Volbella is a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler manufactured by Allergan and is a part of Juvederm family. It is designed to augment the lips and erase smoker’s lines extending from the corners of your mouth. Keep reading to learn more about this transformative treatment offered at ShineMD Medspa & Liposuction Center in Houston, TX.
How Long Do the Results of Volbella Injections Last?
The average lip augmentation filler only lasts half of a year. On the other hand, the results of Volbella last 18 months. This is of particular note because it is notoriously difficult to find a durable lip filler. This is because of how active your lips are throughout the day. Every time you talk, frown, smile, sip a smoothie through a straw or eat, your lips are moving. This movement facilitates the breakdown of the injected drug.
This formula is so special because it lasts roughly three times longer than the average lip augmentation filler while providing natural results that appear quickly. It is also important to note that the results of the treatment won’t vanish overnight after 18 months have passed. You will slowly notice the lines around your mouth returning. It may be 21 or 24 months after your treatment before your results fade to the point you feel you need a follow-up treatment.
How Do the Results of This Injectable Last This Long?
The results of this treatment are so durable because of the incredible cross-linking technology used during the manufacturing process. Hyaluronic acid, in its natural state, is a large chain of molecules. This chemical compound is incredibly dense so it can’t penetrate the dermis in its natural state.
Unfortunately, as we age, our skin produces less of this crucial chemical compound. This Juvederm product uses cross-linking technology to create a synthetic version of hyaluronic acid that penetrates the dermal barrier and isn’t broken down by the skin quickly. This proprietary manufacturing process is what allows the formula to provide results that last three times longer than alternatives.
More About the Durability of This Formula
Even though your skin produces hyaluronic acid naturally, it is important to get regular hyaluronic acid injections regularly as you age to keep your skin looking young, healthy, and smooth. Remember, your skin produces less of the massive chains of molecules with age. Furthermore, the substance is metabolized quickly. Hyaluronic acid, also known as HA, lasts up to a week around your joints and less than a day in the skin.
All Juvederm formulas, including Volbella, last far longer than a day in the skin because of the cross-linking technology used during manufacturing. The results of Juvederm fillers last longer than other fillers because the cross-linking that increases efficacy and durability use proprietary Vycross technology. This tightens the molecules in the chain, unlike any other manufacturing process. Here are some benefits of this silky smooth, tight formula:
- Symmetrical lips
- Incredibly rapid recovery
- Results that look and feel natural
No Dermal Filler Is Better Than HA
HA is the gold standard of dermal fillers. Although natural hyaluronic acid is dense, the synthetic hyaluronic acid used in Juvederm’s formulas has a lower molecular weight than other HA-based fillers. This results in more water retention and, as a result, more localized volume. This produces better results.
Note, multiple independent studies provided results that indicated hydrated skin is healthy skin. For instance, the International Journal of Cosmetic Science discovered that skin is thicker and denser when it is hydrated adequately. Another example can be found in a study published by the University of Missouri-Columbia. The results of this study indicate that moisturized skin is more elastic than dry skin.
Why This Filler Is Great for Your Lips
Very few people are born with perfect lips. Most of us are born with a pout that isn’t quite plump enough. Many of us are born with asymmetrical lips. HA-based dermal fillers, like Juvederm Volbella hydrate the areas they are injected into by attracting 1,000 times the HA mass in water. This provides natural-looking volume immediately.
What’s particularly great about this lip augmentation filler is how dewy, radiant, and silky smooth your lips will look. Your lips will look so hydrated you won’t even need to use any lip balm. Finally, although you will enjoy instant plumping, the results of your treatment will continue to improve over the course of several days.
Everything Else You Need To Know About This Injectable
Another question we’re frequently asked about this injectable is how safe is it. This is a great question because it is very important to understand how your body will react to the introduction of a foreign substance. Fortuitously, the synthetic HA used in all Juvederm products is biocompatible. Your skin will not reject it. Furthermore, all of Juvederm’s products have been tested thoroughly by independent clinical researchers and vetted by the U.S. FDA for safety and efficacy.
You Won’t Feel Any Pain During Treatment
You also need to know you won’t feel any pain or discomfort during treatment. Juvederm combines its HA solutions with lidocaine, an injectable anesthetic. In fewer than 90 seconds, the treatment area will be numb and remain numb for half of an hour. You will feel a slight pressure when the first injections are made. After that, you won’t feel anything in or around your lips throughout the treatment session.
One great thing about lidocaine is it starts working a lot faster than general anesthesia or topical numbing creams. Therefore, your treatment session will be over quickly. Another great thing about injectable anesthetics is the lack of risk associated with lidocaine. After general anesthesia, there is a mandatory observation period that can last up to three hours. After receiving lidocaine, you are free to go about your day and you can even drive yourself.
