As you age you are losing volume from your face – in fact we have all been losing facial volume from our mid-twenties. As we get older we lose about 1% of facial volume every year – something like 40mls by the time we are 40 years old. We lose fat from the fat pads under the skin that give the soft curves of youth, and we lose bone too as the skull loses volume and changes shape.
The good news is that just a few millilitres of well-placed dermal fillers can replenish some of this loss and sometimes dramatically rejuvenate a face
So just how much dermal filler do you need?
One answer is that for optimal results several mls can be used. I have been to conferences and training sessions where a model has received 10 or more syringes of product – and still had very natural results. Some doctors like to boast about how they achieved great results with a dozen or more syringes of product. But using that kind of volume is a little out of reach for most of us.
Most of our patients at Envisage clinic are in their forties, fifties, or sixties (or older) and most of them get great results with 3-4 mls of dermal filler. Younger patients in their late twenties or thirties are more likely to only need one or two mls
If we look at individual areas of the face
Lips
Most of our patients only have a half to one ml in their lips. Half a ml gives a very subtle and natural result. One ml will give a noticeable but still natural result. We like to “do natural” and not give someone fake looking lips. If you sees some very large pronounced lips around town they have usually had 2-4mls of filler. It’s generally not a great look in my opinion, and something we try to avoid.
Temples
The temples are a key and oft overlooked area of volume loss. Losing volume in the temples tends to make the eye brows look hooded, but it also alters the shape of the face, introducing a concavity that is never present in youth. Re-volumising this area can make a subtle but dramatic change for the better. It’s also a large area and we would most often use a ml per side.
Lower face and jawline
This is probably the most common treatment that I perform. I am usually using a total of 1-2 ml.
Mid cheek
The mid cheek is the area of the cheek directly under the eyes. It’s a common area of volume loss and a little volume here can make a huge difference to a face. We generally place a half to one ml per side in this area.
Lateral Cheek
Like the temples, this is a large area of volume loss that changes the shape of the face, elongating it and squaring it off, and causing jowls. We would usually place a ml on each side.
Hands
There are a couple of different products that can be used on hands. Depending on the product, we usually use about 1 ml per hand.
Tear trough
Generally patients benefit more from having some supporting filler in the upper cheek first, but when we treat the actual tear trough area we are using small volumes of a special, soft filler, often only 0.2-0.5 ml per side.
Nose
The nose can be straightened and lifted with careful filler placement. It’s a specialised treatment that many clinics don’t offer, but results can be quite dramatic. Usually less than half a ml is needed.
Fine Lines and scars
One area I think we get particularly good results at Envisage Clinic is in the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles and small traumatic and acne scars with filler. I use a special, fine filler and a tiny needle and syringe. I often only use half a ml at a time, or a ml for more widespread areas.
This obviously looks like a lot of filler, but the good news is that most patients don’t need this much. . Although we all tend to age in the same way, most of us have one or two areas where we have particularly lost volume, and concentrating on these areas can make a big difference with just a little treatment. Most of our patients have a bout 1-3ml of filler in a treatment, but same may repeat that in a few weeks or months’ time. It takes a lot of experience to look at a face and see where a patient will get the best results for the smallest amount of product, but we offer a free and obligation free consultation, so if you are considering cosmetic treatments but want very natural results, please come and see us at Envisage.
Article by Dr Christopher Leat – Medical Director Envisage Clinic Benowa
Dr Christopher Leat – Medical Director Envisage Skin Clinic Founder and Director.
Dr Christopher Leat has 33 years’ experience in Medicine and is a member of The Royal College of Physicians of London.
Dr Leat has devoted the last 18 years to Cosmetic Medicine and is recognized throughout Australia as one of the most experienced doctors in the field of Cosmetic Medicine.
