Dermal Fillers

Dermal fillers consist of a gel-like substance. There are different types of gel; the most common gel used in modern aesthetic treatments is primarily constructed using Hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring sugar contained in our skin and connective tissues. Its primary function is to maintain moisture and keep our tissues hydrated. Part of the ageing process will involve reduction of moisture in our skin. With its unique properties, allowing it to hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, Hyaluronic acid is a wonderful anti-ageing ingredient, hydrating the surrounding treated area.

As it is already contained within us, our body recognises this material as safe, and so reactions to it are extremely rare. HA is tolerated well within the skin. It is more common to have a reaction to other substances such as cleaning products used and anaesthetics contained within products. At Dr Olivia Clinics only the safest products and practices are used, and we are fully equipped to treat any adverse effects. The products we use can be fully dissolved should any unwanted outcomes occur.

Other substances can be injected in a similar fashion to HA gels, but their properties and profiles differ. At our clinic we exclusively use Hyaluronic acid gels due to their amazing properties, versatility, and safety in use.

The aesthetics version of HA is a sterile, lab-made, vegan gel.

Dermal fillers come in several different formulations, and there are various brands.

The brands Used in Dr Olivia clinics are sold by trusted companies who have long histories in aesthetics, with several research studies conducted on a regular basis to ensure robustness and safety.

Dr Olivia does not compromise on standard and picks her products based on these factors. The selection of a product for a treatment area will be selected to ensure the best outcome, efficacy and longevity.

Dermal Fillers can be beneficial for various concerns; the treatment areas offered in our clinics are detailed for your information.

The ageing face is a complex entity. Bone structure depletes. Ligaments that hold the skin firmly become lax. Underlying fat resorbs. This can leave our faces looking gaunt, cause areas to sag, create shadows and lines, and so on. Dermal fillers can help with many of these undesirable effects.

Fillers come in standard syringe sizes, for example 1.2ml, 1ml, 0.7ml.

The most common request will be for a certain amount ie ‘can I book in for 1ml lip fillers’. This is fine and a lot of regular clients will know what they want to achieve and how much they think they’ll require. However one size does not fit all, every individual is different, and Dr Olivia prefers to consult with you regarding your concerns before embarking on a treatment plan that suits your needs and budget.

As well as different syringe sizes, fillers come in numerous densities/formations to suit the treatment area.

Results

How Long Do Fillers Last?

This will depend on the type of filler used and the area being treated. Your own metabolism, genetics, and personal habits will also have an impact. A general guide is around 6-9 months for the most commonly placed fillers. Thicker fillers used to target areas of bone structure such as cheeks, chin, jawline can last up to 18 months depending on treatment factors.

There are steps you can take to improve the longevity of your fillers. This is to be covered more extensively in the blog section of the webpage, and further down this article.

How Much Filler Will I Need?

This is an impossible question to answer, even when initially assessing a patient. This is because the result each person wants to achieve is different; some want a full face transformation, others want a tiny line filled or a natural enhancement. The consultation process will determine what is right for you and your budget.

• As a general guide, lips will require 0.5-1ml per treatment visit.

• The tear trough or under eye area will need less than 1ml.

• Cheeks, chin, and jawline may require multiple syringes.

• Nasolabial folds and marionette lines will require 1-2 syringes.

A full face transformation to treat volume loss will vary in terms of the amount of filler required. A good guide is 1ml of filler to replace volume loss per decade of age, due to the biological implications of ageing.

What Can Go Wrong With Dermal Fillers?

Please be assured that you are in expert hands at Dr Olivia Clinics. The risks of treatment will be explained in detail. Risks are area specific.

General risks are mild and self limiting such as bruising and swelling. Dr Olivia will do her upmost to avoid such effects, but due to the nature of injectable treatments and the vascularity of the face, these are sometimes unavoidable. Risk of infection is extremely low in a healthy patient. The risk is increased if aftercare advice is not followed and strict home hygiene measures as not taken.

