Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Brands
Written by Jessica Tapia, MD
Hyaluronic acid is the filler ingredient of filler most popular, so you have many options.
Juvéderm
Manufactured by Allergan, Juvéderm fillers are made with hyaluronic acid (HA), a molecule found naturally in the skin that has a unique ability to attract and retain moisture: it can hold up to 1000 times its weight in water, helping skin look smooth, supple and youthful.
Injected under the skin, these gel fillers instantly help smooth fine lines and wrinkles, soften creases, improve contours and restore volume.
Clinical studies also suggest that hyaluronic acid fillers can stimulate the body's natural collagen production in the areas of the face where it is injected, improving skin firmness and elasticity.
All Juvéderm fillers contain cross-linked hyaluronic acid, which means that the molecular chains are connected.
The hyaluronic acid gel remains clumped, which slows the rate of absorption and provides longer lasting results.
Each hyaluronic acid formula in the Juvéderm filler collection has its properties, longevity, and treatment areas.
Cheek, chin, and jawline fillers
Juvéderm Voluma XC contours the face by adding volume to the chin and definition to the upper arch of the cheekbone.
Juvéderm Volux XC is the only FDA-approved hyaluronic acid filler for defining and sculpting the jawline.
Lip fillers
Juvéderm Ultra XC plumps lips.
Juvéderm Volbella XC creates subtly fuller lips and softens vertical lip lines.
For lines and wrinkles
Juvéderm XC smoothes the lines around the nose and mouth (nasolabial folds).
Juvéderm Vollure XC (Volift in Mexico) smoothes lines around the nose and mouth.
Juvéderm Ultra Plus XC smoothes moderate to severe facial wrinkles, especially around the nose and mouth.
For dark circles under the eyes
Juvéderm Volbella XC is the first FDA-approved hyaluronic acid filler for filling tear troughs and reducing the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.
For hydration and skin quality
Juvéderm SkinVive (Volite in Mexico) was recently approved by the FDA to improve the smoothness of cheek skin. As the first "Skinbooster" on the market, it is designed to be injected into the dermis, below the skin's surface, in microdroplets that hydrate and plump the skin from within. According to a company press release, a clinical study found that six months after treatment, 63% of patients were satisfied with how radiant their skin looked, 72% were satisfied with how hydrated it looked, and 83% were satisfied with how healthy their skin looked.
An experienced provider can choose the suitable fillers to create the most natural-looking result.
What are the pros and cons of Juvéderm?
Pros
It is an effective facial rejuvenation, contouring, and augmentation treatment with instant results.
Patient satisfaction is high.
All formulas in the Juvéderm filler collection contain lidocaine, a local anesthetic, to minimize pain during and after treatment.
Because hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body, there is little chance of an allergic reaction.
Like other hyaluronic acid-based fillers, these can be dissolved with hyaluronidase if you don't like the results or have a complication.
Juvéderm Vollure and Voluma are the longest-lasting hyaluronic acid fillers available: results have been shown to last up to 18 months and up to two years, respectively.
Cons
As with all other FDA and COFEPRIS-approved fillers, the results are temporary.
Fillers are ineffective for treating sagging skin or more pronounced facial wrinkles, so they are not a substitute for plastic surgery procedures such as facelifts. They work best for people who have lost facial volume but still have good skin elasticity.
As with any injection, you will likely feel some tenderness, bruising, lumps, and swelling for the first few days after treatment.
More severe complications, such as vascular occlusion, are possible with any injectable filler.
The results of this and other dermal fillers are highly technique-dependent.
Note: Patients sometimes ask us during their consultation if Juvéderm is better than Botox. However, these two injectables have very different (and complementary) effects for various needs: fillers add volume and contour. In contrast, Botox is a neuromodulator that temporarily relaxes muscle movement to smooth dynamic wrinkles and prevent new ones from forming.
Teoxane RHA Collection
The RHA Collection is a line of hyaluronic acid fillers designed to provide an exceptionally natural look, whether your face is at rest or in motion.
RHA fillers are the only formulas approved by the FDA and COFEPRIS to treat dynamic facial wrinkles and folds that develop in response to natural facial expressions.
RHA, or "resistant hyaluronic acid," was developed to more closely mimic natural hyaluronic acid than traditional fillers.
RHA fillers feature longer chains of hyaluronic acid with less cross-linking than other filler formulations, making it more similar to the natural hyaluronic acid found in the body.
Even with facial movement, these longer, more robust chains can appear more natural and less "stiff" than fillers containing shorter hyaluronic acid chains.
In other countries, the RHA collection is called Teosyal. It is manufactured by the Swiss company TEOXANE. The complete collection includes five products. However, only RHA 2, RHA 3, RHA 4, and RHA Redensity have been approved by the FDA and COFEPRIS.
What are the pros and cons of RHA fillers?
Pros
Resilient hyaluronic acid (RHA) fillers are designed to resemble natural hyaluronic acid more closely, creating results that adapt well to facial movements.
The results are instantaneous: you will see a new look when your aesthetic doctor injects the hyaluronic acid filler.
While the results are temporary (as with other HA-based fillers), they last longer than many hyaluronic acid fillers on the market, up to 15 months. This makes the RHA Collection a good treatment option for someone who wants more long-lasting results.
If you do not like the results or have any complications, hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved with hyaluronidase enzyme within 24 hours.
RHA fillers contain lidocaine to help reduce discomfort during the injection process.
Studies suggest that hyaluronic acid fillers stimulate the body's fibroblasts, the cells responsible for collagen production. This means recurring use of hyaluronic acid fillers can produce firmer skin over time.
