Juvederm in NYC

Leah holding a syringe with a gloved hand

Juvederm is a family of hyaluronic acid dermal fillers made by Allergan. The products in it differ in how the gel is made, which is what makes one suitable for the lip and another for the cheek. Leah Corredora, PA-C assesses your goals, selects the product and performs the injections at the Manhattan practice. Like all hyaluronic acid fillers, it can be dissolved if the result is not what you wanted.

What Juvederm is

Juvederm is a brand of hyaluronic acid filler. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar molecule the body already makes, found in skin and connective tissue, where it binds water and gives tissue volume and resilience. In a filler it is cross-linked into a gel so that it holds its shape and lasts rather than being broken down within days.

The amount and type of cross-linking is what separates one Juvederm product from another. A softer, more fluid gel spreads and integrates and suits thin skin and fine work. A firmer gel resists deformation and holds projection, which is what a cheek or a chin needs. Choosing the wrong one for the job is a more common cause of a poor result than the amount used.

Juvederm fillers are FDA-approved and are temporary. The gel is broken down by the body over months to a couple of years depending on the product and the area, and treatment is repeated to maintain the result.

The products in the Juvederm range

Each product in the range is formulated for a particular kind of job:

Juvederm Voluma XC is a firm gel formulated for cheek augmentation, to address age-related volume loss in the midface, and for chin augmentation.
Juvederm Volux XC is the firmest in the range and is formulated for definition along the jawline.
Juvederm Ultra XC and Ultra Plus XC are used for lip augmentation and for the folds running from the nose to the corners of the mouth.
Juvederm Volbella XC is a thin gel formulated for subtle lip volume and for the fine vertical lines around the mouth.
Juvederm Vollure XC is formulated for the folds and creases around the mouth, with a longer duration than the older products in that role.

The letters XC mean the product contains lidocaine, which makes the injection more comfortable. Lidocaine does not affect how long the filler lasts. If you are allergic to lidocaine, say so at consultation, since it changes which products can be used.

Which product your clinician uses depends on the area, your tissue and what you want changed. Treatment plans often combine more than one.

What it is used for

The common uses are restoring volume to the midface, softening the folds around the mouth, adding projection to the chin, defining the jawline, and shaping the lips.

Treating the midface first often does more for the folds beside the mouth than treating the folds themselves, because those folds are partly a consequence of volume having moved down and away from the cheek. That is one reason the consultation looks at the whole face rather than at the line you came in about.

Filler is not a treatment for loose skin. Where laxity is the dominant finding, adding volume produces a heavier face rather than a younger one, and surgery or an energy-based treatment is the better answer.

The consultation

Your clinician assesses volume, skin quality, laxity and proportion across the whole face, then sets out a plan.

A review of your medical history, medicines and allergies, including lidocaine allergy and any autoimmune condition
A record of any filler you have had before, what was used, where and when
A plan naming which areas would be treated and with which product
A clear statement of what will change and what will not

A medical aesthetics consultation with Leah Corredora, PA-C is $100, collected to reserve your time and credited toward any procedure.

What the treatment is like

Most appointments take between fifteen and forty-five minutes depending on how many areas are treated.

The skin is cleaned and the plan is marked out
A topical numbing cream is applied, and the products containing lidocaine add to that
The filler is placed with a fine needle or a blunt cannula depending on the region
The result is shaped and reviewed with you sitting upright

Your clinician uses a blunt cannula rather than a needle in some regions because it is less likely to enter a blood vessel, which is the complication that matters most in filler treatment.

Juvederm recovery and how long results last

There is no real downtime, but swelling and the possibility of bruising should be planned for.

Swelling is normal for two to three days and is most noticeable in the lips
Bruises fade over a week to ten days and can be covered with makeup after the first day
Avoid strenuous exercise, alcohol and heat for the first day
Use acetaminophen rather than an NSAID for discomfort
Leave two weeks before judging the final result

How long a result lasts depends on the product and the area. Firmer products placed in the midface and chin generally last longest; lip treatment, in an area that moves constantly, goes first.

Safety and risks

Common side effects are local and short-lived: swelling, bruising, redness, tenderness, firmness and small lumps in the first days after treatment.

The serious risk is injection into or compression of a blood vessel, which can interrupt the blood supply to an area of skin. In rare cases involving vessels around the eye and nose this has caused vision loss or stroke. It is uncommon, and it is the reason anatomy, technique and the ability to recognize and treat the problem immediately matter more here than the choice of brand.

Because Juvederm is a hyaluronic acid filler, it can be dissolved with hyaluronidase. That matters both as an emergency measure and as a way to reverse a result you are not happy with.

Lumps or nodules can appear later as well as immediately, sometimes after an illness, a vaccination or dental work. Tell your clinician about any autoimmune condition, bleeding problem, medicine acting as a blood thinner, active infection or skin condition at the site, and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Filler is not given during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

What determines the cost of Juvederm

Juvederm is priced by the amount of product used, so the cost follows from how much your plan calls for rather than from how long the appointment takes.

How many syringes are needed
Which products are used, since they are priced differently
How many areas are treated, and whether the plan is staged across visits
Whether a neuromodulator or another treatment is combined at the same visit

You are given an exact figure at consultation before anything is booked. Dr. Smith is out of network with all insurance plans, and the practice helps patients use out-of-network benefits toward care; cosmetic treatment is not covered. Financing is available through CareCredit and Alphaeon Credit. A medical aesthetics consultation with Leah Corredora, PA-C is $100, collected to reserve your time and credited toward any procedure.

Common questions about Juvederm

How long does Juvederm last?

It depends on the product and the area. Firm products placed in the cheek or chin last longest, and lip treatment lasts the shortest time because the area moves constantly. Your clinician will give you a realistic expectation for your plan.

When will I see the result?

Immediately, but with swelling on top of it. The final shape is apparent at about two weeks, which is when any refinement is planned.

Can Juvederm be dissolved?

Yes. Hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acid fillers, so a result can be reversed or adjusted.

What is the difference between Juvederm and Restylane?

Both are hyaluronic acid filler families and both are used for similar purposes. They are made by different manufacturers using different cross-linking methods, which gives their gels different handling characteristics. The practical difference is which specific product suits a specific job, not which brand is better.

Does it hurt?

There is some discomfort. Topical numbing is used and the XC products contain lidocaine. Local anesthetic can be added for sensitive areas.

What does the XC in the name mean?

It means the product contains lidocaine for comfort during injection. It does not change how long the filler lasts.

Will I look overdone?

That comes from volume and placement rather than from the product. Your clinician treats conservatively and would rather stage a plan across appointments than place a large volume at once.

How much bruising should I expect?

Some patients bruise and some do not. Bruises typically fade over a week to ten days. Avoiding alcohol and anything acting as a blood thinner beforehand reduces the chance, and any decision to hold a prescribed medicine is made with the physician who prescribed it.

Can Juvederm be combined with Botox?

Yes, and the two are commonly planned together because they treat different things: filler replaces volume, and a neuromodulator relaxes the muscle producing a movement line.

What happens when it wears off?

The area gradually returns toward how it looked beforehand. Filler does not leave the tissue looser than it was.

Who performs the injections?

Leah Corredora, PA-C performs medical aesthetics injections at the Manhattan practice.