What Do I Expect From Voluma? | Anne Marie McNeill M.D., Ph.D

Voluma is one of my favorite treatments.  Voluma is a filler that is long-lasting and FDA-approved for restoring volume to the mid-face.  It is a very safe filler, like the older fillers like Juvederm or Restylane, but more natural-looking.
As we age, we lose fat and volume on the face.  If it is completely replaced, that can look odd.  But if it is artistically replaced along the bones (the cheekbones and jawline), it looks more lifted, happy, younger.
The most common question I get about Voluma is “will it make me look like one of these strange Real Housewives?”  The short answer is: NO.    Sure, too much could make you look strange, but done properly and controlled by a trained artistic eye, it is one of the truly game-changing treatments available.
Voluma is hyaluronic acid.  It is FDA-approved for the mid-face, but I usually inject it to the mid-face (cheek bones), jawline, and sometimes a bit into the nasolabial folds.  Voluma lasts about 2 years.  The main risks are bruising and swelling, but this is not common.
For most patients, I like to inject 2cc of Voluma to start, reassess after 1 month, and add 2cc more after a month if necessary.  If it’s not necessary, then yearly I add 2cc.  In this way, there is a slow, natural-appearing revolumization of the face.  No change from deflated to too inflated.
My style is that I show you as I go.  I put a bit in one cheek and show you the difference.  It is not crazy, but improved.
It is different for everybody, but in general, women get more Voluma in the cheeks relative to the jawline.  A high cheekbone is a very feminine, happy, youthful look.  Men do very well with Voluma in the jawline and less in the cheekbone.  It all has to be in balance and I love to discuss with my patients the look that I am going for.  I don’t like to make the change all of a sudden, it is gradual over a couple of years.
If you are getting an injection of any filler, please stop any aspirin, ibuprofen, Naprosyn, or other blood-thinners 1 week prior to the treatment (discuss with the prescribing doctor before doing this if it was recommended to you by your physician).  This is to minimize any bruising.  Bruising and swelling from Voluma is possible but not typical.
This is a patient who had 2cc of Voluma, we will build on it as time goes on as necessary.

 
This Patient shown below had Voluma Botox and a Blue Light Treatment for Actinic Keratosis