Cons
Bruising and swelling are common after filler treatment (especially with lip fillers). However, these side effects can be minimized with careful planning.
Although fillers can add volume and correct deep folds, not all skin sagging can be improved with injectable fillers.
Belotero Collection
Belotero is an FDA-approved injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) filler for smoothing moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds.
Like other hyaluronic acid-based fillers, such as Juvéderm and Restylane, Belotero Balance is ultralight and easy to layer, so it can be injected into fine lines without creating lumps or bumps. It is commonly used to minimize etched lip lines, crow's feet, smile lines, and marionette lines.
Some aesthetic doctors use it with Botox to smooth deep glabellar lines (expression lines).
It can also subtly plump the lips, although most injectors prefer Juvéderm Ultra or Restylane Kysse.
What are the pros and cons of Belotero?
Pros
Results can last up to a year, longer than many hyaluronic acid-based injectable fillers.
When injected by an experienced provider, Belotero produces a natural look.
There is little or no recovery time after Belotero injections. Side effects generally include only mild bruising and swelling of the treated area.
It can perfectly smooth areas of thin skin, such as under the eyes, and is not associated with excess puffiness or the Tyndall effect (a bluish tint related to other HA fillers), making it one of the most natural-looking filler options.
The procedure is not considered painful, especially if your provider first numbs the area with a topical lidocaine product.
If you are unsatisfied with the results or have any complications, an enzyme called hyaluronidase can be injected into the area to dissolve the hyaluronic acid.
Cons
As with all hyaluronic acid-based fillers, the results are temporary.
People rarely experience complications, such as infection and vascular occlusion, which can lead to skin necrosis (the death of skin cells) and blindness.
Lumps or irregular texture may sometimes appear, although massages can usually eliminate these problems.
Belotero is not a thick or resistant gel, so there are better choices for areas that need a lot of shaping or sculpting, such as the cheeks, jawline, and temples.
Restylane Collection
The Restylane line of injectable fillers temporarily adds volume to lips, lifts cheeks, smoothes wrinkles, fills scars and hollows under the eyes, and rejuvenates aging hands.
The main ingredient in Restylane fillers is hyaluronic acid (HA). This naturally natural substance attracts and retains water to help keep skin smooth and hydrated.
Because it creates less swelling than other HA fillers, Restylane is also the filler of choice for the tears under the eyes, one of the most challenging areas to inject well.
What are the types of Restylane fillers?
Each filler in the Restylane family is formulated with a specific texture, density, and injection depth, making it best suited for particular areas and purposes.
Restylane's classic formula fills wrinkles and plumps lips. It is also "one of the most popular fillers for dark circles under the eyes."
Restylane Silk, the finest form, adds subtle volume to enhance the lips, softens fine lines around the mouth, and fills in hollows under the eyes.
Restylane Refyne is a flexible filler that is ideal for areas of movement. It can help smooth nasolabial folds (also called laugh lines) and marionette lines, the wrinkles that run from the corners of the mouth to the chin. It is also a popular choice for hollows under the eyes.
Restylane Defyne fills in severe and deep wrinkles and folds, such as frown lines and marionette lines. Like Refyne, it is a flexible filler intended for high-movement areas.
Restylane Lyft (formerly called Perlane) is a robust filler that adds volume to the cheeks and hands. It is also sometimes used in non-surgical nose rhinoplasty. Like the other Restylane fillers, Lyft contains lidocaine to numb the area and reduce discomfort.
Restylane Kysse is FDA approved to augment the lips and treat upper perioral wrinkles, lip wrinkles sometimes called smoker's lines.
While Restylane Silk lasts approximately six months on the lips, Restylane Kysse has been shown to last up to one year. Like Lyft, it contains lidocaine.
Restylane Contour was recently approved by the FDA and COFEPRIS to augment the cheekbones and contour the mid-face. It uses the brand's patented XpresHAn technology to integrate the gel filler perfectly into the skin, promoting more natural movement with every facial expression.
What are the pros and cons of Restylane fillers?
Pros
This fast, non-surgical treatment generates instant results with little or no downtime.
Restylane fillers are infused with the anesthetic lidocaine to minimize pain during and after injection.
Research suggests that Restylane injections can stimulate the body's collagen production, helping to rejuvenate skin volume loss from the inside out.
If you are dissatisfied with the results or your aesthetic physician accidentally injects you into a blood vessel (a rare complication that can lead to tissue death if left untreated), an enzyme known as hyaluronidase can partially or completely dissolve hyaluronic acid dermal fillers within 24 hours. Restylane is among the easiest HA fillers to dissolve.
Because hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the body, there is little chance of an allergic reaction from the treatment.
Studies from several research centers found that hyaluronic acid fillers help reduce muscle tension that causes fine lines and wrinkles, so ongoing treatments can help patients look younger over time.
Cons
Hyaluronic acid fillers such as Restylane are temporary; results usually last 6 to 12 months, depending on the type used and how your body metabolizes it.
While this makes them a good option for patients who do not want to commit to a longer lasting change, it also means that you will need maintenance treatments to maintain results over time.
As with any injection, slight bruising and swelling can occur.
Restylane injections (and other fillers) cannot treat sagging skin and are not a substitute for a surgical facelift. This treatment option works best for people who have lost facial volume but still have good skin elasticity.
“Las principales marcas de rellenos de ácido hialurónico incluyen Juvéderm, Teoxane RHA, Belotero y Restylane, cada una con diferentes fórmulas diseñadas para tratar áreas específicas del rostro. Estos rellenos ofrecen resultados inmediatos para suavizar arrugas, dar volumen y mejorar contornos faciales, con efectos que duran entre 6 y 24 meses dependiendo del producto.”