Risk of reaction to the products used are very rare.

Lumps and bumps are usually temporary as the product acclimatizes to the skin, and will mostly resolve in 1-2 weeks. If concerning to you, or not resolved during healing, please contact the clinic.

More serious risks exist, but are very rare and unlikely to occur. These include risks of a vascular nature, if filler is inadvertently injected into a blood vessel. Dr Olivia is fully equipped to manage such an event, and always carries the reversal agent for hyaluronic acid filler in clinic. This dissolving agent is known as hyaluronidase, it is an enzyme which breaks down the filler and reverses the adverse effects of a blockage when performed in adequate time.  As stated above, in rare cases, usually with other factors involved such as a complex medical history, or a new viral infection in your body, other reactions can occur. In the unlikely event that such a reaction were to occur, Dr Olivia has the knowledge and skills to manage this. Dr Olivia is a full member of ACE group (Aesthetics Complications Experts), and has links to top experts in the field should any further insight be required.

Will The Procedure Be Painful?

Your procedure should be entirely comfortable. A strong numbing cream will be applied prior to injections. The products used in our clinic contain a numbing agent to ensure comfort throughout. Dr Olivia uses gentle techniques, specifically tailored to minimise pain, and trauma during treatment. The experience should be comfortable and pleasant.

Dr Olivia uses varied techniques depending on the outcome you want to achieve, and the best way to a angle your case. Each technique she has developed ensures safety and gentle administration of the filler. She has years of experience in both needle and cannula techniques. She prefers to use the cannula technique in more delicate areas of the face. The reason for this is the benefits of safe injection, and the reduced number of injection sites required in this technique. The cannula technique minimises bruising and swelling risk, and is comfortable to receive. 

Cheekbone Filler

Cheeks enhancements are a popular treatment for many reasons.

The treatment is much more versatile than you might think; as treating the cheek area can indirectly improve other areas of the face. The treatment can be carried out using a needle or cannula technique. Dr Olivia will decide this based on your individual treatment. The cannula technique can be beneficial for patients with thin skin, or those wanting a more subtle overall outcome. It is also helpful when using a layering technique to enhance more deeply placed dermal filler with a superficial layer.

Cheek filler treatment requires a thick gel product, as the area being volumised is essentially bone structure. Using a strong gel that holds its shape will allow lifting of the lower face, and create a contoured look which is long lasting. Product choice differs depending on desired effect, thickness of skin and age- there are variations including gels which move with facial expression; these can be placed more superficially in the skin without looking unnatural; and more static gels to emulate and enhance the underlying bone structure.

Dr Olivia will discuss your desired outcome in detail, and select the product being administered according to your needs. Cheek fillers should not be feared due to the assumption you’ll look ‘fake’ or resemble a chipmunk. In Dr Olivia’s expert hands you can expect a natural, beautiful treatment which will have a positive effect on other areas of the face as previously explained. The lifted cheeks and underlying scaffold of strategically placed dermal filler will lift the lower face, improve jowls, improve fine lines, improve nasolabial folds, create a more taught jawline. Even the tear trough hollow can be improved indirectly, which in many cases will negate the need to treat this area in isolation.

Cheek fillers can be beneficial for young and older adults. Some have a naturally thin face and the added filler will provide balance and contour. In older patients the filler will act as a replacement for the depleted bone structure and lost volume we are prone to in natural ageing.

Results can last 9 to 12 months or more depending on product placed, nature of placement, and amount of filler used.

Lip Fillers

Lip fillers are one of the most commonly requested aesthetics treatments. They were made fashionable by celebrities, but in some became infamous due to their over-plumped nature! Lip fillers can be entirely natural and achieve beautiful results.  Many people have considered this treatment but are afraid of looking overdone or having a ‘duck-like’ appearance. Others are put off due to fears about pain and side effects surrounding the procedure.

