No good thing lasts forever, and beauty and youth do not deviate from this accepted maxim. Over time we age, our skin gets exposure to damaging environmental elements, we lose volume, collagen, skin elasticity, subcutaneous fat – the ultimate result of this progression is a tired and aged appearance. This does not have to be permanent however, because there is a way to fight back and restore what was lost. JUVÉDERM Volbella® XC can help you regain your beauty and youth with naturally beautiful results.
WHAT IS JUVEDERM VOLBELLA® XC?
JUVÉDERM Volbella® XC (familiarly known as Volbella) is an aesthetic injectable dermal filler that can soften, shape, and define your lips with subtlety and poise. As a member of the distinguished JUVÉDERM family of fillers, Volbella is supported by much success in the areas of smoothing lip lines, correcting asymmetry, and enhancing lips for that perfect pucker.
Volbella is a hyaluronic acid (HA) based filler that has the consistency of a smooth gel, and an unparalleled softness amongst fillers. HA is a naturally occurring in the body, and most importantly in the skin. Volbella utilizes a modified form of HA via Vycross® technology (which makes the material smooth versus granular, easily spreadable, and better for use in areas with thinner skin). HA works by absorbing water (making the skin softer and suppler), delivering nutrients to the skin, and volumizing treated areas.
WHY VOLBELLA AND HOW DOES IT WORK?
Volbella works by relying on the main ingredient, the HA, to smooth and enhance injected areas (as suggested by the name “filler”). While HA acts like a sponge, taking in moisture to expand and physically fill out fine lines and wrinkles, Volbella absorbs water less readily than its counterparts and therefore produces softer results. Volbella is the thinnest and softest of all the JUVÉDERM fillers, and therefore very valuable for particular purposes. Filler is administered via fine need injections to areas of interest, and is able to produce very natural and subtle results that mimic natural facial fullness
WHAT AREAS CAN VOLBELLA TREAT?
Volbella, as a thin and soft filler, is designed to smooth perioral lines (known as smokers lines or lipstick lines), the fine lines around the lips, and to softly augment the lips. Volbella is further able to correct lip asymmetry, subtly plump the lips, diminish marionette lines (those lines around the corners of the lips), and slightly contour the lips. Volbella can also be used to treat the tear-trough area under the eyes because it is soft and does not absorb water as readily as its counterparts. This filler is excellent for treating delicate areas than need an aesthetic boost.
WHAT ARE THE CREDENTIALS OF VOLBELLA?
JUVÉDERM Volbella® XC is manufactured and sold by the illustrious pharmaceutical company, Allergan. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved Volbella for correction of perioral lines and injection into the lips for lip augmentation in June 2016, making it one of the newest additions to the JUVÉDERM family. In clinical trials, a majority of subjects effectively experienced a softening of lip lines and increase in lip fullness that was smooth in nature. This specific concern is well-addressed by this filler.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FROM JUVEDERM TREATMENT?
It is comforting to know what to expect with a treatment that includes needles in the face, so we have detailed pre- and post- treatment instructions below so our clients can come into their appointments confident and ready.
It is highly recommended to consult with one of our aesthetic professionals here at Lavande prior to booking your filler appointment. This is to determine the best course of action for your aesthetic needs, determine which filler is right for you and your skin type, and to prepare you for your filler appointment. In preparation, we ask that you abstain from taking bloodthinners or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as alcoholic drinks, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Advil, Aleve, Fish Oil, Vitamin E, and others) for a couples days before treatment. This will lower the possibility of thinner blood causing bleeding, bruising, and swelling during/following treatment. In addition, we here at Lavande will offer our filler clients complimentary Arnica, which is a natural oral medication that has anti-inflammatory properties and will further prevent the likelihood of bleeding, bruising, and swelling. This should also be taken starting a couple days before treatment.
When you come in for your treatment, if a personal evaluation synthesizing your medical history and aesthetic goals had not been completed before, it will be done at that time. We here at Lavande want to make sure you are a candidate for this treatment as well as confident about your decision to proceed with the injectable gel treatment. The treatment area will be examined by our skilled and knowledgeable practitioner before injection, and private “before” pictures will be taken for comparison purposes and kept in your profile. Once examined the treatment area will be prepared by being cleaned with antiseptics, and a topical BLT (Benzocaine, Lidocaine, Tetracaine) numbing agent will be applied to sit for 30 minutes.
During treatment, our provider will begin by determining the most strategic injection sites that adhere to your aesthetic goals and needs. Using a fine gauge needled syringe, our provider will skillfully and softly begin injecting small amounts over multiple injection sites, while pausing for short intervals of time between injections to allow for the lidocaine numbing agent present in the gel to take effect. Also in between injections, our provider may rub injection sites with their fingers to mold the desired result with the filler and make sure the gel is distributed evenly under the dermis. They will also provide clients with a mirror to watch the smoothing and plumping of their skin take effect in real time, as well as to provide constructive feedback. Finally, an ice pack will be provided to clients to apply until they get home, in order to minimize pain and swelling. In total, the treatment should take about 30-60 minutes, but we will book the full hour in order to assure that all client needs are met and all questions answered.
Recovery time following JUVÉDERM Volbella® XC treatment can be anywhere from a day to a week. Most people can resume daily activities following treatment, although they might have slight swelling immediately following treatment. Some clients develop bruises after about a day, and this can take anywhere from 3 days up to 5 days to subside. For the first 24 hours, it is recommended to avoid exposure to sunlight and high temperatures, and also to abstain from strenuous exercise and drinking alcohol, in order to evade any increase in redness, itching, swelling, and to avoid filler breakdown. Clients are advised to make a follow-up appointment for 1 month after filler treatment in order for our aesthetic professionals to examine treated areas and assure appropriate targeting of problem areas, evenness of treatment areas, and to determine whether more filler would be recommended.
WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO SEE VOLBELLA RESULTS?
Clients can watch the HA gel work its magic during the treatment, witnessing plumping and smoothing with a mirror provided by our practitioner. Improvement is visible immediately following treatment, however the full result will not be visible until about 4 weeks following treatment. This is because swelling inflates results right after treatment, and it takes time for the HA to absorb moisture and for new collagen to form. It will take about a month for swelling to go down, the material to fully settle, and collagen production to be to successful; only then will the final result be present and touchups can be pursued.
HOW LONG DOES VOLBELLA LAST?
A majority of subjects enjoyed results for up to 1 year in the clinical trials (this longevity is due to patented Vycross® technology). However, results will vary for clients depending on multiple unique factors including their metabolism (how fast their body naturally breaks down the material), their aesthetic goals, and more. Most people experience the benefits of Volbella for about 1 year to 18 months, after which they are welcome to get additional injections for maintenance, cumulative benefits, and prolonged benefits. Due to the long-term benefits of collagen production, future treatments can be less frequent and may require less filler to achieve the same result.