Hyaluronic Acid Injections: Dermal Fillers for the Face
Your cheeks seem less full than they used to be, a fold runs from your nose down toward your mouth, or the outline of your lips has faded. You are wondering whether a hyaluronic acid injection could make a difference. It acts on contours and volume, not on muscle movement. The result is not guaranteed, and a medical assessment comes before any decision.
At a glance
Five things to know before deciding- What it is: a hyaluronic acid gel, a medical implant injected into or under the skin to smooth it or add volume.
- What it changes: the contours and volume of an area; it does not relax a muscle and does not necessarily erase a fold.
- Duration: temporary; the effect can last from six months to a year or more, depending on the skin, the area and the product. The gel can be dissolved.
- Risk that requires immediate care: injection of the gel into a blood vessel, which is rare but serious.
- Before any treatment: a medical assessment, which can lead to offering, changing, postponing or declining the injection.
What Is a Hyaluronic Acid Injection?
Hyaluronic acid is naturally present in your skin. It helps the skin retain water and contributes to its suppleness. The injected gel is a manufactured form of it. When placed in or under the skin, the gel is a dermal filler: an injectable medical implant that gives the face a smoother or fuller appearance.
Dermal fillers made with hyaluronic acid are the most commonly used in Canada.
- Material
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A hyaluronic acid gel, a manufactured form of a substance naturally present in the skin.
- Type of treatment
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An injectable medical implant, placed in or under the skin.
- Offered by CARE MD
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Hyaluronic acid injection, performed by a doctor or by a nurse injector supervised by a doctor.
Cheekbones and Hollow Cheeks: Restoring Volume
When the cheeks become hollow or the cheekbones flatten, a hyaluronic acid gel can fill in the missing volume. Absorbable dermal fillers are used, among other things, to add volume to the cheeks, lips and chin. The aim is to add volume to the hollow area; the result varies depending on your tissues and the gel used.
For the lips, be clear about whether you want to change their outline, their volume or both before considering a hyaluronic acid lip injection.
The fold that runs from the side of the nose down to the corner of the mouth and the folds below the corners of the mouth are not in the same place. Be clear about which fold bothers you before considering filler for nasolabial folds and marionette lines. An absorbable dermal filler can soften the nasolabial fold, as well as lines around the mouth.
If you are looking to improve the quality of your skin rather than regain volume, injectable skin hydration serves a different purpose than dermal fillers.
Each filler product is evaluated for specific areas, and a gel is not necessarily indicated for the whole face. The doctor considers the area you want to treat before choosing the product.
What a Dermal Filler Changes, and What It Does Not
A dermal filler acts where it is placed: it changes the contours or volume in that area, making some moderate to severe wrinkles and folds less visible. It does not relax a muscle and does not necessarily erase a fold. The result varies depending on the person, the structure of their tissues, the amount of gel and the type of product.
In cosmetic skin care, hyaluronic acid hydrates the skin and can soften signs of aging on the surface. Injected hyaluronic acid is an implant that changes the contours. The molecule is the same, but the effects are not interchangeable.
- What it changes
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The contours and volume of an area, and therefore how visible some folds and wrinkles are.
- What it does not change
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Muscle movement, which contributes to some wrinkles.
- What it does not guarantee
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That a fold will be erased, or an identical result from one person to the next.
- Topical cosmetic skin care
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It does not replace an injected implant.
How Long Does the Effect Last, and Does the Gel Dissolve?
The effect of a hyaluronic acid gel is temporary, because the body naturally absorbs it. The result and how long it lasts vary from person to person.
A prescribed treatment can dissolve the hyaluronic acid gel. The doctor can use it to correct a complication; they decide whether to dissolve the gel and which product and dose to use. Other filler materials do not offer this option.
- Duration
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The effect can last from six months to a year or more.
- What makes it vary
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How the skin has aged, the extent of the correction, the product and the area injected.
- Maintenance
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The injection is repeated when the effect fades; you and the doctor decide how often.
