Face Filler

Last Updated: 4 January 2024

Contents

What Is Dermal Filler Injection?

Dermal filler injection is a cosmetic procedure that involves the subcutaneous injection of fillers called injectable fillers, ready-made fillers, ready-made fillers, injectable dermal fillers, facial fillers, face fillers or simply dermal fillers, using special injectors to fill or volumize deepened lines or concave areas on the face or body.
Unlike the fat injection (lipofilling) procedure, dermal filler injection does not involve the process of taking fat from the person’s own body; instead, fillers prepared synthetically in a laboratory setting are supplied in injectors as ready-made products.
Injectable dermal fillers are divided into 2 groups as temporary and permanent fillers.
In my own practice, I do not use permanent/ready-made fillers because of some disadvantages, such as their inability to keep up with changes in the area in the long-term.
Ready-made fillers, which are absorbed by the body over time after application and lose their effect after a while, are called ready-made/temporary fillers.
Hyaluronic acid derivatives are the most commonly used temporary/ready-made fillers. Some other molecules such as calcium hydroxyapatite, Poly-L lactic acid, Collagen are also used for this purpose.
“Hyaluronic acid”, the most preferred type among ready-made/temporary fillers, is one of the natural components of the skin and has a volume-enhancing and moisturizing effect in areas where it is applied, thanks to the water-retention feature of its molecules.

How Are Ready-Made/Temporary Fillers Applied To The Face?

Some type of fillers, which are offered mixed with local anesthetic, create an anesthetic effect in the application area, allowing for painless and more comfortable application.
The filler supplied a ready-to-use product in the injector is applied to the desired area with the help of a fine needle or cannula. No scar is left at the entry point on the skin.
It can be performed in a doctor’s office setting, and enables patient to return to daily life faster.
It can be repeated at any time
Ready-made/temporary filler injection is a reversible process. If the aesthetic result is not liked, it is possible to return to the previous state naturally, as the filler will be absorbed by the body. In procedures that involve the use of permanent fillers, on the other hand, such a reversal is very difficult.
If the ready-made fillers are applied in such a small volume of 1-5 ml, this procedure can be more economical than fat injection.
Using ready-made fillers is more practical for accentuating lip contours or filling very fine lines.

What Are The Intended Uses Of Facial Filler Injection?

Reducing the wrinkles on the forehead, glabella (area between the two eyebrows), eye contour area, and lips;
Filling the grooves between the wings of the nose and the corners of the mouth (nasolabial sulci);
Filling the grooves extending from the corners of the mouth to the chin (Manette liens);
Filling the grooves that develop on both sides of the chin;
Giving a fuller appearance to the forehead, cheekbones, chin, cheeks and under-eye region;
Giving a straighter appearance to the nasal ridge;
Enhancing the lip or accentuating the lip contour;
Filling dents caused by acne and scars.
In my own practice, I do not apply large volumes of ready-made fillers for breast or butt augmentation, due to the potential risk of complications and the temporariness of the effect. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not approve such practices.

What Are Marionette Lines? How is It Treated?

Marionette Lines, which get their name from marionette puppets, are the vertical lines extending from the corners of the mouth to the chin. These lines or grooves become more noticeable as a result of the aging process or the structural downward sagging of the cheeks over the years.

It is possible to eliminate the light forms of these lines, which give an aged appearance around the mouth and face, by injecting fat grafts or ready-made/temporary fillers at an early stage. In cases where these lines are deeper and accompanied by sagging cheeks, a mini facelift or full facelift operation is performed to pull the cheeks upwards. In the same operation, these areas can also be filled with fat grafts.

Disadvantages of Ready-Made/Temporary Fillers

The risk of allergy or foreign body reaction is 0.3%.
Its effect is temporary, so it is necessary to repeat the application.
There is a risk of noticeability when applied to areas with very thin skin, such as the under-eye area.

Are Facial Dermal Fillers Harmful?

The most serious risk for ready-made facial fillers are circulatory disorders and loss of tissue (necrosis) in the skin of the application area, in cases where excessive amount of fillers are applied using an improper technique to some areas such as the nose or between two eyebrows (glabella). Aesthetically, this is an extremely annoying outcome.

One of the most feared complications of facial filler injection is permanent vision loss, which may occur if the filler applied to the eye contour area escapes into the eye vessels. Therefore, facial filler injection, which is presented in the media as if it is a very simple procedure, can cause extremely serious problems when performed by unqualified people. For this reason, I highly recommend that you consult physicians who have had years of training on this subject, such as Aesthetic Plastic Surgery or Dermatology specialists, for facial filler injection.

