How Long Do Dermal Fillers Last?

Probably each person wants to maintain their skin young, attractive, and good-looking for as long as possible. And one of the most effective methods to achieve this goal is to inject dermal fillers.

However, do dermal fillers provide a person with a permanent result? Or do they wear off with time? If so, how long do they last? Well, you will find the answers to these questions in the below-mentioned information!

Before we start: Botox is another popular aesthetic medicine product that might be used to rejuvenate and enhance the overall appearance of a patient. Check out a comparison of dermal fillers vs. Botox to find out what product will fit your needs best.

Starting Notes

Before delving into the duration of dermal filler results, let us discuss what they actually are.

What Are Injectable Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are cosmetic injectables that have a number of aesthetic purposes. They are strongly beloved by medical professionals and their patients, mainly for their exceptional safety, effectiveness, and long-lasting duration.

What Types of Dermal Fillers Are There?

There exist several types of dermal fillers. The basic difference between each of them lies in the main active substance they employ. Namely, the following dermal filler types are considered to be the most popular ones these days:

• Hyaluronic acid fillers (or, as they are also called, HA fillers);
• Calcium hydroxylapatite fillers;
• Poly-L-lactic acid fillers;
• And so on.

An interesting fact: Injectable fillers are intended for professional use. Therefore, they should be administered exclusively by certified medical professionals (for instance, plastic surgeons, dermatologists, cosmetologists, and so on.

What Are the Main Indications for Dermal Filler Injections?

All injectable fillers are primarily indicated to treat aging skin that has lost its elasticity, moisture, and smoothness. More precisely, they might be used for one of the following purposes:

• To smooth wrinkles, folds, and fine lines;
• To define, contour, and augment lips;
• To tighten the sagging skin;
• To moisturize the dehydrated skin;
• To contour the facial oval;
• To restore the volume of the face;
• And so on.

An interesting fact: Apart from the above-mentioned things, dermal fillers might also be used for a wide range of other purposes. Namely, some medical professionals also administer dermal fillers for acne scars or under-eye bags.

How Do Dermal Fillers Work?

The working principle of injectable fillers is based on their power to nurture the skin. After a medical professional injects a facial filler beneath a patient’s skin, the product will start to fill in skin creases, attract moisture, and accelerate the natural production of collagen.

An interesting fact: Due to their advanced working principle, dermal fillers serve as solid and way less invasive alternatives to plastic surgery (for instance, facial fat grafting). They do not usually require any special preparation or downtime and might be administered during an outpatient procedure.

What Are the Contraindications to the Injections of Dermal Fillers?

Not each and every patient is a good candidate for dermal filler injections. To be more precise, these procedures are not recommendable or even contraindicated under one of the following circumstances:

• If a patient has an allergy to the main active substance of an injectable filler (for instance, hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxylapatite, or poly-L-lactic acid);
• If a patient lives with a serious disease (such as a severe form of diabetes mellitus, untreated epilepsy, or poor blood clotting);
• If a patient is currently taking any incompatible medications or undergoing any incompatible treatments;
• If a patient experiences ongoing skin inflammation around the intended area of the treatment;
• If a patient is pregnant or breastfeeding;
• And so on.

An interesting fact: The ignorance of the above-mentioned contraindications might lead to the appearance of unwanted complications. Therefore, a medical professional should run a detailed investigation of a patient’s current health condition before injecting dermal fillers.

Duration of Dermal Filler Results

Now, let us talk about the average duration of dermal filler results.

How Long Do Injectable Dermal Fillers Last?

Dermal filler injections serve as a solid but nevertheless non-permanent alternative to cosmetic surgery. The main reason for it is that their results start to gradually wear off with time.

On average, the result after a single injection of a facial filler might last from several months to a couple of years. However, its exact duration depends on a wide range of factors.

An interesting fact: Facial fillers wear off with time due to the power of the human body to regenerate and, therefore, either absorb or destroy the product.

What Factors Influence the Duration of Dermal Filler Results?

The duration of dermal filler results depends on a wide range of factors. Below, you will find the list of the main ones:

• The type of facial filler that is going to be used (for instance, poly-L-lactic acid fillers might last a bit longer than hyaluronic acid ones);
• The degree of the problem that is going to be addressed (for example, if you treat deeper wrinkles rather than mild ones, you might receive a result of a shorter term);
• The proficiency of a medical professional that is going to inject a dermal filler (namely, plastic surgeons with the highest level of proficiency might use certain techniques to make a facial filler last a bit longer);
• And so on.

Moreover, such individual peculiarities of each patient as their current age, health condition, skin type, skincare routine, and even lifestyle, also have an impact on the duration of dermal filler results.

An interesting fact: It is difficult (or even impossible) to say for sure how long a certain facial filler will last after being administered under the skin of a certain patient. Thus, there is always room for unpredictability in such questions.

What Type of Dermal Fillers Lasts for the Longest Time Period?

Among the three most popular types of dermal fillers (namely, hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxylapatite, and poly-L-lactic solutions), the latest one has the longest duration. The main reason for it is that it is based on a synthetic polymer that stimulates skin tissues to produce their own collagen.

The results of HA fillers and calcium hydroxylapatite fillers, in their turn, have an approximately equal duration. In most cases, they have the power to smooth deep wrinkles for up to two years.

An interesting fact: Different brands of dermal fillers that belong to the same type might also provide the results of different durations. For instance, Juvederm and Restylane are considered to be the most long-lasting facial fillers based on HA.

What Happens After the Result of Dermal Fillers Wears Off?

After the result of dermal fillers wears off, the overall condition of a patient’s skin tends to return to its pre-injection state. In other words, smoothed wrinkles become visible again after the human body gets rid of facial filler ingredients.

At the same time, however, some patients claim that the quality of their skin had remained better than it used to be before the injection, even after the result of dermal fillers wore off. Such an effect is possible due to the power of facial fillers to accelerate the natural production of collagen and, therefore, nurture the skin from within.

An interesting fact: There exists a common myth that one of the long-term effects of dermal fillers is the worsening of the skin quality after the result of a facial filler wears off. However, it is not so since a facial filler does not have any negative impact on the skin under normal circumstances.

How to Prolong the Result of Dermal Fillers?

Probably the most effective way to prolong the result of dermal fillers is to undergo touch-up injections from time to time. According to their treatment protocol, facial fillers might be administered beneath a patient’s skin in a periodical manner in order to support the result they create.

Another way to make dermal fillers last longer is to adhere to the following after-treatment rules for the first forty-eight hours after the injection:

• Avoid direct sun exposure and apply sunscreen cream to the area of the treatment;
• Stay away from excessive heat. Namely, do not visit hot saunas or take hot bath tubes;
• Do not wear heavy makeup at the injection site;
• Evade strenuous exercises;
• And so on.

An interesting fact: Patients who undergo periodical touch-up injections after the initial administration of a dermal filler might make its result last for decades.

Final Notes

All in all, dermal filler injections are advanced procedures that are effectively used to prolong the attractive and youthful appearance of a patient. They have a durable result that usually lasts from several months to a couple of years and might be substantially prolonged by a variety of methods.