Juvéderm® ULTRA - Dermal Fillers

Manufactured by Allergan this product is a cohesively advanced 3D hyaluronic acid matrix with a built-in local anaesthetic. It was launched in the UK market in February of 2008. Genetically it is a cross-linked hyaluronic acid with lidocaine, also referred to as LuCOCAINE in the UK. The contents of Juvederm® ULTRA are non-animal in composition. It is mainly made up of hyaluronic acid with an additional 0.3 per cent of lidocaine anaesthetic to provide some level of comfort during the treatment process. The anaesthetic may also help with minor pain once the treatment stage is finished, depending on the area being treated.

For lip treatment it is always advisable to have topical anaesthetic or dental nerve block to ensure the treatment is pain-free. Unlike some areas dermal fillers are applied to the lip area is very sensitive. Results from testing by the manufactures indicate that women treated with this product, especially those who used Juvederm® ULTRA 3, did not encounter any discomfort during or after treatment.

Fermentation of streptococci bacteria is the main process through which it is made. It is a temporary filler due to the fact that its main ingredient is hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid will always break down in the body over time and it is recommended that repeated treatments are undertaken to sustain skin improvements.

The main product range formulations include Juvederm® ULTRA 3, Juvederm® ULTRA 4 and Juvederm® ULTRA Smile, all of which are used to treat different conditions on the face, with different specifications, procedures and effects. Individuals with hypersensitivity towards lidocaine or hyaluronic acid should not use Juvederm®. This includes patients with severe allergies, especially those related to anaphylaxis. Additionally patients should not be treated with Juvederm® if they recently underwent deep or superficial chemical peeling or dermabrasion.

Being a temporary treatment, patients should make sure to have repeated treatments after the standard period of 12 months. Side-effects which can be experienced include swelling, pain, discolouration, tenderness of treated areas and transient erythema. Recovery takes one to two days for skin injections and one week for injections on the lip. The costs are dependent on the area of treatment, the practitioner and the amount needed, with average costs being around £275 per pack of Juvederm®.