers Last?

Dermal fillers can address the signs of aging and the problems that come with time as our skin begins to wrinkle. They are also good at smoothing out the jawline, providing more bounce to the cheeks, and even giving more luscious lips. They are very simple treatments that offer real results. At ReviveMD Center in Glen Allen, VA, we love what these products can do: and how long they last.

How Long Do Dermal Fillers Last?

Dermal fillers typically last between six months and two years. If that seems like a lot of difference, that’s because fillers have different consistencies as different fillers fulfill different purposes. Some are multipurpose, but most are designed to address a specific area of the face. Some areas of the face, such as the cheeks, need a very thick filler, and this tends to last longer. Other areas of the face, like the lips, need a thinner consistency filler to deliver natural results.

The dermal fillers we use have the same basic ingredient: hyaluronic acid. This is a sugar that our bodies make naturally, but over time, our bodies produce less and less of it. Its primary function is to attract and keep moisture in the tissues, and in so doing, promote the growth of collagen and elastin. And because HA is a naturally occurring substance, most people will never have to worry about an allergic reaction to fillers.

Even though they all have the same basic ingredient, fillers have different consistencies. These different consistencies, along with unique factors related to your own physiology, will determine exactly how long your results last.

Juvéderm Fillers and Their Results

There are many products in this family of fillers, each designed for a specific purpose. All the fillers in this line contain hyaluronic acid as well as lidocaine to improve your comfort during treatment, but each has a different particle size and consistency that will affect how long it lasts. Here are a few of the most popular:

Volbella XC

This filler is specifically designed to add plumpness to the lips and correct fine lines around the mouth. Before this filler was invented, the lips were a difficult area to treat because the skin there is so delicate. This filler uses a very small particle size, allowing results that look completely natural with no puffiness or unnatural bulkiness. This filler also has Juvéderm’s patented Vycross tech, which makes subtle and smooth results possible.

Vollure XC

This filler is particularly designed to treat stubborn lines and wrinkles on the lower half of the face. This includes marionette lines and thick folds around the nose.

Ultra XC

This filler is also designed for treating lips, but it can also treat deep marionette lines and smile lines. It has a thicker consistency, so it plumps the lips even more than Volbella XC. That means it offers a more pronounced effect, which is right for some people but wrong for others. Talk to us about which is best for your aesthetic goals.

Voluma XC

This dense filler is the only non-surgical treatment that the FDA approves for collecting loss volume in the cheeks. It has a very thick consistency and can treat all of the mid-face. It offers natural volume and lasts a long time: the longest of any of the fillers in this line

Factors Affecting the Duration of Your Results

It is crucial to know that there are several things that can affect how long fillers will last for you, personally. These factors have nothing to do with the filler itself. They include the severity of your collagen loss, exactly what area you are having treated, how much of the product you were given, your lifestyle, and the extent of the skin damage you may have experienced.

The Severity of Your Collagen Loss

If you have experienced seriously sunken hollows in your cheeks or a lot of sagging skin, you may need a more dramatic solution. This could mean you need more product to reach your goals, or it may mean more frequent visits for maintenance treatments in order to keep your look. When you come talk to us for your consultation, we can help you understand what to expect based on your unique situation.

The Location of Treatment

We move some areas of our faces much more than others. The mouth and lips, for example, are constantly active. These areas metabolize fillers much more quickly because of the amount of activity they sustain. Areas that you don’t move as much, such as your nose, will be able to keep their results for longer.

How Much Product Was Used

The amount of product you have injected will make a difference to the longevity of your results. The more product you have, the longer it will resist being broken down by your body’s natural metabolic processes. Naturally, smaller volumes of product will mean quicker metabolization. But it’s never a good idea to just inject a lot in order to get longer-lasting results. Particularly in certain areas, like the lips, less can very much be more.

Your Lifestyle

Because your body will be metabolizing this treatment, certain lifestyle factors can make a great difference in how quickly that happens. Some of these factors are out of your control, such as simple genetics. If you engage in strenuous exercise regularly, you will also tend to metabolize this product faster than other people; however, exercise is so beneficial to the whole body that it would never be wise to stop exercising just to get another month out of your fillers.

In addition, there are some things you can control. In general, the healthier your skin, the longer your results will last. This means minimizing stress, keeping up with a good skincare routine, eating well, staying hydrated, and avoiding smoking and sun exposure. Both of the latter dramatically speed up the aging process and work actively against your treatment.

The Extent of Your Skin Damage

The more damaged or aged your skin, the more treatments it usually takes to get optimal results, and the more often you will tend to need maintenance treatments. Some of this you cannot control because your skin ages at the rate your genetics determine. Some things are very much in your control. Stay out of the sun and avoid tanning beds, don’t bleach or wax, and keep up a good skincare routine to minimize skin damage and aging.

How to Extend Your Results

Many of these tips follow on what we just said, but it’s worth spilling out specifically how you can extend your results.

Keep Up With Regular Maintenance

If you get regular maintenance treatments, research shows that this can often result in permanent changes to the skin that encourage it to more effectively stimulate collagen production for itself. This means that, over time, you may need fewer treatments and even less product with each treatment if you treat the area aggressively to begin with.

Wear Sunscreen

You should avoid tanning beds and stay out of the sun as much as possible. You can extend your treatment results by avoiding tanning beds and always wearing a good sunscreen when you go outside.

Practice Good Skincare

Taking care of your skin is about more than just fillers and other cosmetic treatments. You need a regular routine of cleansing, exfoliation, and hydration that gives your skin everything it needs to thrive. You also need to be consistent with your skincare routine for the best results and remember that skincare goes deeper than just what you put on the skin. It also matters what you put in your body.

Good skin is also affected by your hydration levels and by the nutrients that you were getting in your diet. You also need healthy protein for good skin. Be sure to prioritize good proteins from grass-fed and pastured animal sources and seafood, and get lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid processed foods and drink plenty of water.

Are Fillers Really Worth It?

These fillers have been proven to work, and decades of research are behind them. They are at the top of the list for treatments recommended by cosmetic professionals, and they have a long track record of safety. The early fillers available to us tended to last just 3 to 6 months, but changes in technology have provided us with thicker fillers that are able to resist breaking down for longer and do even more to stimulate the body’s collagen production than in the past. Now, six months is considered the minimum rather than the maximum for dermal filler duration.

Perhaps the best part about dermal filler treatment, however, is how easy and simple it is. There is no surgery, there are no incisions, there is no extensive downtime or preparation required, and most people can go right back to their daily activities after treatment. The treatment process itself is comfortable and fast