Differences Between All the Juvederm fillers?

Question

Hi, have been researching fillers and am finding little info on the differences between all the Juvederms. Am in the UK and I've seen doctors offering Juvederm Ultra, 2, 3, 4, Plus, and Smile The clinic I'm considering says Juvederm 3 and J Smile are the same yet they charge more per ml for Smile I'm unsure of using Juvederm 3 Ive seen it's not FDA approved so is it really the same as Smile? So confused and hoping for some clarification and recommendation on the best one to use for fuller lips?

Brock Ridenour, MD · Answer

I understand your confusion. First of all, the names of the Juvederm products are different in Europe and the US.  The difference among these products can be confusing even to experienced injectors.  The Juvederm products are all made of hyaluronic acid (HA). The difference between the products has to do with the configuration of the HA - whether it is tightly compacted, loosely compacted, the ratio of light chains and heavy chains, the chemical bonds between chains, particle size and quanity of HA per ml. What matters most is the selection of the right product for the right patient for the right location.  Each product has unique characteristics that determine its behavior when injected -  hardness of the product (how much it can lift), hygroscopic nature  (how much water it will imbibe), cohesiveness (tendency of the product to diffuse or stick together), needle size required for injection, etc. Find an expert. Someone who is knowledgeable and artistic.  Buying filler is not like buying soap or tissue paper. It is the talent of the injector and not the product that will determine the ultimate outcome.

Sabika Karim, MBBS · Answer

Dear LMc77, 
Thank you for your question, it can certainly be confusing when you hear about the various types of filler out there. 
Firstly its very much dependant on what area of the face you are having treated as to what filler should be used and what look you require. 
I can see that you would like your lips to look fuller. The options available for you would be:-
Juvederm Ultra 3 (1ml) this lasts around 6 months
Juvederm Ultra Smile This is the same product as above but comes in 0.55mls instead of 1ml.
My product of choice in the lips though would be Juvederm Volbella which lasts for around 1 year and is a much smoother and natural looking filler. 
Scientifically the different types of fillers are related to how the hyaluronic acid is configured and cross linked. 
I hope that has clarified  the fillers a little. Your medical practitioner should be able to explain this in more detail to you.
Wishing you all the best.

Mitchell A. Kline, MD · Answer

The difference is principally in the degree of cross-linking and this affects both the amount of water that's drawn to the material in the short term affecting short term swelling which makes us correct our injection technique for differences that might not be present a few days later. The characteristics of the injection are different due to the viscosity of the different materials. Ultimately the choice of Hyaluronic acid filler is very personal choice made by the clinician.

Dinesh Maini, MBChB · Answer

Hi There 
Thank you for your question.
Unfortunately the company that owns the Juvederm brand spent a huge amount on it and it is trusted by the public so they've kept the name, despite the product changing over the years!
Juvederm Ultra 2,3,4 are HA fillers of increasing thickness and are designed to last 9 months or so. I may be wrong but I think I started using them around 2008.
Juvederm 3 was most commonly used for lips so was branded Juvederm smile as I understand it.
Since about 2010 they released a product called Juvederm Voluma. This is longer lasting than Ultra - almost twice as long but also much softer. They have then gone on to develop Juvederm Volbella  (very soft) and Juvederm Volift - medium. I have moved over to the softer products and occasionally use the older products when the situation demands.
The skill of the practitioner is the most important thing as if they are good enough they can use any of these fillers in the lips and get very good results depending on the individual circumstances of each patient.
We use all of them in our clinic as they all have their niche for those who understand them.
I hope this helps.
Kind Regards 
Dr Dinesh Maini 
Zenith Cosmetic Clinics

Alex Eshaghian, MD, PhD · Answer

Thank you for your question LMc77. Juvederm is a hyaluronic acid filler designed to enhance the
appearance of the face. There are many fillers available and it can get confusing. In the United States there are 5 products in the Juvederm family. The first ones are Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus. These use the Hylacross technology and Ultra Plus is used for deeper wrinkles. The newer ones (Voluma, Volbella, and Vollure) use the new Vycross technology. This allows the products to last longer. The difference between these three is the amount of hyaluronic acid they contain. Voluma, Vollure, and Volbella contain 20, 17.5, and 15 mg/ml, respectively. Voluma is thicker and works well to restore volume loss in the upper cheeks. Volbella is softer and works well for subtle enhancement in and around the lips. Vollure is intermediate between these two and works well for nasolabial folds and marionette lines. Please consult with a doctor for specific recommendations. Good luck!

Differences Between All the Juvederm fillers?

Answers (5)

Answer: Juvederm

Answer: Juvederm

Answer: Fillers in the Juvederm family

Answer: Fillers in the Juvederm family

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Juvederm

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

Differences Between All the Juvederm fillers?

Answers (5)

Answer: Juvederm

Answer: Juvederm

Answer: Fillers in the Juvederm family

Answer: Fillers in the Juvederm family

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Juvederm

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.