Dermal Filler for Nasolabial Folds (Laugh Lines)

Those of us born with naturally deep nasolabial folds (laugh lines) can really struggle. Full-face fat transfer felt like too big a commitment—I had neither the time nor the courage—so I opted for the simpler, lower-risk route of dermal filler, which costs far less and requires almost minimal downtime. Honestly, my overall facial contour has its issues: my temples are slightly hollow and my cheeks aren’t full enough, but what bothers me most are the laugh lines. Enough rambling—let me get to the point.

Price:

It depends on the amount used and the brand. This time I only had one syringe injected—1 ml, 0.6 on the left and 0.4 on the right. Personally I felt it was too little; I think my laugh lines may need 1.5 to 2 syringes. The price per syringe ranges from a few hundred to several thousand, and different areas call for different molecule sizes. Laugh lines generally use small- or medium-molecule filler; I had medium-molecule injected with no discomfort. The smaller the molecule, the softer it is, so the chin and nose usually use large-molecule filler, while the lips and cheeks generally use small-molecule.

Pain level:

Most dermal fillers come pre-mixed with anesthetic—there’s numbing agent right in the gel—so I felt no pain at all as it was injected, only a slight cold sensation (because I’d kept my filler in the fridge). The doctor said filler without anesthetic is actually better because it has higher purity, but I didn’t have the courage to go without. The needle definitely stings going in, and this time the injecting doctor specifically switched me to a special cannula—a long, thick needle—saying it helps anchor the filler and keeps it from migrating, otherwise smiling can easily push the filler in the laugh line off to other areas. Personally I found the pain completely tolerable, just a brief moment—the pain never lasted even a second.

Post-treatment recovery:

Try not to smile for three days and avoid big facial expressions—those of us who love to laugh just have to control ourselves as best we can. For about half an hour after the injection my upper lip felt numb, but after that I could move about freely. I even went to a personal training session afterward with no effect at all—no bruising, no swelling. How long the results last varies from person to person, generally six months to a year. This was my second injection, exactly a year after the first. As you can see from the second photo, the filler had actually faded quite early, but I kept putting off a touch-up. First-time injections are definitely absorbed faster, so I’d recommend a touch-up at six months.

The specific side effects are as follows:

1. During injection there may be redness, swelling, or itching, but these are not major issues and generally resolve on their own—no need to worry too much;

2. Side effects such as over-injection or infection may occur;

3. Long-term injections can make the face somewhat stiff and shiny-looking, so you may find that smiling becomes more difficult and less natural;

4. Deeper laugh lines—this after-effect seems to be one that no one is aware of when it comes to filling laugh lines with dermal filler, and doctors won’t tell you about it during the anti-wrinkle process;

5. After injecting filler, the laugh line issue is addressed locally, but time keeps passing and aging continues, so a local improvement can’t drive anti-aging across the whole face—meaning the skin may still develop asymmetry or a crooked mouth as gravity pulls it down.