What are face fillers?

Face fillers, otherwise known as dermal fillers, are small injections of gel, typically made up of hylauronic acid, that fill in wrinkles and add volume to soft tissue. You can have dermal fillers in different parts of your face: around the eye, cheeks, mouth and jawline, as well as lip fillers administered directly into the lip tissue.

How do they work?

Fillers basically restore lost volume to your face and plump areas, so that deep-set lines are smoothed. Why is this needed? As we get older our bodies stop producing collagen and elastin, both of which contribute to the youthful look.

Experts argue over when we start losing collagen, but the generally agreed age is 25. Pretty young, right? Your collagen and elastin levels then decline at a rate of about 2% per year. Your body will have stopped producing it altogether by your late twenties.

How long do face fillers last?

It depends how your body reacts and which hyaluronic acid is used, but most face fillers will last between six and 18 months.

Do face fillers have side effects?

'It's easy for clients to confuse side effects to reactions, so it's extremely important to understand what side effects can be expected,'  'Temporary side effects – those that are completely normal after facial injections – can include; swelling, redness and tenderness.'

'It's completely normal to experience a little bit of discomfort, redness and bruising after the procedure. Reactions generally occur immediately after the needle injection and can include; redness, swelling, pain, itching, bruising and tenderness at the injection location.'

'These reactions are generally mild to moderate and usually disappear shortly after injection, usually resolved a few days after the injection into the skin.'

Do face fillers hurt?

'There may be a slight discomfort whilst the filler is being injected into the face. But we minimise this by applying an anaesthetic cream before treatment. To provide further relief and alleviate as much pain as possible, our fillers contain a pre-mixed local anaesthetic.'