Because you can’t just inject one area of the face to create anatomical symmetry, especially in my case, Dr. Levin also used another filler called Juvéderm Vollure to give me “some periorial support” in the area right above my chin but below my lips. With Vollure, she used a cannula, a blunt-ended tube, to do the injection. This was “to minimize the risk of [the filler] moving [around after it is injected/while it is injected], but also to help minimize the risk of filler getting into arteries and veins,” Dr. Levin explains, “so we can be a bit more safe in an area that has more arteries and more vessels.”
She adds, “There is no perfect way to inject. There’s no recipe that says, ‘This is exactly how you do it.’ It’s more like cooking intuitively.”
And to cook up my results, Dr. Levin used “one full syringe of Volux and half a syringe of Vollure” on my chin and jawline. I should note that the cost of filler varies and typically depends on what type is used, how many syringes are needed, where in the country you’re getting treatment, and who is doing the injecting. In my case, the procedure would likely range from $800 to a few thousand dollars, but because I would be writing about my experience, the treatment was performed gratis.
After the filler was injected, Dr. Levin sculpted it into place. Imagine crafting a figurine out of clay—she was literally molding the hyaluronic acid injected under my skin into a shape and position that best suited my facial anatomy. This was the most interesting and hands-on aspect of the entire procedure to me, but it’s not always necessary, according to Dr. Levin.
“There are certain places where sculpting helps with achieving the desired outcome when we’re using fillers. Every face is unique, and fillers are obviously placed strategically and sculpted to complement the patient’s natural contour,” she points out. “For me, sculpting helps fine-tune the placement, and it also ensures that the filler integrates well with the surrounding tissue to enhance the facial structure. I will sculpt typically on the chin, maybe a little bit on the jawline, for a sharper angle or a softer transition, depending on what I’m trying to achieve.”