How is the treatment performed?
Belotero Balance is injected into the skin in a simple, quick treatment performed by a licensed healthcare provider using a fine-gauge needle. You can either sit or recline during treatment and the aftercare is minimal.
What is the difference between Belotero Balance and other fillers?
Belotero Balance is a hyaluronic acid injectable filler designed to integrate into facial skin tissue. The unique manufacturing process for Belotero Balance yields a soft and cohesive gel that, once injected, instantly fills the skin to help smooth moderate-to-severe etched-in lines and wrinkles. While the product is versatile enough to handle moderate nasolabial folds (smile lines around the mouth), it may be an ideal option for treating delicate areas such as etched-in smile lines and vertical lip lines (thin lines that appear above and around the lips).
How soon can I expect results?
Immediately upon treatment, Belotero Balance helps smooth etched-in lines and wrinkles, such as vertical lip lines above and around your lips.
How long does Belotero Balance last?
Individual results may vary, but Belotero Balance may last about 6 months or more. Some factors that affect how long it lasts are the amount of product used and the area it is injected into. In areas that experience a lot of movement due to eating, talking, and smiling, the product may not last as long as other less active areas.
How much do I need?
Just as wrinkles and folds vary from face to face, so does the amount of Belotero Balance needed per treatment. It’s very individual—it depends on the amount of correction desired, the number of areas to be treated, and other factors. Your healthcare provider can better estimate once you have a consultation about your individual needs.
Does Belotero Balance hurt?
As with all injectable treatments, there can be discomfort associated with the procedure.1If you have concerns, discuss them with your healthcare provider, because there are effective ways to manage this during treatment.
Is it safe?
Belotero Balance is FDA approved and clinically proven safe and effective. Hyaluronic acid products for wrinkle correction have been available for a long time and used in thousands of treatments.
Are there any side effects?
Belotero Balance is FDA approved and has undergone testing in a clinical study to demonstrate its safety. Hyaluronic acid products for wrinkle correction have been available for a long time and used in thousands of treatments. Just like any injection, you may experience mild irritation, swelling, itching, redness, bruising, or tenderness at the injection site. These side effects typically resolve on their own. If any of these side effects persist for more than 7 days, contact your healthcare provider immediately.
How long is the recovery time?
There is very little to no downtime associated with a Belotero Balance treatment. In fact, most patients return to their normal, daily activities right after their visit. Every patient is unique, so be sure to discuss your plans during a consultation with your healthcare provider.
How should I prepare for my Belotero Balance appointment?
If possible, one should stop their baby aspirin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (like Motrin, ibuprofen, Aleve, naproxen), as these will thin your blood and make bruising more common. If you need a pain reliever, Tylenol, will not worsen your risk for bruising. You may also pick up Arnica tablets prior to your appointment to help reduce bruising. If you are on a blood thinner because of previous heart issues, stroke, or clotting disorders, please inform your provider. The majority of times we will have you continue your medications. Plan on icing after the procedure, as this will reduce swelling and bruising risks. One should not exercise until the day after your treatment. If possible, please come to your appointment with clean skin without makeup.
What are the common side effects of my filler treatment with Belotero Balance? Should I expect some downtime with my Belotero Balance treatment?
One should expect redness at injection site, swelling, and bruising. Swelling generally lasts for about 2-3 days and then dissipates. Bruising continues for 5-10 days depending on the individual. At Frederick Dermatology Associates, we can lessen these side effects many times with the use of a cannula. A cannula is a device used to deliver filler less traumatically than a needle, and also minimizes the more rare side effects from filler. Not all practices are trained in cannula use, this is one of ways Frederick Dermatology sets itself apart. We also ask that patients receiving filler keep a follow up appointment 2-4 weeks after their treatment. We like to compare before and after pictures and make sure you are completely satisfied.
How do I know which filler is best for me?
At Frederick Dermatology, the staff is trained to help determine the best product selection for each patient. Most people need variable products for the most natural cosmetic look. Every patient is different, and each filler has different properties. Our professionally trained staff understands the subtle differences between each product to guide the perfect treatment plan. The best news is that with all of the new products released to the market, we have more options to create the optimal result for each individual patient. Natural results are always at the forefront of our minds. At Frederick Dermatology Associates, we only inject non-permanent fillers that are FDA approved. Permanent fillers have higher side effect profiles to them and cannot be reversed if necessary. Both the Restylane and Juvederm families can be reversed with a product called hyaluronidase.