- Reversibility
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The gel can be dissolved.
The Risks of Dermal Fillers, Including Blood Vessel Occlusion
The most common effects are local: pain, bruising, redness and swelling. They usually appear shortly after the injection and can subside within a few days to a few weeks. Some last longer.
The most concerning risk is unintentional injection of the gel into a blood vessel, which blocks the blood supply to the tissues. This risk is rare, but its consequences can be serious and permanent: tissue death (necrosis), vision problems up to and including blindness, or stroke. In the event of an occlusion, care can include a prescribed treatment that immediately dissolves the hyaluronic acid gel. It is an emergency: do not wait.
Seek care right away
During or shortly after an injection: unusual pain, a change in vision, white, grey or blue skin near the injection site, or a sign of stroke (sudden difficulty speaking, weakness or numbness in the face, arms or legs, difficulty walking, a drooping face, a severe headache, dizziness or confusion). These signs require immediate medical care. Only a doctor can determine their cause.
Filler, Muscle-Relaxing Injection or Collagen Stimulation: What Sets Them Apart
Relaxing a muscle, adding volume and stimulating collagen production meet different needs.
- At CARE MD Filler
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A gel injected into the tissues that adds volume right away.
- At CARE MD Muscle-relaxing injection
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It blocks the ability of certain facial muscles to contract, to reduce wrinkles that movement deepens.
- At CARE MD Biostimulator
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An absorbable implant, such as poly-L-lactic acid, that gradually stimulates collagen production; its effect builds over time.
Hyaluronic acid primarily adds volume where it is injected. It can also stimulate the tissues, so filling and stimulating are not two entirely separate actions. If your skin seems less firm overall, without a specific hollow to fill, collagen biostimulators are another option. All of these types of treatment are among the cosmetic injections offered by CARE MD.
Choosing Your Injector
Getting a dermal filler is a medical procedure, not cosmetic skin care. Choose a professional trained in this type of injection and ask them about their training and their experience injecting the face. At CARE MD, a doctor or a nurse injector supervised by a doctor performs the injections. You can learn about the backgrounds of our professionals.
- Training
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Ask the injector what training they have completed.
- Experience
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Also ask what experience they have with facial injections.
- Complications
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Choose someone who knows how to recognize an injection into a blood vessel and has an up-to-date plan to treat you if it happens.
- Cost
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Ask about the cost of what is recommended at your assessment, before you decide.
Why a Medical Assessment Comes Before the Injection
Before injecting, the doctor needs to know what you want to change and check that a filler can address it. The doctor examines your skin and the area concerned. They can then offer the injection, suggest another option, postpone the treatment or decline it. Explain exactly what you want to change and ask what an injection can reasonably modify.
Also tell the doctor about anything related to your health, even if it seems to have nothing to do with your face. Mention a medication you took some time ago, a vitamin or a natural health product, just as you would a prescription medication. Come with your questions about duration, risks, cost and the injector's experience.
- What to mention
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Allergies, bleeding disorders, heart problems, cold sores, easily irritated skin, previous cosmetic treatments (other injections, implants), medications, vitamins, minerals and natural health products.
- When the injection is postponed or declined
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A history of severe allergy with anaphylactic shock, allergy to collagen, eggs or lidocaine, inflamed or infected skin, a bleeding disorder.
- Safety not established
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During pregnancy, breastfeeding and under the age of 22. This does not mean that harm has been established; discuss your situation during the assessment.
Ask Us Your Questions About Hyaluronic Acid Injections
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a hyaluronic acid injection last?
The effect can last from six months to a year or more. How long it lasts depends on how your skin has aged, the extent of the correction, the product and the area injected, and it varies from person to person. The body absorbs the gel naturally: to maintain the effect, the injection is repeated, and you and the doctor decide how often.
Sources2 references
How much does a hyaluronic acid injection cost?
