Dermal Fillers
in Dubai

Cheeks

The cheek is the area where filler changes the whole face, because the mid-face supports everything below it. When the fat pad over the cheekbone shrinks with age, the cheek flattens, the nasolabial fold deepens and a hollow appears under the eye. A firm gel placed deep on the bone, such as Juvederm Voluma or Restylane Lyft, restores that support. Many patients then need less filler in the fold and under the eye, or none at all.

One syringe per side is the usual dose. We treat the lateral cheekbone for lift and the front of the cheek for fullness, and we inject less in a round face than in a narrow one. Cheek filler is the longest lasting of all the areas because the gel sits still on bone.

Chin

Chin filler is one of the most searched filler treatments in Dubai, and the most common reason is a short or receding chin that makes the nose look larger and the neck less defined. Restylane Defyne and Juvederm Voluma are approved for chin augmentation; 1 ml projects the chin forward and lengthens the lower face by a few millimetres. A second millilitre is sometimes added at the 2-week review to sharpen the jaw angle.

The chin has a coarse blood supply and the gel is placed on the bone, so bruising is rare and the result lasts 9 months or longer in most patients.

Temples

Hollow temples are the sign of ageing that people notice least and feel most: the eyebrow tail drops, the eyes look smaller and the upper face looks skeletal in photographs. Filler placed deep in the temple, 0.5 to 1 ml per side, restores the smooth line from forehead to cheekbone. The temple carries large vessels, so we inject with a cannula or on the bone in one slow pass.

Nasolabial folds

The fold from the nose to the corner of the mouth is our second most booked filler after lips. We treat it with a flexible gel, Belotero Balance, Restylane Refyne or Juvederm Vollure, that bends when you smile instead of showing as a ridge. If the fold is caused by a flat cheek, we recommend cheek filler first, because filling the fold alone can make the face look heavier. One syringe treats both sides.

Tear trough

The tear trough is the groove that runs from the inner corner of the eye across the cheek and casts a shadow that concealer cannot cover. It is the most technical area on this page. The skin is the thinnest on the face, the gel must be soft and low in water uptake, and the vessels lie close. We use Teosyal Redensity 2, Restylane or Belotero, injected with a cannula in small amounts. Filler does not help dark pigmentation or a puffy fat pad; we tell you at the consultation if your under-eye concern is one of those.

Neckline and fine lines

Horizontal neck lines respond to a thin, soft gel threaded along each line. The same technique, called blanching because the skin whitens briefly as the gel goes in, softens fine lines around the mouth and on the cheeks that are visible at rest. Belotero, Restylane and Teosyal all make a product for this depth.

Lips

The three brands we use and how they differ

All three brands are hyaluronic acid gels, and all three come with lidocaine in the syringe. The difference is how the gel is cross-linked, which decides how firm it is and how it spreads.

• Juvederm (Allergan): Voluma is approved for cheeks, chin and temples, Volux for the jawline, Vollure for nasolabial folds, Volbella for lips and under-eye hollows. Volbella and Ultra are labelled to last up to 1 year in the lips. - Restylane (Galderma): Lyft is approved for cheeks, chin, nasolabial folds and hands; Defyne for deep folds and chin; Refyne for folds that move; Contour for cheeks and temples; Eyelight for under-eye hollows. Restylane gels are firmer and spread less, which suits the chin and cheekbone. - Belotero (Merz): Balance is approved for nasolabial folds, the tear trough, marionette lines and lines around the mouth, and Volume for the cheeks. Both are labelled for up to 18 months. Belotero integrates evenly into thin skin, which is why we choose it for fine lines and the neck.

For the tear trough we also use Teosyal Redensity 2 from Teoxane. Every syringe comes from the official UAE distributor, and we show you the box, batch number and distributor paperwork on request.

Filler or Botox

Filler adds volume; botulinum toxin relaxes muscle. A fold or hollow that is there even when your face is still needs filler. Many patients combine the two, 1 to 2 weeks apart. Our guide on dermal fillers or Botox covers the choice concern by concern.

