"Aren't all fillers basically the same?"
"Wouldn't the result be similar even at a cheaper place?"
This is what comes up first when people start looking into filler.
Hello, I'm Kwon Si-jin, Director of DA Clinic Myeongdong ^^
We're getting ready to open our doors in Myeongdong soon, and since so many people have been asking about fillers ahead of our opening, I wanted to put this together for your information first.
Today isn't a piece recommending a clinic. It sets out three things worth confirming in consultation wherever you go.
Do they explain why this formulation for this area?
Most fillers share the same ingredient — hyaluronic acid (HA).But even with the same ingredient, products differ in particle size and firmness.
Firmer products go where form has to be supported, such as the nose or chin; softer ones where the skin is thin and mobile, such as under the eyes or the lips.
That's why a product that's too firm under the eyes can clump or show through with a bluish cast.
So ask in consultation, "why this product for this area?" If the product name comes with a reason, you can generally rest easy.
One thing to add: even in the same area, how deep it goes divides the result.A product meant to sit shallow placed deep blurs the effect; one meant to sit deep placed shallow shows through.Product and depth are decided as a pair.
Do they know the higher-risk areas?
The most important concern with fillers isn't lumpiness — it's blood vessels.
If injected material enters a vessel, or compresses one so blood can't circulate, the skin can be damaged, and rarely vision problems have been reported. The glabella, nose and under-eye in particular are the areas on the face described as carrying higher risk.
Check two things.
- Whether the risk areas are explained first, before the treatment
- Whether the agent that dissolves filler (hyaluronidase) is immediately available
This isn't meant to alarm you. The probability is low, but it's a point where preparedness differs, so it's worth asking.
If after the treatment the skin turns pale, the pain worsens, or your vision blurs, don't sit on it — contact where you had the treatment immediately. In these cases time decides the outcome.
Do they tell you whether it can be reversed?
Surprisingly many people have this done without knowing.
- Hyaluronic acid (HA) filler — reversible with a dissolving agent
- Non-HA families (calcium, PDLLA, PCL and so on) — not dissolved by the same agent
This doesn't mean non-HA is bad. They're products used to stimulate collagen production and improve the skin.But you should know in advance that your options differ if you're unhappy with the result.
The timing of the result differs too.What fills shows on the day, in proportion to what went in; what builds fills in slowly over several weeks.Having this treatment without knowing that makes "it isn't working" an easy misreading.
If it's your first time, starting with the reversible side may sit easier.
What matters more than volume
A question that comes up often in consultation is "how many cc?"
Volume matters, of course, but something comes before it: where, at what depth, and in what order.
The same volume placed first where support is needed and then tidied above gives a different result from filling the visible shadow first.The latter shows early but tends to look heavy over time.
So for a first time, putting in less and adding if it falls short is usually advised as the safer order.Judging after the swelling has dropped is also more accurate.
What to watch differs by area
Even with the same filler, what needs attention changes by area.Let me pick out the areas people have done most.
- Under the eyesthe skin is thin, so a firm product placed shallow can show through with a bluish cast. And what looks like a hollow is sometimes a shadow cast by fat pushing forward, so filling makes it look heavier
- Lipsconstantly moving, so early swelling is the most pronounced. Starting small is safer
- Nose and glabellawhere vascular problems are most often mentioned. Do check the preparedness
- Nasolabial foldsan area of expression, so it takes a little longer to settle
- Chin and foreheadform has to be supported, so relatively firm products come up
To put it together, the broad direction is the thinner and more mobile, the softer and the less, and the more support needed, the firmer.If what you're told runs against that direction, it's fine to ask why.
There's no need to rush in these cases
Honestly, if the cause is sagging rather than hollowing, filling alone may leave you wanting.
Adding more filler to a shadow created by a descending cheek can make the face look heavier instead.What needs looking at here isn't filling but lifting.
And please tell us in advance if any of the following apply.
- Inflammation or infection in the treatment area
- Taking medication that thins the blood — the bruising risk rises
- An important date within two weeks
In my experience, a place that says "another method would suit you better than filler" tends to be the more trustworthy one.
How the day itself goes
First-timers tend to be more nervous simply for not knowing how the day runs.
- Consultation and mappinglooking in the mirror together to decide where and how much to fill. Checking while you make expressions is more accurate
- Anaesthesiaanaesthetic cream or a local block, depending on the area
- Injectiongenerally described as ten to thirty minutes depending on the area
- Reviewrefining while checking the balance. Watch whether this is done sitting up; assessed only lying down, it differs from how you actually look
Swelling generally rises from that evening and is most pronounced the following morning.Looking puffier the next day than on the day itself is the natural course.
Daily life is generally fine from the next day, but allow around two weeks for the shape to settle.If you have an important date, leave that much room.
- Not which product at what price, but why this formulation
- Check that they know the risky areas
- Ask in advance whether it can be reversed
Frequently asked questions
Q. How long does filler last?
A. It depends on the product, the area, and whether it's somewhere that moves a lot. HA filler is generally described as several months to one or two years, but individual variation is large. Checking against the product actually used is more accurate.
Q. Which is better, domestic or imported?
A. Far more important than where it's made is whether the formulation suits that area. There are refined domestic products, and an imported one that doesn't suit the area gives a disappointing result all the same.
Q. It feels lumpy — what should I do?
A. Don't massage firmly. Early swelling and a genuine lump need separating, and the responses differ. If something still feels firm after two weeks, it's safer to have it checked where you had it done.
Q. Does repeated filler stretch the skin?
A. No evidence of that has been established.But repeatedly filling beyond what's needed can make the shape look heavy, so looking at the plan matters more than the volume.
Q. What should I prepare before the treatment?
A. The medications and supplements you take, a record of previous treatments, and one or two photos in natural light are enough.What filler you had, and where, bears directly on this plan.
Q. Can I have filler and Botox together?
A. They target different things, so they're sometimes planned together. Order and interval are safer settled in consultation.
What to check after you've had it
The treatment being over isn't the end of it. Take two things away with you.
First, what went in, where, and how much today.Note the product name, area and volume and it carries straight into your next consultation.Adding without knowing what remains makes it easy to overdo.
Second, who to contact if something looks wrong.It's better to confirm how to reach them at night or at weekends too. Vascular problems are rare, but they're a case where time decides the outcome, and time lost searching for a number is the most wasteful of all.
Whether a place takes care of these two is, in truth, as important a measure as the first three.
Why this texture for this area
Gather up everything to this point and it comes to this.
With fillers, choosing by "why this formulation for this area" is safer than choosing by "which product, at what price."
If you see it a little differently now than before you read, I'm glad.
DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon.We'll share news of our opening and treatment information first on our blog and Instagram ^^
Thanks for reading all the way through.Director Kwon Si-jin, DA Clinic Myeongdong.
This column is an informational article meant to provide general medical information, and the effects and side effects of treatments may vary by individual. DA Clinic Myeongdong is set to open soon. (Medical Service Act Art. 56)