How long does a ready-made filler injection session take?

It takes 15 to 30 minutes depending on the condition of the application areas.

Do Swelling and Bruising Occur After Facial Filler Injection?

Cold application and sleeping on a high pillow at night are recommended, as there will be some swelling and bruising, depending on the application area and the amount of filler injection. In addition, bruises may occur in those who consume drugs and nutritional supplements with blood thinning effects such as aspirin, green tea or vitamin E, but these bruises subside within a few days.

Is Dermal Filler Injection A Painful?

Injection of ready-made fillers with local anesthetic content is less painless. Painless injection is possible by applying local anesthetic creams and cold, and if necessary by blocking the nerves in the application area.

Is There Any Age Limit For Dermal Filler Injection?

The patient must be at least 18 years old. In the USA, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has announced the lower age limit for dermal filler injection as 22 years of age (over the age of 21). There is no upper age limit unless there is a chronic disease that poses a risk.

2024 Prices of Facial Filler Injection in Istanbul

Ready-made/temporary facial filler injection prices vary depending on the brand and amount of the filler to be injected. You can contact our office to get more detailed information on this subject.

What is the Best Ready-Made Temporary Filler?

An ideal filler should not cause a foreign matter reaction in the body, should have a soft consistency, should remain in the application area for a long time without being absorbed, should be absorbed homogeneously, should stimulate the self-renewal capacity of the cells in addition to its volumizing effect, and should be affordable. However, today there is no such ideal filler with all these properties.

The most preferred ready-made/temporary fillers are those with hyaluronic acid content. These fillers differ from each other depending on the number of crosslinks they contain and their production techniques. On the other hand, the experience and reliability of the manufacturer of the filler is also of great importance and should be questioned. You must request and keep the label that contains the manufacturing information of the filler to be used.

It should be remembered that some fillers, which can be obtained very cheaply by illegal means, can cause very serious complications when applied by unqualified persons. I would like to state once again that the answer to the question of what is the ideal type of filling varies depending on the features that you or your doctor prioritizes. For example, if you want to minimize the risk of complication, you need to choose a type of filler accordingly, and if you want a type of filler that remains unabsorbed for a long time, you need to choose another one accordingly.

How Long Does The Effect of Facial Filler Injection Last?

The permanence time of facial fillers varies depending on the part of the face the filler is applied to, the amount of injection, and the type of the filler used. The permanence time of the hyaluronic acid derivative fillers, which are the most commonly used facial dermal fillers, is 1 year on average.

Who Cannot Have Facial Filler Injection?

Those who are extremely allergic
Those who have active infection in the area considered for filler injection
Those who are allergic to the ingredients of the filler
Fillers with lidocaine (a local anesthetic) content should not be applied to those who are allergic to lidocaine.

What Are The Intended Uses Of Facial Fillers?

They are used with intent to Reduce wrinkles on the forehead, in the area between the two eyebrows (glabella), in the eye contour area, and around the lips; to fill the groove extending from the nasal wing to the corner of the mouth; to fill the marionette lines, which are the vertical lines extending from the corners of the mouth to the chin; to fill the grooves formed on both sides of the chin; to give a fuller appearance to the forehead, cheekbone, chin, cheek and under the eye region; to enhance the lips; and to fill dents caused by acne and scars.

What is Ready-Made and Permanent Facial Filler?

Ready-made permanent facial filters are supplied in injectors as ready-to-use products, which do not disappear over time by being absorbed by the body. I don’t use it this type of fillers in my own practice, because they have the potential to cause allergic reactions and also cannot keep up with changes in the face, skin sagging and thinning of the skin over time.

In cases where I want to apply large amount of fillers or permanent fillers, I prefer performing the fat injection (also known as lipofilling or fat transfer) procedure. Since the oil is taken from the person’s own body, it does not pose an allergy risk, and while some of it is absorbed by the body, the remaining amount becomes permanent for life. For more information about facial fat injection, you can visit our page about fat injection.

References

Hyaluronic acid fillers for midface augmentation

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How Long Does The Effect Of Dermal Fillers Last?

Although the duration of effect of ready-made and temporary fillers varies depending on the amount of filler applied and the area of application on the face, the permanence of hyaluronic acid derivatives is about one year on average. The filler can be absorbed faster in mobile areas such as the lips.

On the other hand, it has been reported that permanent fullness developed in the application area due to some tissue reaction after repeated injection of ready-made fillers. Alternative fillers that stay in tissues longer than hyaluronic acid derivatives are also available, but they all have potential side effects. Before filler injection, it would be appropriate to get information from your physician about all possible advantages and disadvantages of the fillers that can be used for you, and then make your decision accordingly.