Does a filler treatment with Belotero Balance hurt?
Most people rate the pain at about a 3/10. At Frederick Dermatology, we do everything to make it a comfortable and satisfying experience. We ask that you arrive 30-45 minutes prior to your appointment time so we may apply topical anesthesia. Other helpful ways to reduce pain are with ice and Zimmer cooling. In addition, most products contain lidocaine within them to help with pain control. Most people are surprised how easy of an experience it is once they have received filler at Frederick Dermatology.
How long does Belotero Balance last? How often do I need to repeat my treatment to maintain my results?
Filler generally lasts anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Everyone breaks it down a bit differently. Most patients plan come in once per year to refresh their results. Many times fewer syringes are used at that time because some product remains. Yet, collagen stimulation occurs even after one treatment with filler. Therefore, even if you do not repeat your filler again, you may be better off than never having done filler.
How can I ensure natural results?
At Frederick Dermatology, you will never be overdone. We would rather under-treat than over-treat our patients. The goal is to look refreshed. No one should know you had a filler treatment. We find filler treatments have one of the highest satisfaction rates among all our non-invasive procedures. Nearly everyone undergoes volume loss as they age. Correcting this issue, in a natural way, has an amazing result.
Can I have other treatments performed on the same day?
We know that everyone has a busy life, and many of our patients take time off work to have their treatments. Many procedures can be combined with filler the same day. Some of the more common popular combination treatments are Botox, Dysport, and Intense Pulsed Light (IPL).
How do I know if I am experiencing an uncommon side effect of Belotero Balance?
Overall, filler is extremely safe, especially when delivered by board-certified dermatologists. We like to call our patients the next day to ensure they are healing appropriately. However, if you have any question about unusual bruising or pain, we ask that you touch base with the office. There is no dumb question, and we want to make sure you are well taken care of.
Where can Belotero Balance be used?
Filler can be used in many locations for optimizing results. Some of the more common areas filler can be used are the temples, cheeks, lips, around mouth, hands, and neck.
An amazing face lift can be achieved when replacing volume from many of these areas. In addition, many of our patients receive Botox or Dysport in combination with their filler to maximize their lift. Injections in the brow and along the jawline (called the Nefertiti neck lift) can cause the brow/eyelids and jaw line to gain an amazing youthful appearance.
Can you put Belotero Balance between the brows to treat the 11’s?
You can do this treatment with filler using thinner products like Juvederm Ultra, Restylane, or Belotero. Yet, the better, lower risk procedure is Botox, Dysport, or Xeomin. The reason why you have those 11’s is that the muscle underneath the skin keeps contracting to worsen those wrinkles. So, the products designed to relax those muscles work better to treat and prevent deeper 11’s. With time and continued treatments, these wrinkles will continue to improve. What makes this area risky for filler are superficial vessels that run between the brow. If an injector was to accidentally place filler in these vessels, it could block the blood supply to the skin and cause an ulceration in this area.
Can Frederick Dermatology help if I received a “bad Belotero Balance job” from somewhere else?
Yes, we initially start with a consult and ask that you get your records from the previous provider. It is helpful for us to evaluate previous notes and see if the products used are reversible. If hyaluronic acid products like the Restylane or Juvederm families were used, hyaluronidase can be used to undo over-done filler.
How many years younger will I look from my Belotero Balance treatment?
On average, most people feel they look 3-4 years younger from their filler treatment. Results may not be as drastic as plastic surgery, but on the other hand, most patients feel very satisfied with their natural results that had little to no downtime, less cost, and less risk.
When should I get my Belotero Balance treatment if I am planning for a special event like a wedding, high school reunion, or anniversary?
We recommend receiving your treatment 4-6 weeks before your big event. Results are in full-effect and any bruising or swelling has completely gone away several weeks prior.
Should my lips be more swollen than other areas injected with Belotero Balance?
Most of the time, the answer is yes. The lips have a tendency to swell more than other areas. Again, cannula injections can help minimize this, but for the most part, swelling has peaked at 48 hours and then goes down. Continuing ice throughout this time and ibuprofen after the procedure can help the swelling go down quicker.
Can I receive Belotero Balance on the same day as my consultation?
Most of the time if you have specified this when making the appointment, we can accommodate your schedule. However, we do allow for significant scheduling time when receiving filler. Therefore, if this is important to you, please let our staff know, and we will do our best to make things convenient for you.