Question: As I’ve gotten older, my smile lines and puppet lines are getting deeper. The concept of a 5-year filler like Bellafill really appeals to me. I know of other patients in my age bracket who have started off with 5 syringes and have been very happy with their results. Since I am on a retirement budget, would one or two syringes of Bellafill be enough?

Answer: While there is no way to answer this question for your particular case without an in-person consultation, generally speaking, the older one gets, the more product one needs to rejuvenate their appearance. For instance, a 39 year old with deep lines might achieve full correction with just 1 or 2 filler syringes whereas at age 66, the same person might require 4 or 5 syringes to adequately treat the same areas. Understanding this is part of being a realistic patient with realistic expectations. A patient in their 70’s or 80’s should not expect to get a quick fix with a few syringes of Bellafill.

With each decade of aging, it is reasonable to expect to double the amount of filler you need. Because aging is an ongoing process that only gets faster with time, facial rejuvenation has to be a commitment on your part. People who eat right and exercise regularly are committed to their health. Similarly, a patient who wants to maintain an inner sense of well-being by looking their best must make a similar commitment to a facial rejuvenation regimen.

My average patient in their 60’s typically starts with 5 syringes of Bellafill due to their age. If the same patient chose to get a 1 year filler instead of a 5 year filler like Bellafill, they would likely need the same number of syringes. While naturally a 5 year filler costs more than a 1 year filler, since you have to keep refilling annually with a temporary filler, the 1 year filler ends up costing much much more in the long run than a 5 year filler.

The good news is that even though Bellafill typically lasts 5 times longer than Restylane or Juvederm, it ends up costing only about 30-40% more than a 1 year filler. This makes Bellafill much more cost effective than most temporary fillers and a much better facial rejuvenation investment.
The real question is how much of a commitment are you willing to make to achieve your desired facial rejuvenation goals. The only person who can make that decision is you. Once you decide that you are ready to commit to Bellafill, the next step is to seek a BellaDiamond Board Certified Plastic Surgeon who has the skill and artistic eye to give you natural, youthful results.

Bellafill is highly safe and can be very effective when performed by an experienced injector. An injector who injects occasional Bellafill or is primarily experienced with temporary fillers is not necessarily going to give you a good result. Because of Bellafill’s 5-year duration, meticulous technique, precision and an artistic eye are of utmost importance.

Dr. Anita Mandal is a double Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon practicing since 1998. She exclusively specializes in facial rejuvenation and non-invasive body contouring. In addition to being on the medical staff at Jupiter Medical Center, her offices house both surgical and laser suites. Dr. Mandal is committed to giving her patients the most natural looking results.