Dermal fillers Hyaluronic-acid filler
Hyaluronic-acid filler can add structure to the cheeks, chin, jawline, lips and deep folds. The change usually shows straight away, fades over six to eighteen months, and can be dissolved.
Key facts
- Who you’ll see
-
- Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva Medical Director
- Dr. Olga Ibrakova Cosmetology
- Dr. Daria Banina Cosmetology
- Where
- CREAMÉ, 350 Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 1, Dubai
- Session
- Assessment and photographs first, then the injections
- Numbing
- Many gels contain a local anaesthetic
- Downtime
- Swelling or bruising for a few days, usually
- Course
- Usually one session; lasts 6–18 months
What dermal filler is for
Structure that has softened, or was never quite there: flatter cheeks, a chin that sits a little back, a jawline without definition, deep folds, lips that are thin or uneven. Volume, not movement lines.
Concerns it may help with
How dermal filler works
A gel of hyaluronic acid, a water-binding molecule your body already makes, placed beneath the skin to add volume and structure. Firmer gels suit the cheeks, chin and jaw; softer ones the lips and finer folds. It works by filling space and supporting the skin above, so the change usually shows straight away. It fades as your body breaks it down and, unlike other filler families, it can be dissolved with an enzyme, hyaluronidase.
A session, step by step
- We start with your concern, your face at rest and as it moves, and photographs in the same light, then your health, medicines, allergies, cold sores and every filler you have had before.
- The plan comes first: which areas, roughly how much, and the risks, the rare serious ones included. You sign a written consent, and any make-up is cleansed off.
- The gel is placed with a fine needle or a blunt cannula, slowly and in small amounts, with the doctor watching the skin throughout for any change in colour.
- Before you leave, we go through aftercare and what to watch for, and book a review two to four weeks later, once the swelling has settled.
What to expect
How it feels
Small pricks and a feeling of pressure as the gel goes in. Many filler gels contain a local anaesthetic, lidocaine, which makes the injections more comfortable as they go; the area can feel tender for a few days.
Downtime
Usually little. Swelling, tenderness and redness usually settle within a few days to a week; a bruise can take up to two weeks to fade. No hard exercise, sauna or hot yoga for the first 24 hours.
How many sessions
Usually one session, with a review two to four weeks later and a small top-up then if needed. It fades gradually over six to eighteen months, depending on the gel and the area; you can top it up or let it go.
Who it may not suit
We go through your health and medicines first, because dermal filler may not suit you, or may need to wait, if any of these apply:
- You are pregnant or breastfeeding: filler has not been studied in pregnancy or while breastfeeding, so we wait.
- There is an infection, an active cold sore, spots or a rash in the area. If you get cold sores and the plan is near the mouth, antiviral tablets may come first.
- You have a bleeding disorder, or take blood thinners, aspirin or supplements such as fish oil or vitamin E: tell us, and never stop a prescribed medicine without asking the doctor who prescribed it.
- You have severe allergies or have had anaphylaxis, or you are allergic to lidocaine, which many gels contain, or to bacteria, from which the hyaluronic acid in some gels is made.
- You tend to form keloid or raised scars: the safety of filler in this skin is not known.
- You have filler that does not dissolve in the area, such as silicone, or don't know what was used before.
- You have recent or planned dental work, a vaccination or an illness: swelling around filler can flare after them.
- Your weight is still changing quickly: volume is usually planned once it has settled.
Risks and side effects
Common and short-lived: swelling, redness, tenderness, itching and bruising. Swelling usually settles within a week; a bruise can take up to two weeks to fade.
Less common: small lumps or unevenness, which often settle or can be dissolved; swelling that returns days or weeks later; infection; a cold-sore flare. Rarely, gel moves from where it was placed, or a firm lump appears months later.
Rare but serious: gel placed into, or pressing on, a blood vessel can block the blood supply and damage the skin. In a study of 1.7 million syringes, this never happened more than once in 5,000 syringes for any filler type, and 85 in 100 blockages healed without lasting harm. Very rarely the blockage reaches the eye, causing loss of vision that can be permanent, or causes a stroke. A severe allergic reaction is also rare.
How it is managed: slow, low-pressure injection in small amounts, a cannula where it suits, and the enzyme that dissolves hyaluronic acid always on our shelf, given straight away if a vessel is blocked. The enzyme itself can rarely cause an allergic reaction.
Aftercare
- For the first 24 hours: no hard exercise, saunas, steam or hot yoga.
- On the day, keep make-up off the injection points; a cold compress can ease swelling and bruising.
- Don't massage the area unless the doctor asks you to.
- Stay out of strong sun while any bruise lasts: in the Dubai summer, keep to the shade.
- Come back at two to four weeks: the result is judged once the swelling has gone.
- Contact us straight away, or get urgent medical care, if pain grows instead of easing, the skin turns pale, grey, blue or blotchy, or your vision changes. Call emergency services for a drooping face, slurred speech or sudden weakness or numbness.
How pricing works
We don't publish prices. The cost depends on the areas treated and how much filler your face needs, which we decide together at the consultation. You know the full plan and its cost before you start, and we suggest only what your face calls for.
Our take
Filler is structure, put back where it was lost: the skill is in where it goes and how little, not how much.
We start small: a second small session is easier to get right than one large one, and overfilled faces are usually many small additions made without a plan. If your concern is movement, loose skin or skin quality rather than volume, we'll say so.
