Which is the best filler for nasolabial lines?
By Dr Rachael Syvret
The filler market is a fast growing one. I have lost count of the various brands that have joined the market, each with a variable reputation and price tag. So how do you and your practitioner go about making the choice about which is the best filler to use?
(Read our previous blog to find out more about treatment for nasolabial folds)
What brand does your practitioner use?
Firstly, I would always recommend going to a practitioner that uses a reputable brand that has been held in high esteem in the aesthetic world for a long time. In my experience, sometimes the newer and often lower cost fillers can lead to complications and don’t always provide the results we’re hoping to achieve.
Find out more about Underlining Beauty practitioners here.
Filler properties
The second thing to consider is the “G prime”. Fillers with a higher “G prime” deliver greater lifting potential. The downside to this is that the filler is usually much more dense, leaving a less malleable product which is not as soft to touch. In contrast, filler with a lower “G prime” will often give a smoother filling effect, but will not be able to lift the skin to the same degree. Selecting the appropriate filler will depend on the treatment and the outcome that is being sought.
Given the above, it is therefore of paramount importance to think about what area you are using the filler in and the results you are hoping to achieve. When we look at the nasolabial area, although we want to give a decent lift to the skin, we are also injecting fairly superficially within the skin layers and therefore cannot afford for any lumpiness to occur. It is for this reason, that for this area, practitioners will generally choose filler that is fairly middle of the road for both. So for instance it will give a good lift, but isn’t too firm that it would cause issues with lumpiness etc.
Underlining Beauty
So what do we use at Underlining Beauty to fill the nasolabial lines? Nine times out of ten; Juvederm Ultra 3. We find that this gives a nice lift, but is still smooth and malleable and allows us to sculpt our work. Obviously, like with everything in aesthetics, you can never carry out a “one size fits all” approach. It is important that each individual client is assessed thoroughly. During this assessment, it is import to consider the effect you are both aiming for, whether any other structuring work needs to be done, the laxity of the skin in that area, the degree of subcutaneous fat in the area and base your filler decision on the whole client picture. By doing this you will ensure you get the optimum results for your client and you both walk away happy!
If you’re a healthcare professional and considering starting a career in aesthetics, visit our UB Training Academy website to find out more about our courses.
