Bellafill. Should I see a difference in a month? (Photo)

Question

I just got bellafill injected a week ago, I'm very dissapointed, it didn't fill the scars. I only had the front part of cheeks injected, and then I was going to rest of cheek later. Should I see a difference in a month? There's no big difference. Can I get a refund. There is no big improvement, not even 30%.

Ross A. Clevens, MD, FACS · Answer

Thank you for your question. Please remain patient with your results. Patients have different recovery and treatment timelines. Some experience improvement immediately while others may need up to 3 months to detect a significantly positive impact from the Bellafill injections. Always consult with a board certified facial plastic surgeon.

Best wishes,

Best wishes,

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Bellafill takes a SERIES of treatments. I tell my patients 3-6 treatments , microdroplets over time. it builds and fills in the scars.  If you do to completion at first, you could be left with puffiness or lumps.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Alexander Rivkin, MD · Answer

Hi and thanks for your question. Bellafill (previously known as Artefill) is a filler that works a bit differently from the others we use. It contains 80% collagen and 20% methyl methacrylate, which is the permanent component. After it is injected, the collagen part is dissolved by your body and the methacrylate beads stimulate a collagen response over time that fills in the area where the collagen was. So, my recommendation is to wait another month or so to see your results. The collagen stimulation takes time. Hope that helps

Sheryl D. Clark, MD, FAAD · Answer

Dear Shaida:  You are not yet seeing the final result from your first treatment, which takes at least 3 months to manifest.  In addition, #BellaFill is intended to be injected over several treatments, to avoid lumpiness and overcorrection.  You will get better, and you should return for more!  All the best,  Dr. Clark

Andre Berger, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Bellafill unlike most filler is the only FDA approved filler for acne scarring. The reason this filler produces long lasting and beautiful results is the formulated combination of 80% collagen (producing over time portion) and 20% methyl methacrylate (permanent portion). You are not seeing results as quickly as you would like with the reason being that the larger portion of collagen takes time to build after being absorbed, then the purpose of methacrylate beads is to gain a response and stimulate new production of collagen. Although frustrating waiting to see change, this should be done in treatment segments rather than a overfill trying to see quick results as this takes 3 + months to start seeing results. I can only understand that patience can be tough, but by patience, you will soon begin to see the results you desire most. Hope this helps. Best Regards, Dr. Berger.

Steven Swengel, MD · Answer

Hello and thank you for your question. Bellafill is a great collagen stimulator that is very effective in treating acne scars. The final result can take up to 3 months. This is because our body can take that amount of time to build new collagen. It is also important to find out if there are other procedures that can be used in combination with Bellafill that could help with your acne scars. A great example would be the use of Laser Genesis, which has proven to give great results to the patients we have treated here at Refined Dermatology. Hope this helps, Dr. S.

Steven F. Weiner, MD · Answer

As with almost every treatment, the results are dependent on the provider. Bellafill works wonders for acne scars. After one month however, the results aren't complete. It takes about 3 months or more to see the body's own collagen kick in. Results get better with time as well. I am a trainer of Bellafill. It works mainly for distensible (scars which flatten when stretched) rolling acne scars. That's it's FDA approval. About 0.1cc is injected into each scar and usually 2 treatments at least are needed. It's better to underfill than overfill.

Brian Windle, MD (retired) · Answer

I am sorry that you are not seeing a result but you are only one week.  If you saw some improvement as the injections were being done then that is the likely result you will get.  Remember, at a week you will still have a lot of swelling in the area of you injections including the surrounding area.  Frequently, Bellafill takes repeated injections to smooth acne scars out.  It will not remove the scars nor will it help with the color, it is simply a filler so the purpose is to help smooth the area.I hope that helps.Best regards.