Questions people ask
How much do dermal fillers cost, and how much filler is used for a jawline?
We don't publish prices. The cost depends on the areas treated and how much filler your face needs, which we decide together at the consultation; there is no set amount for a jawline. You know the full plan and its cost before you start, and we start small.
Where should I get dermal fillers for my face, and how do I choose a clinic and a doctor?
At a medical clinic, from a licensed doctor who assesses you first and does the injections. Look for plain talk about the risks, a plan that starts small, a review once the swelling has settled, and the enzyme that dissolves filler kept on site. In a large study, injectors with more than five years' experience had fewer blocked vessels. Never buy filler online.
Which doctor will I see for filler at your clinic?
Dr. Olga Ibrakova, whose work includes contouring with filler, or Dr. Daria Banina, whose focus is lips and facial contouring, the cheekbones and jawline included. Dr. Svetlana Tagaeva, the Medical Director, leads the clinic's medical work. The doctor who assesses you is the doctor who treats you.
Is cheek, chin or jawline filler different for men and women?
The gel and the steps are the same; the aim differs. An expert consensus notes that a man's face looks balanced with a well-defined jawline, and that too much volume in the mid-cheek can make it look more feminine. So for men the plan tends to keep the cheeks modest and may favour definition along the jaw.
How long do dermal fillers last, and how many sessions will I need?
Usually six to eighteen months, depending on the gel, the amount and the area; it fades gradually rather than all at once. Most people need one session, with a review two to four weeks later and a small top-up then if needed. After that, you can top it up as it fades or let it go.
What can cheek, chin or jawline filler change, and is it worth it?
Most likely when the problem is volume: in the cheeks, filler can restore support that has flattened; at the chin, add projection; along the jaw, add definition. The change usually shows on the day, under some swelling, and is judged at two to four weeks. It does not tighten loose skin or soften movement lines, and it can be dissolved.
What are the side effects and risks of dermal fillers?
Swelling, tenderness, redness and bruising are common and usually settle within two weeks; lumps, late swelling or infection are less common. The serious risk is rare: gel blocking a blood vessel, which can damage the skin and, very rarely, vision. It can happen in any area, the cheeks, chin and jaw included, though published cases of vision loss have most often followed injections around the nose, between the brows, in the forehead and in the folds beside the nose.
What downtime and aftercare do dermal fillers need, day by day?
Usually little downtime: most people need only a quiet day, with no hard exercise, sauna or hot yoga for 24 hours and no make-up on the injection points. Swelling mostly settles within a week and a bruise within two; until then, no massage and no strong sun. The review is at two to four weeks. Growing pain, pale or bluish skin, or a change in vision: call us at once.
Does the dermal filler procedure hurt, and is it done with a needle or a cannula?
It can, a little: you feel small pricks and pressure, and how much varies by person and area. Many filler gels contain a local anaesthetic, lidocaine, for comfort. The doctor uses a fine needle or a blunt cannula, chosen for the area: in a large study, blocked vessels were less common with cannulas, though rare with both.
Dermal fillers vs anti-wrinkle injections: what is the difference, and can one doctor do both?
They do different jobs. Filler adds volume and structure where it has been lost; anti-wrinkle injections relax a muscle, to soften lines from movement or slim a jaw that is wide from a strong chewing muscle, and do nothing for volume. Many plans use both, which an expert consensus calls a standard of care, and Dr. Olga Ibrakova and Dr. Daria Banina do both.
Chin filler vs jawline filler: which do I need?
It depends on where the structure is missing. Chin filler adds projection or length at the front of the chin, for a chin that sits back in profile; jawline filler adds definition along the edge and angle of the jaw. A change at the chin can alter how the jawline reads, so the doctor looks at your profile first: some people need one, some both.
Can filler in the cheeks soften nasolabial folds or marionette lines?
Sometimes, partly. A deep fold from the nose to the mouth often reflects lost support above it, so the doctor may restore the cheek first and then judge whether the fold still needs filler. Marionette lines are a fold that filler is often used for, sometimes with anti-wrinkle injections.
Sources
- Signorini M, Liew S, Sundaram H, et al. Global Aesthetics Consensus: avoidance and management of complications from hyaluronic acid fillers—evidence- and opinion-based review and consensus recommendations. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016;137(6):961e–971e.
- Funt D, Pavicic T. Dermal fillers in aesthetics: an overview of adverse events and treatment approaches. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2013;6:295–316.
- Alam M, Kakar R, Dover JS, et al. Rates of vascular occlusion associated with using needles vs cannulas for filler injection. JAMA Dermatol. 2021;157(2):174–180.
- Beleznay K, Carruthers JDA, Humphrey S, Carruthers A, Jones D. Update on avoiding and treating blindness from fillers: a recent review of the world literature. Aesthet Surg J. 2019;39(6):662–674.
- King M, Convery C, Davies E. This month's guideline: the use of hyaluronidase in aesthetic practice (v2.4). J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2018;11(6):E61–E68.
- Sundaram H, Liew S, Signorini M, et al. Global Aesthetics Consensus: hyaluronic acid fillers and botulinum toxin type A—recommendations for combined treatment and optimizing outcomes in diverse patient populations. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2016;137(5):1410–1423.
- Trivedi MK, Kroumpouzos G, Murase JE. A review of the safety of cosmetic procedures during pregnancy and lactation. Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017;3(1):6–10.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dermal fillers (soft tissue fillers). 2023.
Updated 27 October 2026