Do You Apply Permanent Fillers to The Face?

In my own practice, I do not use permanent “ready-made fillers” which are not absorbed by the body when applied to the face or other parts of the body. Besides the risk of allergic reaction, another disadvantage is that especially the places of soft tissue of the face area change over time, but the injected permanent fillers remain in their place, that is, they cannot keep up with the changes in the tissues and therefore may cause an undesirable appearance.

In addition, they are perceived as a hard mass when touched and this is expressed as a bad feeling by patients. I prefer the fat injection procedure and perform it frequently because it does not carry the risk of allergic reaction and its effect on the face is permanent to a certain extent.

Does Any Condition That May Cause Discomfort Develop After Applying Ready-Made Fillers?

Infection may develop after facial filler injection. Excessive allergic reaction to the filler and associated swelling, redness, pain and visual deformation may be observed. Such reactions become noticeable much more quickly especially in the under-eye region, where the skin very thin. Severe complications, up to blindness, have been reported after improperly injected fillers into the eye contour area. Therefore, I believe that facial filler injection should be performed by Aesthetic Plastic Surgery or Dermatology specialists, who have had training and specialized in this field.

What Should I Do If I Encounter An Undesired Result?

If a ready-made and temporary filler has been injected into your face but then you encounter an aesthetically undesirable result, you can wait for a while considering that the effect of the filler will decrease over time as it will be absorbed by the body. If you encounter a different complication, the best course of action is to contact your physician who performed the filler injection.

What are the Fillers Used?

A variety of molecules are used for filling purposes, such as hyaluronic acid, Calcium hydroxyapatite, Poly-L lactic acid, Collagen, Polyalkylimide and Polymethyl-methacrylate microspheres (PMMA).

Do Ready-Made Fillers Have Any Side Effects?

Side effects can be observed, such as allergic reactions, hard mass formation that can be felt by the hand, persistent swelling, pain and redness.

Is Redness or Scarring Observed After Filling?

Redness, swelling, infection, scarring or loss of skin tissue due to circulatory disorder can be observed in the application area, depending on the amount of filler used, its molecular structure and the application technique.

Can the Filler Be Noticed From Outside?

In cases where a large amount of filler is injected very superficially into structures with very thin skin or mucous membranes, such as the lower eyelids or the lips, or where the body shows an allergic reaction to such substances, the filler is likely to be noticed from outside. Under normal conditions, the filler cannot be noticed from outside when the right amount of the right dermal filler is applied using the right injection technique.

When Can I See the Result After Dermal Filler Injection?

You can see the result as soon as the filler injection is completed. In the hours or days following the filler injection, edema will develop at the application site. The time required for this edema to subside and for the final result of the filler injection to be seen varies from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the application area, the amount of filler injection, and the technique used. More reliable information can be obtained from the physician who will perform the filler injection.

Who Cannot Have Lip Filler Injection?

Filler injection should not be performed if there is active infection in the application area or if the patient has an allergic reaction to the molecules in the filler and the local anesthetic agent (lidocaine). In addition, those with a history of severe allergy or anaphylaxis, those with bleeding disorders and those who use blood thinners or nutritional supplements should not have lip filler injection or any other filler injection procedures for any part of their bodies.

Does Facial Filler Injection Rejuvenate?

With increasing age, the lips become thinner, the sagging cheeks cause collapses under the eyes, and the deepening of the lines at the corners of the mouth becomes noticeable. In addition, increased collapses on the temples, forehead lines, crow’s feet, and lines in the corners of the mouth are observed. To the extent that all these facial aging symptoms are removed with filler injection, a younger appearance is obtained on the face. However, it would be unrealistic to expect an aged face to be completely rejuvenated with just filler injection.

Surgical procedures such as brow lift, facelift, and eye bag surgery have more dramatic and permanent facial rejuvenation effect. Laser or chemical peeling applications intended to eliminate the damage that has occurred on the facial skin over the years are among the facial rejuvenation procedures. It would be a more accurate approach for you to let a plastic surgeon to evaluate your face and scrutinize the non-surgical and surgical methods suitable for you, taking into account your opinions.

At What Age Should Facial Filler Injection Be Performed?

In general, facial filler injection should be performed after 18 years of age. At younger ages, dermal filler injection can also be considered in cases where there is a significant deformation due to reasons such as congenital anomalies that cause serious psychological problems in the child or adolescent.