Face Fillers: Your Ultimate Guide to Treatments and Costs
Simon Ourian, M.D., whose Beverly Hills clinic Epione is particularly popular for injectables, counts lips as one of his most-requested treatments. He estimates the average cost at $2,900 to $4,900. “Fillers can be charged by units or by area,” he says. “In my practice, we charge by area to achieve the desired look each patient wants instead of limiting them to a certain amount of units per area.” That pricing model may also be due to the fact that he compounds his own formations with FDA-approved fillers. “For a more youthful, plumped appearance, I use a combination a of hydrophilic-based fillers and a non-hydrophilic formula to create a more defined appearance for areas such as the lip boarders,” he says.
Dendy Engelman, M.D. prefers a thinner, softer product made from hyaluronic acid like Juvederm Volbella for lips. In her clinic, they charge by the syringe, so based on the amount of product you need, the starting price is typically $1,000 to $1,400. (And FYI, to get the look most influencers have, it’s typically two to three syringes, if not more.)
Cheeks
Want more lifted and sculpted cheekbones? There’s filler for that. But the midface is an area where you might see a cannula more commonly used than a needle. “Cannulas are blunt-tipped thin tubes used for filler placement,” says Weiser. Because they lack the sharp tip of a needle, they’re less likely to be inserted directly into a blood vessel, causing potential complications that can be as severe as blindness. “The one drawback of the cannula is that they are not quite as precise as needles so occasionally more product volume is needed, or the result may be slightly less exact than intended,” she adds. “Many experienced providers choose to use a combination of cannula for large scale injections and than a needle for the fine and more precise aspects.”
Your dermatologist or plastic surgeon will apply or inject a local anesthetic to the treated area, create an opening with a needle, and slide the cannula in. As for the technique and cost, that depends on the result you want. “The midface loses fat and structural support from the cheekbone resulting in a flattening and shadowing of your cheek,” says Weiser. “Filler can be used along the cheekbone to a more youthful contour to your cheeks.” She estimates that this type of midface injection can cost around $1,200, and typically those getting this treatment tend to be older and have already lost volume in their cheeks due to aging. But, again, if you want the “Instagram face” look, there’s also the option to contour your cheeks, creating a sharper, lifted cheekbone instead of making your midface look fuller. Expect that to start around $650.
Temples
Temples are another area of the face that will lose fat and become hollow over time, according to Weiser. You likely won’t need too much product here, but pricing also factors in complexity of treatment. “Treating a temple hollow could cost $1,500 or more,” she says. This is one of those “no-filler filler” treatments where if done correctly, it won’t look like you’ve had any work done. Currently, this isn’t an FDA-approved use, although licensed practitioners do often use injectibles off-label (like jaw Botox for teeth grinding).
Jawline
Some patients ask for jawline filler in order to compensate for loss of bone structure over time, while others simply want to sculpt a more angular profile. Ourian cites jawline contouring as the most popular treatment in his clinic. “For a chiseled appearance, I created a calcium-based and hyaluronic acid formula,” he says, estimating the cost tends range between $3,900 to $5,900. (Note again, that this is off-label use.)