Dermal Fillers Guide

What Are Dermal Fillers?

Dermal fillers are injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) gels that rebuild volume, define facial contours, and soften the lines and hollows that appear as the face ages. At Luxe Forté in Cherry Creek, Denver, all filler work is performed by an experienced RN injector.

Unlike neuromodulators (Botox, Dysport), which relax muscles to smooth dynamic wrinkles, fillers work by adding actual structural volume - restoring what gravity, collagen loss, and natural fat atrophy take away over time. The result is immediate: you see the lift the moment you sit up from the treatment chair.

Dermal Fillers vs. Lip Fillers - Why We Treat Them as Two Different Things

A quick but important distinction. Dermal fillers and lip fillers are both HA injectables, but they're chemically different products designed for different tissue.

Dermal fillers - Juvéderm Voluma, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Contour, and similar - are firmer, more cross-linked formulations that can provide actual structural lift in the cheeks, jawline, and chin. Lip-specific fillers - Juvéderm Volbella, Restylane Kysse, Revanesse Versa Lips - are softer, more hydrophilic, and designed to integrate with lip tissue that moves constantly.

We never cross-use them. Dermal filler in lips gives you the stiff, unnaturally firm result people rightly associate with "bad filler." Lip filler in cheeks doesn't hold the lift you need there. For lip-specific treatment, see our Lip Fillers Guide. The rest of this guide is about everything that isn't lips.

What We Treat (and Where)

Our most-requested dermal filler treatment areas:

• Cheeks. The midface is the foundation of a lifted, youthful face. Restoring cheek projection lifts the nasolabial folds and jowls above it without directly treating them. It's the highest-leverage filler area.
• Jawline and chin. A defined jawline and balanced chin projection give the lower face structure. Filler along the mandibular border and anterior chin rebuilds that frame non-surgically.
• Tear troughs. The hollows under the eyes that create a tired, drawn appearance. Corrected with a light-touch filler placed deep to the orbital bone. Technique-sensitive - only for experienced injectors.
• Nasolabial folds and marionette lines. The lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth, and the lines extending downward from the mouth corners. Soften beautifully without freezing natural expression.
• Temples. As temporal fat pads atrophy with age, the temples hollow. Filler restores the fullness that frames the upper face.
• Chin projection. Especially in profile, a deficient chin can make the jawline and neck look less defined. Small-volume filler lengthens and sharpens the profile.

The Products We Use

We work from two primary HA families, chosen for the specific area and outcome:

• Juvéderm (Voluma, Vollure). Allergan's family of HA fillers built on Vycross technology. Voluma is our workhorse for cheek projection; Vollure handles mid-depth lines like nasolabial folds.
• Restylane (Lyft, Defyne, Refyne, Contour). Galderma's HA family. Lyft for cheek volume, Defyne and Refyne for dynamic areas that need flex, Contour for structured jawline work.

The "best" filler is the one matched to the area and the goal. Your injector selects product per area during your consultation based on what your anatomy needs.

Who Is a Good Candidate?

Strong candidates for dermal fillers:

• Adults in generally good health
• Volume loss, deepening lines, or hollowing concerns
• Want non-surgical correction
• Realistic expectations - subtle enhancement, not transformation
• Not pregnant or breastfeeding

Come back another day if you have active cold sores, active skin infection in the treatment area, or an autoimmune flare. We reschedule rather than risk complications.

What Happens During Your Appointment

Plan on 30 to 45 minutes depending on how many areas are being treated:

• Consultation and treatment planning with your injector
• Topical numbing applied and left for 15 to 20 minutes. The filler itself contains lidocaine, so the sensation softens after the first placement
• Injection with either a fine-gauge needle or a microcannula (blunt-tipped) depending on the area. Microcannula reduces bruising risk and is often preferred for tear troughs, jawline, and larger-volume cheek work
• Results are visible immediately

You may leave with some mild asymmetry from swelling. That resolves over the following 24 to 48 hours as the filler settles.

Aftercare and Downtime

For 24 to 48 hours after your appointment:

• Avoid pressing on, massaging, or sleeping face-down on treated areas
• Skip intense exercise, saunas, and hot yoga
• No facials or aggressive skincare for about a week

Bruising is possible - particularly in the tear trough and jawline. We reduce risk by asking you to avoid blood-thinning medications (aspirin, high-dose fish oil) and alcohol for 48 hours before treatment.

Most clients return to normal activity the same day, including work. Makeup goes on the next morning. If you have a major event coming up, schedule filler at least two weeks out so the final shape has settled.

How Long Results Last

Most HA dermal fillers last 12 to 24 months, depending on:

• The product. Voluma and Lyft (the heavier lifting products) typically last longest - often 18+ months in cheeks. Vollure and Defyne in more mobile areas last 9 to 12 months.
• The area treated. Areas with more movement break down filler faster. Cheeks and temples last longest; nasolabial folds and marionette lines cycle more quickly.
• Your metabolism. Some clients simply metabolize HA faster than average.

Touch-ups at 9 to 12 months keep results consistent. Full replacement every 18 to 24 months is typical.

A Word About "Overfilled" Face Syndrome

The best filler work is work nobody notices except you. The worst is the tight, shiny, pillow-faced look that's become a well-known warning sign.

The difference is entirely the injector's restraint. Conservative injectors think in 0.5 mL increments, treat one area at a time, and say "that's enough for today" when the face balance is right - not when a syringe is empty. They build results over multiple appointments rather than trying to transform a face in one visit.

At Luxe Forté, every filler appointment is performed by a trained RN injector applying the same conservative philosophy and the same proportional judgment. That consistency is how we build results that look like you, just rested.

Book Dermal Fillers at Luxe Forté in Cherry Creek, Denver

If you're considering fillers for the first time, or returning for maintenance, book a filler consultation at Luxe Forté. Your injector will walk you through which areas to address, which products fit your anatomy, and what realistic results look like for your face. We take a measured, area-by-area approach - and we'll tell you honestly if a treatment isn't right for what you're trying to accomplish.

For lip-specific treatment, see our Lip Fillers Guide.

Continue exploring

If you found this guide useful, here are related treatments worth understanding:

• Lip Fillers Guide
• Sculptra Guide
• SkinVive Treatment Guide