The cost depends on the assessment. After assessing your situation, the doctor explains what they recommend, and you can discuss its cost. Before deciding, ask about the cost, how long the effect lasts, the risks and the injector's experience.
Sources2 references
Who can inject hyaluronic acid in Quebec, and how do you choose?
A filler injection is a medical procedure, not cosmetic skin care. Choose a professional trained in this type of injection. Ask them what training they have completed, what experience they have injecting the face, and how they recognize and treat a complication, including an injection into a blood vessel. At CARE MD, injections are performed by a doctor or by a nurse injector supervised by a doctor.
Sources3 references
Can injected hyaluronic acid be dissolved?
Yes. A prescribed treatment can dissolve the hyaluronic acid gel. The doctor can use it to correct a complication, including occlusion of a blood vessel, which requires immediate dissolution. The doctor decides whether to dissolve the gel and chooses the product and dose. Other filler materials do not offer this option.
Sources2 references
What signs after an injection require immediate care?
Unusual pain, a change in vision, white, grey or blue skin near the injection site, or a sign of stroke: sudden difficulty speaking, weakness or numbness in the face, arms or legs, a drooping face, a severe headache, dizziness or confusion. These signs can occur during or shortly after the injection and require immediate medical care. Only a doctor can determine their cause.
Sources3 references
Does topical hyaluronic acid skin care replace an injection?
No. In topical skin care, hyaluronic acid hydrates the skin and can soften signs of aging on the surface. When injected, it forms an implant that changes the contours or volume. The molecule is the same, but the effects are not interchangeable.
Sources3 references
What should you bring to the medical assessment?
Prepare a list of your allergies, bleeding disorders, heart problems and previous cosmetic treatments (other injections, implants). Add all your medications, vitamins, minerals and natural health products, even those that seem unrelated to your face. Write down your questions about duration, risks, cost and the injector's experience: the doctor can offer, change, postpone or decline the injection depending on your situation.
Sources2 references
Sources8 references+
- Dermal Fillers (Soft Tissue Fillers) — FDA (opens in a new tab)
- Health Canada — Cosmetic injections (opens in a new tab)
- Fillers: What you should know before you go — American Academy of Dermatology (opens in a new tab)
- Hyaluronic Acid in Topical Applications: The Various Forms and Biological Effects of a Hero Molecule in the Cosmetics Industry (Biomolecules, 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Benefits of topical hyaluronic acid for skin quality and signs of skin aging: From literature review to clinical evidence (Dermatologic Therapy, 2022) (opens in a new tab)
- Dermal fillers in aesthetics: an overview of adverse events and treatment approaches (Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2013) (opens in a new tab)
- Evaluation of the biostimulatory effects and the level of neocollagenesis of dermal fillers: a review (International Journal of Dermatology, 2022) — PubMed abstract (opens in a new tab)
- Poly-l-Lactic Acid — StatPearls, NCBI (opens in a new tab)
Hyaluronic Acid Injections: Limitations and Precautions
Everyone is different: it is during the assessment that the doctor determines what is suitable for you.
Limitations and precautions
Accidental injection of the gel into a blood vessel is rare, but can cause necrosis, vision problems or a stroke, with consequences that are sometimes permanent.
Unusual pain, a change in vision, white, grey or blue skin near the injection site, or a sign of stroke requires immediate medical care.
Hyaluronic acid gel can be dissolved with a prescribed treatment; the decision is up to the doctor.
Tell the doctor about your allergies, bleeding disorders, heart problems, medications, supplements and previous cosmetic treatments.
The injection is postponed or declined in the case of a severe allergy, inflamed or infected skin, or a bleeding disorder; during pregnancy, breastfeeding and under the age of 22, safety has not been established.
A dermal filler does not relax a muscle and does not necessarily erase a fold.
No result is guaranteed: it varies from person to person, depending on your tissues, the amount of gel and the product.
The effect is temporary; further injections may be needed to maintain it.
A product is not necessarily indicated for every area of the face.
