UVA Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
650 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 200, 2nd Floor
Charlottesville, VA 22911
Phone: (434) 924-5078
Monday–Friday | 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
We use these versatile products to rejuvenate and enhance facial feature by improving:
Not every facial concern is best treated with filler. Skin laxity, tissue descent, muscle activity, and skin texture may be better addressed with other nonsurgical treatments or surgery. Your provider will recommend filler only when it is likely to improve the underlying concern.
Dermal filler may be appropriate for adults who:
Your consultation includes a review of prior filler or facial procedures, medications, allergies, recent dental work or infections, and any history of inflammatory reactions. Your provider will also assess facial movement and the relationship among your features before recommending treatment.
Filler treatments are performed in the office. Depending on the treatment area and product, a topical anesthetic may be applied; many fillers also contain lidocaine. The filler is placed in small, controlled amounts with a fine needle or a flexible, blunt-tipped instrument called a cannula. Your provider may pause throughout the treatment to assess symmetry, contour, and facial balance. Treatment time varies with the number of areas being addressed.
Different fillers behave differently in the tissues. A softer, more flexible product may be preferred for a mobile area such as the lips, while a product with greater structural support may be selected for certain contouring goals. Product choice, amount, depth, and placement are individualized rather than determined by a one-size-fits-all formula.
At UVA Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, dermal filler treatments are provided by experienced plastic surgeons and advanced practice providers. Treatment plans emphasize facial anatomy, conservative product selection, careful injection technique, and thoughtful follow-up.
Yes. Dermal filler treatments may be combined with or coordinated around:
Timing matters, particularly when combining injectables with laser treatments, dental work, or surgery. Your provider will recommend an individualized sequence.
Most patients return to routine activities quickly, but swelling and bruising can be visible for several days and occasionally longer. The lips, in particular, may look noticeably swollen during the early recovery period after filler injections.
While recovery after filler injections varies with the specifics of each surgery and individual patient factors, it generally proceeds along the following timeline:
First 24-48 Hours
Weeks 1-2
Long Term
Common side effects include bruising, redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, itching, temporary firmness, and contour irregularity. Less common complications include infection, nodules, delayed inflammatory reactions, discoloration, migration, or persistent asymmetry. Rarely, filler can enter or compress a blood vessel and reduce blood flow. Vascular occlusion can cause skin injury or tissue loss and, in very rare cases, visual impairment, blindness, or skin loss. These complications require urgent recognition and treatment. Your provider will review the risks that are specific to the product and treatment area being considered.
More filler is not always better. A conservative, staged approach often allows more precise assessment of proportion and helps preserve natural facial movement and expression.
Duration varies widely based on the filler used, treatment area, amount placed, facial movement, and individual metabolism. Some temporary fillers may last several months, while others can persist for a year or longer.
Hyaluronic acid fillers, including such as JUVÉDERM and Restylane, can often be reduced or dissolved with injections of hyaluronidase when clinically appropriate. Other filler materials may not be readily reversible, which is one reason product selection is important.
Filler adds or restores volume and supports facial contours. BOTOX and other neuromodulators temporarily reduce selected muscle activity. They treat different components of facial aging and may be used together.
The goal is a balanced result that fits your face. Treatment can be performed gradually, and your provider may recommend reassessing after swelling resolves before adding more product.
Some HA filler can be adjusted or dissolved, but reversal is still a medical treatment with its own limitations and risks. It is preferable to begin with a careful plan and conservative amounts.
Contact your treatment team promptly for severe or increasing pain, unusual blanching or dusky skin color, rapidly worsening swelling, fever, drainage, new visual symptoms, or any other concerning change. Visual symptoms or signs of compromised blood flow require urgent evaluation.
To learn more about dermal filler treatments at UVA Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Charlottesville, request a consultation with one of our providers using the online form or call (434) 924-5078 to schedule an appointment.
Reviewed for clinical accuracy by an UVA Aesthetic Plastic Surgery Medical Editor on October 2nd, 2026.
