Higher cost of facial volumization
Posted:3:57 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, 2014
By Anita Mandal, M.D.
Question: I want my cheeks filled and know it’s cheaper to have Juvederm™, Radiesse™ or Sculptra™ treatments. My research shows that Bellafill® is more appealing since it lasts so many years, but why is Bellafill® is so much more costly than other fillers?
Answer: It is important to understand that volumization of the face requires a much greater amount of filler, up to 5-10 times more, than treatment of a facial line or groove. When considering costs for volumization with injectable fillers, recognizing the overall value of a long term filler is key.
Because of the greater number of syringes needed to volumize, temporary fillers, which are repeated every 3 to 12 months for maintenance, can be extremely costly over time. The costs of frequent maintenance combined with the higher amount of syringes necessary can be limiting factors.
Bellafill® can be very cost-effective for facial volumization, particularly in the upper 2/3 of the face. For any given subunit of the cheeks, the average cost of Bellafill® runs 40-60 percent higher than that of temporary fillers. However, the cost benefits of Bellafill® are readily evident over time. If a temporary filler has claims of lasting one year, half of it may be gone in 6-7 months and in one years time, the same dollar amount is spent again to have the areas re-filled. After 2 years, one has likely spent the same or more with temporary fillers, unlike Bellafill® which remains in the treated areas long term and does not require as frequent maintenance.
Careful consultation with a qualified Facial Plastic Surgeon who is well knowledged on surgical anatomy as well as a skilled injector is the first step in determining which filler is most suited to your rejuvenation goals.