Voluma

Frequently Asked Questions On Juvéderm Voluma

• What is Voluma made of?

  Voluma is a dermal filler that uses a silky-smooth gel made from hyaluronic acid (HA), which is a naturally-occurring substance in the skin and body that serves many functions, including moisturization and joint lubrication. It has many medical uses outside of cosmetic treatments (including osteoarthritis treatment and certain eye surgeries), but is commonly used in dermal fillers and some skincare products. Voluma contains a specific configuration of bacterially-fermented, non-animal derived hyaluronic acid using Allergan’s VYCROSS technology that molecularly cross-links the HA so that it requires a lower concentration to be used, which results in a smoother substance, longer results, and less discomfort and swelling. Voluma and some other HA dermal fillers— including Juvéderm’s XC line of injectables— also contain lidocaine, which is a common local anesthetic that is most often used in dentistry and ophthalmology, and helps to ease discomfort as the filler is placed and afterward. This can be especially important for sensitive areas like those around the mouth and lips, which can be susceptible to itching or minor pain during the first week or so. For added comfort, we can supply an additional topical anesthetic at your injection site in order to ensure you get the best, most accurate results.

• How is Voluma different from other dermal fillers?

  Voluma is a hyaluronic acid filler, like many of the most popular fillers on the market today, including Restylane and Juvederm. Voluma is manufactured by Allergan, the makers of Botox, Juvederm, Volbella, and Vollure. However, Voluma is most similar to Lyft.

  Voluma has a unique cross-linking structure, called VYCROSS technology. The unique linking structure gives Voluma durability and firmness with a bouncy, lifting effect. It’s best-used when injected deep into the face, and is often injected directly on top of the bone to create a lifting effect. Voluma is therefore best-suited to treatments like lifting the cheeks, filling in and lifting temples, creating structure in the upper lip, chin augmentation, and non-surgical nose contouring, because these treatments require a firm product to match the feel of the surrounding tissues.

  Voluma’s unique cross-linked structure also lend it added durability by protecting the hyaluronic acid molecules from premature metabolism. For this reason, Voluma can last from 1.5 to 2 years, where other dermal fillers can last up to 1 year or less.

• How many syringes of Voluma do you need for cheeks?

  Juvederm Voluma is a dermal filler that was created in order to add lift and volume back to the cheek area to restore a more youthful shape to the face while and minimizing wrinkles and creases. The results from Voluma are immediately noticeable and can last for up to two years.

  All patients will have varying degrees of volume loss as well as unique aesthetic goals which is why we recommend that patient’s schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our cosmetic physician injectors. They will assess your degree of volume loss and take your goals into account before making their recommendations. In general, an average amount of Voluma is 1-2 syringes per cheek.

• Can Voluma be used under eyes?

  It could, but it definitely shouldnt be. Voluma is a very stiff, bouncy, lifting filler and that could create problems in 2 ways: Voluma could become visible through the thinner-than-usual skin under the eyes, creating weird lumps and bumps (this is why Voluma is injected deep into tissues of the face and never superficially). Voluma creates lift in the areas where its injected – and too much lift under the eyes could create a puffy, unnatural look Now, sometimes you will see the undereye of a patient improve after having had Voluma injected, but that Voluma is injected into the cheeks. When that’s the case, what was happening is a deflated and heavy cheek was pulling downward, creating jowls, and distorting the undereye. Typically this is not just aging, but also some weight fluctuations that lead to this kind of change. Lifting and supporting that cheek with Voluma, will release the weight on the undereye, and allow it to return to its natural shape, and if it was naturally not indented, this will fix the problem.

• Can Voluma help with jowls?

  Yes – both with aging and weight loss, we will often lose some of the fat in our cheekbones. This causes the cheek’s skin to fall downward and in towards the mouth, creating the beginnings of jowls. Over time, the skin and muscles on the cheeks below will be strained and start to lose more of their elasticity and fall deeper and deeper into the jowls, and when that happens, really only surgery can fix it. But most patients between the ages of 40 and 60 can see significant improvement in jowls with Voluma injections.

• Do you swell after Voluma?

  You can have swelling after Voluma, though most patients do not have visible swelling. This is because Voluma is injected so deeply that the top layers of the skin don’t really get too bothered by the process, and so swelling is almost never noticeable. However, some patients do feel the swelling in the form of mild tenderness for a day or so after.

• How do you get rid of Juvederm Voluma?

  Like all hyaluronic acid(HA) fillers, Voluma can be dissolved by injecting hyaluronidase (also called hylanex). Voluma is more difficult to dissolve when compared to other fillers, because its cross-linking structure protects it from breaking down (that’s also why it lasts longer than other fillers). For that reason, you’ll want an experienced dissolver of Voluma, if you decide to go that route, because there’s a fine line between enough to dissolve your Voluma, and not too much to dissolve your natural HA. Voluma is probably one of the most common dissolve requests we see, and if you’re curious about the process, we recommend you watch a video testimonial from a real Reflections patient:

• How often can you get Voluma?

  There’s really no reason you can’t get Voluma as frequently as you want, provided that you’re not going beyond a reasonable amount. We do recommend you don’t re-treat the same area for at least 2 weeks because there is a small possibility during the two-week window that swelling could be interfering with the visible results.

• How quickly does Voluma work?

  Voluma works immediately. In fact, most patients walk out of the office thrilled with the instant results they have from Voluma.

• Is Voluma hyaluronic acid?

  Yes, Voluma is a unique formulation of cross-linked hyaluronic acid (HA) molecules.

• Is Voluma more expensive than Juvederm?

  Yes, Voluma is more expensive for any doctor to buy from the manufacturer than Juvederm, and so that’s why its more expensive for the patient, as well.

• Is Voluma good for lips?

  We don’t inject Voluma into the red part of the lips for lip augmentation, but it can be really helpful for firming up the skin-tone upper portion of the lip for those with deep lip lines and a loss of support for that skin.

• Is one syringe of Voluma enough for cheeks?

  Most patients won’t see a big difference from just 1 syringe of Voluma in their cheeks. 1 syringe of filler is equivalent to 1/5 of a teaspoon, so splitting that between your cheeks is only going to offer a small tweak in your appearance. However, most patients are very happy with 2-4 syringes in their cheeks, and that can be broken up across several appointments if you prefer to keep your transformation as discreet and affordable as possible. This is exactly the sort of thing we love to discuss when creating treatment plans during the free consultation.

• How long does Voluma XC last in cheeks?

  Juvederm Voluma is a dermal filler that was created in order to add lift and volume back to the cheek area to restore a more youthful shape to the face while and minimizing wrinkles and creases. The results from Voluma are immediately noticeable and can last for up to two years.

• How long does Voluma really last?

  All patients will have varying degrees of volume loss as well as unique aesthetic goals which is why we recommend that patients schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our cosmetic physician injectors. They will assess your degree of volume loss and take your goals into account before making their recommendations.

• How much Voluma do you need for cheeks?

  In general, an average amount of Voluma is 1-2 syringes per cheek.