At ProMD Health in Baltimore, MD, we offer a number of injectable anti-aging treatments, including JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA. This injectable dermal filler is FDA-approved for the treatment of the lips and mouth, and there are many things about this treatment our clients love. Today, our goal is to answer some of the top questions we get about this treatment to help you determine if it is a good fit for you.
How Soon Does VOLBELLA Show Results?
You can generally expect to see an initial improvement in your appearance as soon as your injections are administered. Your lips may look a little fuller, your perioral lines may look a little shallower, and your skin may feel a little tighter. However, you may need to wait three to four days to see the final results of your treatment.
Just keep in mind that some people need to wait up to 14 days for their final results to become apparent. Generally, you can expect to see your final results faster if you are young and healthy.
How Long Can I Expect My Treatment Results To Last?
You can generally expect to enjoy the full results of lip filler injections for three to six months. However, this injectable lip filler is a lot more durable. Ideal VOLBELLA results usually last for 1.5 years. After that, you may start to notice your lips thinning once more or very shallow perioral lines reappearing. We recommend scheduling a follow-up appointment as soon as you start to notice your results fading.
What Can I Do To Extend the Longevity of My Results?
To extend the longevity of your ideal results, you need to take care of your existing collagen and ensure your skin has the right conditions for producing more collagen. One of the most effective steps you can take to accomplish this goal is to stay hydrated. This is because your skin needs a lot of water to produce collagen and keep existing collagen healthy. Other very effective steps you can take to extend the longevity of your results include:
- Keeping your skin moisturized
- Wearing sunscreen daily
- Eating nutritiously
In addition to doing things that will improve the health of your skin, you can benefit from avoiding things that will damage your skin. For example, you should strongly consider avoiding tobacco consumption, and you should not consume more than one or two alcoholic beverages daily. Furthermore, you should avoid indoor tanning and sunbathing.
Am I a Good Candidate for This Treatment?
To find out if VOLBELLA injections are right for you, an initial consultation is required. During this consultation, we will go over your prior health, present health, concerns, and goals to verify that this treatment will be safe and effective for you. Be prepared to talk about such facets of your medical history as any known allergies, any history of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), and the drugs and supplements you currently take.
We will also review all of the preparation and aftercare guidelines you will need to follow. If you have any concerns about your ability to follow one or more of these rules, let us know during your initial consultation. If you cannot follow all instructions, you may not be considered a good candidate for this treatment.
Who Is a Poor Candidate for This Treatment?
You will be considered a poor candidate for this treatment if you are under the age of 21, pregnant, or breastfeeding. Additionally, there are certain medical conditions that may disqualify you. For instance, you will be considered a poor candidate for this treatment if you suffer from poorly managed type 2 diabetes or another medical condition that causes poor wound healing. Furthermore, bleeding disorders and heart disorders may disqualify you from treatment.
How Should I Prepare for My Treatment Session?
There are many preparation steps you need to take prior to your injection session. Each guideline is important to follow, but one of the most important guidelines to follow is to discontinue the consumption of blood-thinning drugs and supplements. For an optimal experience, your blood needs to be able to clot normally. Examples of pharmaceuticals you should not take include:
- Fatty acid supplements
- Vitamin E supplements
- Garlic supplements
- Ginkgo biloba supplements
- NSAIDs
- MAOIs
It is also extremely important that you do not smoke cigarettes, consume other tobacco products, or drink alcohol. This is important because it helps to ensure that your vitals are good at the time of your appointment. Consuming these substances prior to treatment can affect your treatment, recovery, and results. Furthermore, it is essential that you do not get any cosmetic treatments that will irritate the planned injection sites prior to your appointment.
What Should I Avoid After My Treatment Session?
It is extremely important that you do not apply makeup for at least 12 hours after your injections are administered. The treated area or areas should not be rubbed, scratched, or otherwise disturbed. Otherwise, healing may be slowed, the development of the final results may be impeded, and your results may not turn out ideal.
Additionally, it is extremely important to not consume alcoholic beverages, engage in vigorous physical activity, or expose your treatment areas to an excessive amount of heat or sun. Physical activity that is so intense that you have difficulty breathing while working out can increase your blood pressure significantly.
What Can I Expect During My Treatment Session?
Before your injections are administered, the targeted area or areas will be inspected to verify that they are free from irritation. If they are, we will use an alcohol-based antiseptic to sterilize the targeted areas, mitigating the risk of infection. Once your treatment sites have been cleaned, we will mark the most strategic injection points. Typically, we administer injections into three to five points per area of concern.
Once the injection sites are marked, we will administer the appropriate dose of filler into the injection sites. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect your treatment session to take under an hour. Factors affecting how long your session will take include the number of areas of concern you have, how severe your concerns are, and how many injectables need to be administered. Depending on the scope of your concerns, you may need other fillers besides VOLBELLA.
What Other Injectables May Help Me Improve My Self-Confidence?
VOLUMA
VOLUMA is another injectable dermal filler that may help you improve your self-confidence significantly. Sometimes, people seek this treatment because they are concerned about moderate or severe volume loss or loose skin in their undereye area. However, it is usually used to recontour the cheekbone, augment the apple of the cheek, and lift sagging jowls.
This injectable is similar to VOLBELLA, but the results last roughly 33% longer. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect to enjoy your ideal VOLUMA results for 24 months. One reason you can generally expect your VOLUMA results to last longer is that the molecular structure of the hyaluronic acid in this filler is larger and denser. Another reason is that your cheeks move a lot less than your lips and mouth.
VOLLURE
VOLLURE is another JUVÉDERM formula we offer that may help you improve your self-confidence. This injectable is approved by the FDA for the treatment of deep nasolabial folds and other moderate or severe facial wrinkles and folds for most individuals who are over the age of 21. Like VOLBELLA, this injectable works very quickly and provides results that last for roughly 18 months.
What Should I Expect After My Treatment Session?
Thanks to the lack of mandatory downtime, you will most likely be able to return to work after your injection session. Just remember that you won’t be able to wear makeup, spend too much time in the sun, or get too hot. You should take off the rest of the day of your appointment and the day after your appointment if you won’t be able to follow your aftercare guidelines and perform your job.
Schedule Your Initial Consultation Today
Immediately after your injections are administered, you will be able to see an improvement in your treated area or areas. However, it will take several days for your final results to become apparent. If you think you could benefit from augmenting your lips and smoothing out perioral lines, VOLBELLA injections may be a good fit for you. Contact us now at ProMD Health in Baltimore, MD to schedule your initial consultation and find out for sure.