A Special Note on Numbing
We understand some people have an aversion to needles. If you are worried about feeling your first few injections, please let us know during your initial evaluation. We are happy to apply a topical numbing cream to the treatment area 30 minutes before your session begins. If you opt for this additional numbing, you will not feel anything, including the first injections, during your session.
What To Remember About the Day of Your Treatment
On the morning of your scheduled session, cleanse your face gently with facial soap and warm water. Strongly consider coming in without makeup or other cosmetics. If you wear cosmetics to your appointment, we will remove them when we sanitize the treatment area. Also, remember to eat before your appointment. Making sure you are satiated, hydrated and dressed comfortably will go a long way in ensuring you have a pleasant treatment experience.
When considering what to eat after your treatment, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind. For example, you should avoid drinking through a straw for 24 hours after treatment so you don’t want to plan on having a smoothie for dinner. Similarly, you should avoid eating hot stew, chowder, bisque, or soup for 24 hours after your injections.
What To Expect on the Day of Your Appointment
Before your treatment begins, we will remove any cosmetics you wore to your appointment. Then, we will sanitize your face. If necessary, we will apply a topical numbing cream to the lips and mouth so you won’t feel a single injection. Remember, it can take up to 30 minutes for the topical anesthetic to take effect.
Once the treatment area is prepared, we will administer the HA solution. How long your treatment will take depends on the severity of your cosmetic concerns and the specific concerns you are addressing. However, even if you are addressing multiple moderate-to-severe concerns in and around the lips, your session shouldn’t take longer than an hour. Most sessions are completed in 30 to 45 minutes.
How To Care for Your Skin After Treatment
The most important thing to remember about how to care for yourself after treatment is you need to keep your blood pressure stable. This means, for example, you need to avoid extreme fluctuations in temperature. Don’t use the dry sauna or steam room at your gym or sunbathe. You should also avoid chemical substances that elevate your blood pressure, such as alcohol, nicotine, copious amounts of caffeine in a short period, and over two grams of salt.
Furthermore, sunscreen will be your new best friend for the first couple of weeks following your treatment session. You can use sunscreen lotion with an SPF of at least 30 around your lips. However, we recommend buying a balm designed specifically to protect your lips from UV damage to apply to your lips. Make sure you are reapplying your sun protectant at least every four hours. Furthermore, ensure it is water-resistant, sweat-resistant, and not expired.
How To Help Your Treatment Results Last Longer
Wearing sunscreen during the first 14 days following your treatment is necessary because UV rays degrade hyaluronic acid quickly. In the short term, this affects the efficacy of the treatment results. In the long-term, this means that your results won’t last as long as they should. To ensure your ideal results last as long as possible, wear sunscreen regularly, even on cloudy days. This reduces UV exposure, protecting the integrity of the synthetic hyaluronic acid.
Stop Smoking
Elevated blood pressure also reduces the longevity of Volbella’s results. If you want to enjoy the results of your treatment for 18 months or longer, you need to stop smoking. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals. One of these chemicals, nicotine, is known for elevating blood pressure. It also weakens collagen significantly and reduces the efficiency of your skin’s elastin production process.
Meditate
Stress also elevates your blood pressure and floods your body with cortisol, the stress hormone. Among other effects, cortisol accelerates the aging process, meaning your results won’t last as long as they should. To manage stress and ensure your results last as long as possible, meditate.
The great thing about meditation is you don’t have to pay for guided meditation. You can simply sit on your bed or in your car and focus completely on your breathing. By focusing on something other than whatever is causing you stress, your mind will relax and your body will stop flooding itself with stress hormones.
Discover if This Unique Filler Is Right for You
Volbella is a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler designed to plump up your pout and erase lines around the mouth. Although most lip fillers last no more than six months, this unique filler maintains ideal results for 18 months. Contact us now at ShineMD Medspa & Wellness Center in Houston, TX to learn more about this dermal filler and discover if it is appropriate for you.
Allergan has a reward program called Alle in which you will get reward points when you use any Allergan products from Juvederm, Botox or Coolsculpting. ShineMD Medspa is proudly participate in Alle program.
Here at ShineMD Medspa & Liposuction Centre in Houston, TX, we give you solutions. So, please book an appointment with us today and get a one-on-one consultation with the best board-certified skin specialists in town. You can call us at 832.509.5099 to schedule an appointment also. Read ahead, and we’ll walk you through everything you need to know—one step at a time.