At Dr Olivia Clinics, we take particular care to carry out the treatment using the safest, most comfortable method possible. At your consultation, our aim is to find out what results you want to achieve from your treatment, and chat together about how to obtain this. Dr Olivia uses a special injection method, using a tiny 4mm needle. This method is almost painless. Swelling and bruising risk is much reduced compared to more traditional methods.

The natural Caucasian lip mostly follows a 1:1.6 ration, top to bottom lip. In other ethnicities, this ratio is closer to 1:1. When you come to the clinic, we can talk about realistic goals for your lip fillers. 

There are 2 commonly used lip products in our clinic. One has a lighter texture than the other, and produces a more natural result. The other is slightly thicker; it is still natural, but produces a more noticeable plump. Both products have a similar rheology and move with facial expression. You can even use both products at different intervals, to combine the 2 for a naturally enhanced pout.

Lip enhancements can give your lips the appearance of being moisturised, and eradicate fine lines around the edges of your lips. This will mean less lipstick bleeds into the fine lines as they’ll be smoothed out.

The augmentation can involve the top lip, the bottom lip, or both. Dr Olivia would mostly recommend having both lips treated, to ensure a balanced result. The Cupid’s bow can be enhanced for a sharper edge and improved top lip shape. Irregularities in the lips can sometimes be corrected with filler, but in more complex cases, irregularities caused by muscle pulls or uneven underlying anatomy, are harder to correct. It may not be possible to make your lips entirely symmetrical if this is the case. 

How much filler you will need depends on your desired result. A very natural enhancement could require less than 0.5ml. If you are planning to achieve a plumper pout and increase the size of your natural lips, you may need more than 1ml of filler across multiple sessions. 

Our lip filler comes in 0.7ml and 1ml syringes, and is priced accordingly to the amount planned per session.

After your treatment you’ll be given detailed aftercare instructions. You must follow these to avoid latent complications and get the best results from your treatment. Minor bruising and swelling is common, but is usually self limiting and will not require you to hide away. Make up can be applied the day after treatment. Cold compresses may help in the time after your treatment. Antihistamines can be taken if you have particularly sensitive skin.

Marionette Lines

The marionette lines run from the corners of the mouth to the chin.

When we age, our mouth can start to drop at the edges, causing a sad looking appearance. This is due to the effects of bone resorption, skin changes, and muscle pull on the overlying skin.

Bone loss occurs with natural ageing. The effects on the lower face include shadowing around the marionette and chin area, and sagging skin due to depletion of the underlying bone structure. Lines and wrinkles may occur as a result of these changes.

Using a safe cannula technique Dr Olivia can place dermal filler underneath the mouth corners to lift them up again, and reverse the sad appearance. If there is a volume deficit or wrinkles to the marionette lines, Dr Olivia has special techniques to treat these areas effectively with filler.

Dr Olivia will conduct an extensive exam of the entire face, and with your permission suggest options to improve the marionette lines.

The filler used is usually of a medium density, unless the lines are very deep. If the area requires a more extensive change, a thicker filler may be chosen, and placed deeper underneath the skin to replace the volume loss. This treatment can also help with certain degrees of acne scarring in the marionette-chin region.

Results will last 6-9 months in most cases. The results will look entirely natural, Dr Olivia will inject the area ensuring it remains in harmony with the rest of your facial features.She will choose a filler that appropriately responds to facial expression and movement.

Chin Fillers

Chin fillers can be beneficial for several complaints in both male and female patients. 

Placing dermal fillers in the chin region can help balance your facial profile. In the past, if you had a recessive or set back chin, surgery may have been your only option. With advances in dermal filler technology, you can emulate the results you would have otherwise only achieved through painful, permanent surgery.

If your chin is very set back, you may require multiple syringes over more than one session.

Some people have a static horizontal line underneath the lower lip, due to an overactive muscle or natural anatomy. This can be completely smoothed out using chin filler. If your chin has a split at the apex point, filler can be used to augment this into a smooth tapered shape.

