What Happens in a Dermal Filler Treatment?

Firstly you should be offered a consultation to discuss your aesthetic goals, what you like and what you would like to improve. This consultation should include options for treatment, costs, risks, expected outcomes and how long the treatment should last. You should also be asked about your medical history, any medications and allergies, and what aesthetic procedures you’ve had before. Your practitioner will also ask about your lifestyle, smoking, alcohol etc.  This should be done ahead of having the treatment to allow you time to consider your options and make an informed decision. 

When you arrive at your appointment you will be talked through the procedure and your practitioner will take you through the consent process.  This is your opportunity to ask any questions and be sure you are happy with the treatment being offered and the person who will be treating you.  This last part is really important - are you confident that the practitioner knows their stuff? Do you have confidence that they know how to manage any problems if they were to occur? Are they offering you a treatment that matches up to your goals? 

When it’s time to start your treatment, your practitioner will apply some numbing cream, this is often done before the talking bit to allow the cream time to work. 

Areas of the face being treated will then be cleaned and marked and your practitioner will put you in a comfortable position to have the treatment. 

The treatment time will vary depending on how many areas are being treated. It can be uncomfortable and you may feel some stinging as the filler is injected but this should be very brief lasting no longer than an minute or two. Some fillers contain a local anaesthetic that numbs the skin further so you might stop feeling the procedure altogether. 

Your practitioner is likely to ask you if they can photographs before and after the treatment to keep on your aesthetic record. This helps you and your practitioner to see the starting point and the changes. Some people get a real buzz looking back at where they started. If you love the look and want it repeating when the treatment wears off, your practitioner can see what they achieved last time. 

The great thing about fillers is that you can see the effects straight away, although the final results will become clear once any swelling has gone down. We usually advise giving the treatment 14 days to settle and see the optimal results.  

Like with all aesthetic treatments, you should receive aftercare advice before leaving your appointment. Ideally this should be in a written format. I usually talk through the do’s and don’ts and then email a copy of the aftercare leaflet to my patients in case they completely forget what I’ve said. I will be doing a blog soon detailing the aftercare advice more.

You and your practitioner may decide to book a for follow up appointment, usually in about 2-3 weeks. This is a good time to assess the full effects of the treatment and for and your practitioner to decide if you need more filler to achieve the desired effect. In our next blog we’ll be looking at aftercare following your dermal filler treatment.

If you’d like to discuss dermal fillers or any other aesthetic treatment just give me a call or drop me an email.