What to Know Before Getting Fillers


Do you want to improve the appearance of your skin? Dermal fillers such as Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella are outstanding products that can be used to restore lost volume and fill in wrinkles, folds, and hollows. But before you get a dermal filler treatment (Voluma, Vollure, or Volbella), there are a few things you should know.

Who is performing your dermal filler treatment?

This is the most important thing to know. Too many people nowadays see advertisements for a product and they go to an office asking for it by name. Although the product may be good, the person using it must be even better. Think of it this way: if there was a pair of scissors that was really good for cutting hair, would you let just anyone use it to cut your hair? Of course not. Hair dressers need to have experience and know what they’re doing to give you a good haircut. Now we’re talking about a sugar that’s injected into your skin and people just ask about the product. No, it’s important to know who’s using the product. Look at their experience. Look at their before and after pictures. Look at their reviews. Make sure the person using the product is right for you.

What product is being used

There are a variety of dermal filler products available. The most common types are made of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring sugar found in your skin and in other parts of your body. Hyaluronic acid products are the safest because they can be reversed. This is why Dr. Alex only uses hyaluronic acid products. Dr. Alex recommends Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella for a number of reasons. First, Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella are made of hyaluronic acid, making them reversible and therefore safe. Second, Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella use a new technology (called Vycross) that makes them last longer. Third the amounts of hyaluronic acid in Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella are relatively low. This prevents overfilling and provides a very natural look.

Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella differ in the concentration of hyaluronic acid and are used for different purposes. Voluma has the highest concentration of hyaluronic acid so it’s perfect for structural support in places like the upper cheeks, temples, nose, chin, and jawline. Volbella has the lowest concentration of hyaluronic acid so it’s ideal for fines lines around the mouth or on the lips or subtle enhancement of the lips or under eyes. Vollure is in the middle and works for laugh lines (nasolabial folds), lips, and under eyes.

Fillers can be used for prevention

Sometimes you lose volume in your skin but don’t even notice it. This is very common in the upper cheeks. You lose volume in this area slowly over time. If you wait too long, you’ll see signs of aging such as deep laugh lines (nasolabial folds), jowls, and hollowing under your eyes. If you start with just a little bit of filler in the area when you’re young, you can prevent getting these signs of aging. Many people are starting to get fillers as early as in their twenties.

Have the right expectation

It’s important to understand what dermal fillers such as Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella do and what they don’t do. This is not a facelift. If you have thin, loose skin with a lot of wrinkles and laxity, you may be better off getting a facelift. This is because dermal fillers such as Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella provide a subtle and natural result. But there is only so much dermal fillers such as Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella can do. Talk with your doctor to see what’s best for you.

Is the price too good to be true?

Face it, dermal filler treatments such as Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella are not cheap. For this reason, it could be tempting to try to find the best pricing. The price of a treatment depends on a number of things. First of all, these products are made to ensure high levels of safety. So the manufacturing process can be expensive. Also, before a product is available, usually millions of dollars are spent on research and development. Some products can be obtained from third parties (not the manufacturer) at a lower price. Often times these have compromised levels of safety which can lead to disastrous side effects such as blindness and scarring. The price is also determined by who is performing the treatment. Those with more experience and expertise will charge more. Also, some offices provide better services, which is reflected in the price. At A E Skin, we provide complimentary numbing cream, a massage chair to relax in while numbing, and we use cold air to further numb the skin and a vibrating distractor. All of our filler patients go home with complimentary anti-bruise pads to reduce the risk for bruising and swelling. We offer complimentary laser bruise treatments as early as the next day. Dr. Alex will call you the day after your filler treatment to check in on you. And we have our patients return two weeks after their dermal filler (Voluma, Vollure, or Volbella) treatment to make sure your results are perfect. You don’t get this everywhere. If the price sounds too good to be true, it may be.

Who shouldn’t get dermal filler treatments

 The safety of dermal fillers such as Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella have not been tested on women who are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding. Therefore, if you are pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or breast feeding, you should wait until you’re done breast feeding before having a dermal filler (Voluma, Vollure, or Volbella) treatment. You never want to test the safety of a treatment on yourself. Also, some people with autoimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis (as well as others) can be sensitive to fillers. People with autoimmune disorders have a sensitive immune system which can attack their own body. Their immune system can also attack substances such as dermal fillers (Voluma, Vollure, or Volbella) that are placed in their body. Sometimes the body rejects it and you get severe swelling and inflammation, in which case the dermal filler (Voluma, Vollure, or Volbella) needs to be removed.

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Dr. Alex has performed over 10,000 cosmetic treatments with many satisfied patients. Contact us to schedule an appointment for a free consultation with Dr. Alex in our Encino, CA office.

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