RHA Collection Fillers: What You Need to Know

Pros:

• Resilient hyaluronic acid fillers are designed to be more like natural HA, creating results that adapt well to facial movements.
• Results are instant—you’ll see your new look as soon as your provider injects the dermal filler.
• While results are temporary (as with other HA-based fillers), they last longer than many hyaluronic acid fillers on the market—up to 15 months. This makes the RHA Collection a good treatment option for someone who wants results with some staying power.
• If you don’t like your results or have a complication, hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved with the enzyme hyaluronidase within 24 hours.
• RHA fillers contain lidocaine, to help reduce discomfort during the injection process.
• Studies suggest that the use of hyaluronic acid fillers stimulates your body’s fibroblasts, the cells responsible for collagen production. This means that regular use of hyaluronic acid fillers may lead to firmer-looking skin over time.

Cons:

• Bruising and swelling are common after dermal filler treatment (especially with lip fillers), though these side effects can be minimized with careful planning.
• Though fillers can add volume and correct deep folds, not all skin laxity can be improved with injectable filler. If sagging skin is your primary concern, talk with your provider about skin tightening options.
• The RHA Collection is currently only offered at select providers’ offices. However, those who do currently offer RHA fillers were hand-selected by Revance because they’re highly skilled physicians with exceptional aesthetic outcomes. The quality of your results will directly correlate with the skill and experience of your injector, and this selectivity increases your likelihood of seeing results that match your expectations.

Presently, there are four RHA fillers available in the United States, each with different degrees of crosslinking.

• RHA 2 is a flexible dermal filler that’s FDA approved for correcting the appearance of moderate folds. It’s ideal for smoothing the surface of the skin as well as treating radial cheek lines (also known as “accordion lines”) and perioral or lipstick lines. It’s also a good choice for lip augmentation and under the eyes. 
• RHA 3 is a bit firmer, to treat moderate to severe facial folds. Providers like using it to address the corners of the mouth, also known as oral commissures, and to smooth moderate nasolabial folds (smile lines).
• RHA 4 is the firmest of the three. It’s designed to be injected into the deep dermis and even the superficial subcutaneous tissue. This makes it the best RHA filler to address deep wrinkles and severe folds, including nasolabial folds and marionette lines, and to build out the chin and jawline.
• RHA Redensity, the newest formula in the line to win FDA approval, is uniquely designed to treat moderate to severe perioral wrinkles—the fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth and lips colorfully called marionette lines, barcode lines, smoker lines, and lipstick lines.

As with any facial filler treatment, being treated with products in the RHA Collection of fillers typically takes between 30 minutes and an hour.

• Before actually administering the filler, you’ll have a consultation with injector to share your desired outcome and ask any questions you have. Your provider should then disclose the potential risks and side effects.
• Because these formulas treat dynamic wrinkles, they may ask you to make various facial expressions to help determine the best placement.
• Once you both agree on a treatment plan (which may include several different fillers or multiple appointments, depending on your goals), they should give you a ballpark cost estimate.
• Your injector will then cleanse the area(s) to be treated with alcohol, and they may apply a numbing cream or other topical anesthetic to reduce sensation. Though the fillers themselves all contain lidocaine to help minimize discomfort, some people appreciate the added security against pain—especially when receiving lip injections, as the lips contain many more nerve endings than other areas of the face. 
• Then, they will slowly and carefully inject the dermal filler, using either an ultra-fine needle or a blunt-tipped cannula.

You’ll see your initial results immediately after your treatment.

Most people have no downtime, though swelling and bruising post-injection is normal. It may take up to two weeks for all of your swelling to go down so you can see your final results.

How long RHA Collection filler results last will vary from person to person. Typically, hyaluronic acid filler’s longevity depends on where the filler is placed (facial areas that move more often tend to “burn through” filler faster), your metabolism, and how your body responds. 

However, RHA fillers are some of the longest-lasting hyaluronic acid fillers available in the U.S.: results last up to 15 months.

Nearly all other hyaluronic acid fillers last up to a year, except for Juvéderm Voluma, which lasts up to two years.

Generally, treatment with HA fillers is very safe—especially in experienced hands.

The most common side effects to experience after treatment with RHA fillers are bruising and swelling at the injection site. You can help diminish them by avoiding alcohol and blood-thinning medications like aspirin and fish oil in the days leading up to your dermal filler appointment. 

Related: Injectable Bruises? Been There. Here’s How to Handle Them Without Hiding Out

Nodules, or little bumps, are also common and can usually be resolved with massage. Ask your provider during your appointment about their stance on massaging filler.

The biggest potential complication from any filler is inadvertent injection into a blood vessel, which can cause tissue death, vision loss (particularly a risk with nonsurgical nose jobs), and even stroke if it’s not dissolved quickly.

Related: Vascular Occlusion Is the Scary Filler Complication No One Talks About

In addition to where the filler is being injected, the factor that most increases the potential for risk is an unskilled injector. That’s why it is criticalthat you seek out treatment from a trained, experienced, and licensed provider with a thorough comprehension of facial anatomy, such as a board-certifieddermatologist or plastic surgeon, or a nurse or physician’s assistant who specializes in injectables. 

Remember that physicians, physician’s assistants, and nurses are the only providers who are licensed to administer filler in the United States, so steer clear of estheticians and salon owners offering injectables.