Chin filler can help improve the appearance of acne scarring. Dr Olivia has developed techniques to administer filler using a cannula to smooth out dimples/pits caused by scarring. 

Chin fillers can be used to widen the chin, resulting in a more masculine appearance, or narrow the chin into a more contoured apical point, resulting in a feminised appearance. Fillers can elongated the chin if you feel it isn’t balanced with the upper face.

Chin fillers are safe to perform using Dr Olivia’s techniques. Results are long lasting, usually a year or more in most instances.

Jawline Filler

The jawline is an area that has a large impact on the appearance of the face and facial profile.

Jawline fillers can be used in men or women to create a more taught and chiselled look.

An area of early facial ageing can be the jawline. As bone structure depletes and facial tissues sag, we can be left with excessive skin along the jaw bone, known as a ‘jowl’.

Some people have a naturally set back chin. This will mean the jawline appears weaker and the region between the neck and chin is less defined. 

Chin and jawline fillers can help all of these concerns. Dermal filler can be placed in specific areas deep underneath the skin along the jawline. A viscous gel is used in most cases to ensure it holds its shape, and is long lasting. Placed at the angle of the jaw it will help tighten the skin, reducing the jowl appearance. Focusing filler around the angles of the jawbone can also create a contoured look in those wanting to enhance the area. Fillers can be placed along the length of the jawbone. Done correctly this can improve any jowling and give the appearance of a stronger jawline. 

Jawline fillers can be combined with other facial fillers such as the cheeks, to achieve an overall contoured look.

Placing fillers in these areas tends to be very safe. Dr Olivia uses a combination of needle and cannula technique in this area. Needle technique is useful for placing filler in very specific sites to enhance that area. The cannula is helpful for adding length along the jawline in a safe and smooth manner.

Due to the thickness of the filler used, it is sometimes palpable in the initial post treatment phase. There may be mild tenderness along the jaw. These mild side effects will usually disappear in the few days post treatment. Fillers targeted to the jaw area can last up to 18 months.

Nasolabial folds

The nose to mouth lines or nasolabial folds can be an early area for ageing to occur, and tends to be one of the first areas where treatment with dermal fillers is sought. 

This is due to processes involved in ageing. The area can sometimes be treated indirectly by lifting the cheeks or other areas of the face, or in many cases by direct placement of filler into the lines. 

The earliest signs of ageing here will be a small triangular shadow next to the nose. In these cases, a tiny amount of medium density dermal filler can lift the area and remove any hollowing which causes the appearance of a shadow. In cases of a deeper line or deficit, filler can be effectively placed underneath to lift the fold and restore light reflection.

Dr Olivia prefers to carry this treatment out using a cannula for increased comfort, safety, and reduced bruising risk. In some cases where fine lines are present, a tiny needle may be used for superficial injection.

Filler in this area lasts on average 6-9 months. The filler chosen will move with facial expression for a natural outcome.

Smoker’s lines/ Lip line Filler

As we get older the quality of our skin reduces and fine lines begin to form in areas of particularly active movement. One of the areas to commonly see lines appear is the area around the lips. 

In those who smoke this area will have lines appear quicker and more severely. In others that are particularly expressive this is also a common complaint. 

Fillers or a combination of Botox treatment and fillers can smooth out the area. Dr Olivia has developed specialised techniques to effectively combat these wrinkles without overfilling the area, which can leave a duck-like or puffed appearance. 

Dr Olivia may suggest treatment to the lip border to help strengthen the area and reduce risk of lines appearing on movement. Dr Olivia will use a gentle technique, and may wish to do the treatment in stages to get the best outcome. If a combination treatment is best for you this will be communicated.

Treatment lasts around 6 months and longevity should increase with repeated top up treatments. 

Under Eye Filler

Under eye filler is also known as tear trough filler. Filler can be placed in the under eye region to improve a number of complaints. 

