How will I know Bellafill is working?

Your question raises some important points that are not frequently understood by patients receiving Bellafill.  The first is that the collagen stimulating effect of Bellafill is gradual, and you will probably not be able to appreciate any difference in the volume and appearance of the treated area for at least three months.  The second point is that the bovine collagen contained in the Bellafill injection, which is 80% of the total volume of the syringe, is gradually resorbed, even as the surrounding fibroblasts are stimulated to produce more collagen.  Early in the collagen building process, the rate of resorption of the bovine collagen may actually outstrip the deposition of your native collagen, and the treated area may actually look more hollow than it did in the first week after the injection, when the volume was augmented by the swelling associated with the injection.  However, longer term, the PMMA microspheres that make up 20% of the total volume of a Bellafill injection remain, even as the volume of your native collagen deposition increases, and you begin to see the additive effect of these two components three months after your injection.  Should you continue to receive Bellafill injections, you will also notice, over time, that you require smaller and smaller volumes of Bellafill to achieve the desired effect, because you are building on the foundation laid by your previous injections of Bellafill. 

Thank you for your question. Bellafill results are immediate and long-lasting for up to 5 years. It is very important that you choose an experienced provider who specializes in injectable filler treatments. I suggest that you discuss your results and recovery with your board certified facial plastic surgeon.
Best wishes,

You won't notice a difference overnight, rather it will fill in gradually. You may only notice with comparing before and after photos. Keep in mind it can take a few months for final results. Depending on your goals, Sculptra and prp in combination are also good for building collagen long term. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Bellafill is a biostimulant filler which means it has PMMA cells that help work with your body to stimulate your own body's collagen.The collagen stimulating effect of Bellafill is gradual. You will experience the volume immediately and then after it is absorbed through your body it will continue to work in the areas it is injected! Bellafill is a great product and last you! I hope this helps you on your journey!:)

It will gradually appear fuller and this won't happen quickly or overnight. If you watch it, you won't notice it. It's like watching a puppy everyday, you don't notice it growing, but if you hadn't looked for a few months, you see the difference.

Thanks for your question. There is not anything you will "feel" per se with collagen stimulation, it just happens but gradually/ not overnight. At the 2 to 3 month point when the bovine collagen is going away and your own is still building, there may be a brief time when you feel the correction is not as good, but then it improves so you might want to wait until month 4 before deciding to add to it. Ultimately the way to know that Bellafill is working well for you is to note that you are going longer and longer in between touch ups (compared to what you would have done with more temporary fillers). Each time you add a syringe of Bellafill, you are adding a population of microspheres (20% of the syringe) which do not go away over time and along with the collagen they stimulate form the basis of the long term correction.

Best,

Lisa Vuich, MD

Let's examine what "working" means.  If you saw a result immediately after your Bellafill treatment or about 10 days after the swelling has gone then the filler is working.  Over the next 3 to 6 months you will absorb all of the bovine collagen but as you are absorbing the bovine collagen, you are making your own collagen.  This process takes 3 to 6 months and you should not see a difference from your original result other than maybe a slight improvement in the volume.  Some patients report that their results look even more natural after 6 months and this another way to tell your Bellafill is working well.I hope that helps.Best regards.