Filler or a collagen stimulator

Sculptra and Radiesse are not hyaluronic acid. They provoke your own collagen over 2 to 3 months; Radiesse lasts 6 to 12 months and Sculptra 1 to 3 years, but neither can be dissolved and neither gives immediate shape. Hyaluronic acid filler is the right choice when you want to see the result the same day, when the area is the tear trough or lips, or when you want the option to reverse it.

Filler or a skin booster

A skin booster is hyaluronic acid too, but barely cross-linked, so it hydrates the skin rather than lifting it. It treats crepey texture, dullness and fine lines across the whole face. It does not build a cheekbone or a chin. Patients often have a booster 2 to 4 weeks after filler to improve the skin over the new contour.

Filler or skin tightening

Loose skin along the jaw and neck is a skin problem, not a volume problem. Adding filler to loose skin makes the face heavier. For laxity we use energy devices such as ClearLift laser, and we recommend them instead of filler when the consultation shows that skin, not volume, is the issue.

Why hyaluronic acid is reversible

Hyaluronidase is the enzyme your body uses to break down its own hyaluronic acid. Injected into filler, it dissolves the gel within 24 to 48 hours. This makes hyaluronic acid the only filler type that can be corrected or removed at will, and it is why we do not offer permanent fillers. Read how long hyaluronic acid fillers last for the timeline area by area.

Before your appointment

Tell us about every medicine and supplement you take. Warfarin, aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E, fish oil, St John's wort, garlic and ginger supplements all increase bruising; pause the non-prescribed ones for 5 to 7 days if you can, and never stop a prescribed blood thinner without asking the doctor who prescribed it. Skip alcohol for 24 hours before.

Book filler at least 2 weeks away from dental work, vaccines and other injections, because bacteria from dental procedures can seed an infection around fresh filler. If you get cold sores and want treatment near the mouth, start your antiviral tablets the day before. Come with clean skin and no makeup on the area.

After your appointment

For 24 hours: no gym, sauna, steam room, sunbathing or alcohol, and sleep on your back with your head raised. Do not press, massage or rub the area for 3 days unless your doctor asks you to shape it. Makeup can go on the same day once the injection points have closed. Cool compresses for 10 minutes at a time reduce swelling. Wait 2 weeks before facials, laser or radiofrequency on the same area.

Swelling peaks on day 2 and settles over 7 to 14 days; the tear trough and lips swell most. Bruises fade within 2 weeks and cover with makeup after 24 hours. Small firm spots along the injection line are normal in the first days and soften by the review. Book an important event at least 2 weeks after treatment.

Side effects and when to contact us

Expected effects are swelling, redness, tenderness, bruising and itching at the injection points. They clear within 7 to 14 days; manufacturers report that most resolve within 30 days.

Uncommon effects are a lump that persists past 2 weeks, uneven filling, a bluish tint through thin skin under the eye, and infection. All of these are treatable: a lump can be massaged or dissolved, unevenness corrected at the review, and infection treated with antibiotics. Delayed swelling weeks or months later, often after a flu or a vaccine, is rare and settles with treatment.

The serious effect is vascular occlusion: filler entering an artery and cutting off blood supply. Signs are skin that turns white, grey or blotchy purple, pain out of proportion to the injection, or any change in vision. It needs hyaluronidase within hours. Contact us the same day, at any time, and go to an emergency department if your vision changes. Our guide on dermal filler side effects lists the normal reactions and the urgent signs side by side.

Who should not have dermal fillers

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding; we postpone treatment. - Anyone under 22, the approved age for hyaluronic acid fillers. - Allergy to hyaluronic acid or lidocaine, or a history of anaphylaxis. - An active cold sore, acne flare, eczema or psoriasis in the area, or any current infection. - A bleeding disorder, or blood thinners that your prescriber will not pause. - Permanent or unknown filler already in the same area. - Uncontrolled autoimmune disease or immunosuppression, until your specialist agrees. - Dental work, vaccination or surgery in the last 2 weeks.

Our care standards

Evolution Aesthetics Clinic holds DHA Polyclinic License 6000514. Our two filler doctors are DHA-licensed and work within their approved scope. Every syringe of Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero and Teosyal is original product from the official UAE distributor, stored as the manufacturer requires, and we are happy to show you the paperwork. Hyaluronidase is kept in the clinic for corrections and emergencies.