The filler used by Dr Olivia in this region is specifically designed for use in the tear trough, and is one of the only approved fillers for the area. The filler is not hydrophilic like other dermal fillers, meaning it does not draw excess water to the area. A hydrophilic filler placed here would result in unsightly puffiness. Other ingredients contained in this filler act to brighten the skin. This will improve the appearance of dark circles.

Tear trough fillers are suitable for those who suffer from a hollowing under the eyes, combined with dark circles if these are present. They can benefit those of ethnic minorities who suffer from a natural dark pigmentation to the area. Dr Olivia will carefully assess your suitability for this treatment, and only treat you if she feels the results will be beneficial. 

If you suffer from loose skin under the eyes, or have a puffiness/fluid filled area to your tear trough, you are less suited to filler treatment. This doesn’t mean you can’t have the treatment as Dr Olivia is very experienced at treating the tear trough, but you are a less appropriate candidate and complete resolution to the area may not be possible.

Dr Olivia uses a cannula technique only in this area. This makes treatment a lot safer, as there are lots of anatomical features requiring respectful consideration under the eye. Using a cannula means that one puncture point with a needle is all that is required to complete the treatment on each side. The cannula is inserted from the cheek area, and gently worked up towards the tear trough to place the filler. Filler is placed as deeply as possible. This means the results are more natural and less likely to appear puffy. It is important to place the filler deeply so it is not visible under the delicate under eye skin. Dr Olivia is very cautious when treating the tear trough, and takes great care to carry out the treatment safely.

Dr Olivia ensures only a small amount of filler is placed in each session, as overfilling leaves a poor appearance. As with any other HA filler the tear trough filler can be dissolved and reversed, but Dr Olivia takes great care to avoid needing to do this. Treatment with a cannula to this region is perfectly comfortable. Dr Olivia will apply numbing cream before the procedure.

Treatment under the eyes usually needs repeated once per year to maintain the appearance and result.

Dermal Fillers Aftercare

After receiving dermal filler treatment you will be given a series of instructions to follow to ensure the treatment settles safely. 

Most instructions are straight forward and won’t require any alteration to your normal day’s activities. You should not apply makeup after having filler treatment due to its invasive nature (the skin is punctured with the injections even though these are extremely tiny, creating a break to the otherwise intact skin). The absolute minimum time frame for applying makeup to treated skin is 6 hours, but Dr Olivia suggests complete avoidance of makeup application until the day after treatment. Unless using sterile medically developed makeup, you are risking skin infection if makeup is applied too soon.

Avoid exercise for 24 hours after your treatment. Exercise invokes heat in the body and skin which could affect the setting of the filler and increase risk of  swelling/bruising. Avoid excessive heat from using sun beds, saunas, steam rooms after your treatment. These should be avoided, especially sun beds, for 48 hours. 

Do not touch the treated area as this will increase the risk of introducing infection. Regularly sanitise your hands. Gently cleanse and remove any residual makeup before bed. Do not apply creams to the area unless specified by your Dr. 

You may wish to apply a cold compress to the area. Frozen baby wipes are useful for this as they are clean and gentle. Do not massage the treated area unless advised to do so by your Dr. 

What Will Affect The Longevity of My Treatment?

You will be given specific instructions for immediate aftercare to ensure the best results. Once the filler has settled in your skin, you can take steps to ensure it is well maintained. Avoiding sun exposure and sun beds will improve the lasting effects. Always ensure to wear sun protection, whether you are outside, or inside exposed to a window! This is extremely important for anti ageing purposes in general, even on cloudy days. Excessive exercise will increase your metabolic rate and may cause your filler to wear away quicker. Overly vigorous massaging of a treated area can cause the filler to dissipate.

What Is The Cost of Dermal Fillers?

Please see the pricing section for specifics. Dermal filler costs start at £150 for 0.7ml but may vary according to the specific treatment. 

1ml of dermal filler starts at £200 for most facial regions.

The tear trough is a more advanced area for treatment and may be priced accordingly.