What Is Belotero Balance?

Belotero Balance, one of the newer classes of dermal fillers, is considered by some a starter filler of sorts. It is particularly effective as a light filler for vertical lip lines or creases around the mouth. Learn more about lip augmentation and smile line removal at WebMD.com.

Belotero came to the market more recently than other dermal fillers such as Restylane, and it is also made with hyaluronic acid, a substance existing naturally in the human body. It adds volume to your face by plumping it and softening undesirable wrinkles, furrows, folds, and depressed scars.

Many people experience thinning, sagging skin because the body loses its supply of hyaluronic acid over time. This can be troublesome because hyaluronic acid absorbs water, so when dermal fillers like Belotero are injected into your skin, the acid soaks up moisture from your body, expanding like a sponge and stimulating your body’s production of new collagen and replenishing empty spaces beneath your skin that give wrinkles their appearance. The skin radiantly transforms into a glowing, supple surface that looks more youthful.

What makes Belotero Balance unique is that it’s the first monophasic dermal fillers on the market; competitors and other dermal fillers are biphasic. Simply put, a monophasic filler is composed of a more stabilized hyaluronic acid, making it less likely to produce the unwanted side effect of the injected substance lumping on the skin. This leads to a better smoothing of wrinkles and smile line removal. As a hyaluronic acid, the effects of Belotero can be reversed through the use of hyaluronidase.

Contact Dr. Kitagawa and his staff in Honolulu, Hawaii for more information about this effective dermal filler.

More Than a Lip Filler

Belotero is used to treat a variety of common age-related facial issues:

• Crow’s feet around the eyes (periorbital lines)
• Smoker’s lines around the mouth (perioral lines)
• Frown lines on the forehead (vertical glabellar lines)
• Laugh lines from the nose to the corners of the mouth (nasolabial folds)
• Marionette lines from the mouth to the jaw
• Depressed scars caused by injury or acne
• Shallow cheeks or thin lips

In addition to being used as a treatment for facial issues, Belotero is also used to revitalize the aging, paper-thin skin on the back of the hands.

What to Expect During a Filler Treatment

A very fine needle is used to inject Belotero under eyes, around the mouth, and in the cheeks or the forehead. Most patients report nothing more than a prick as the filler is injected. Many report no discomfort during the Belotero procedure; however, for those with a serious aversion or sensitivity to needles, a topical anesthetic can be used to dull any uncomfortable sensations.

For some dermal fillers, an allergy test is performed before any treatment is administered. However, with a hyaluronic acid injection such as Belotero, no such test is required, permitting treatment the same day as the consultation.

One treatment is all it takes to see immediate results, which can last a year or longer. As the effects gradually wear off, patients usually come back for additional smile line removal treatment and continue doing so every 9-12 months.

Potential Side Effects

A complete treatment session with dermal fillers like Belotero usually takes 30 minutes or less. There is little downtime and few side effects, which are typically temporary, meaning once treatment is done, patients can return to their daily routine as soon as they want.

Dermal fillers side effects include mild swelling, redness, bruising, and/or itching at the injection site. These usually vanish in 24-48 hours, although when used as lip filler, Belotero side effects can last several days longer.

If any Belotero side effects don’t fade within a week, contact Kitagawa Dermatology.

Belotero vs Juvéderm

Many patients report preferring Belotero over other dermal fillers.

One reason is that Belotero was developed specifically to treat facial lines and wrinkles that lie closer to the skin surface, such as around the eye where the skin is thinnest. One side effect of other hyaluronic under eye dermal fillers such as Juvéderm is that they leave a bluish tint under the eye known as the Tyndall Effect.

Another benefit is that Belotero claims to last longer. Belotero is touted to last an average of 12 months at a time. Juvéderm claims to last 6-8 months while other hyaluronic fillers average about 3-6 months following treatment.

Because Belotero is thinner than other fillers, it produces satisfying results, but with much less risk of lumps forming under the skin. Other hyaluronic fillers such as Juvéderm, have a thicker consistency, which can cause lumping.

Finally, because Belotero treatment causes virtually no pain and is administered with a very fine needle, it is not sold premixed with lidocaine for numbing purposes. If a patient wants a numbing agent, Dr. Kitagawa can administer one prior to Belotero injections.