Is Voluma safe?

I have been getting botox and have had 2 June dermatologist treatments in the last year. I have a very thin face and had been 30 pounds underweight for 20 years due to anorexia. I am up 25 pounds but my face did not fill out. Hence the fillers. I am considering Juvederm Voluma XC. I can only afford one syringe but have a base to work from now. I realize more would give optimal results but anything is better than now. I have read the blog and am now afraid I will make my face worse, maybe a bad reaction? So far no problems with just Juvederm and the botox. Do most do well with an experienced practitioner? Are the adverse stories the exception or the rule? I am trying to regain what the anorexia cost me 30 years. I'm 41 and never even dated. I want to feel good about how I look and have worked very hard. Should I be afraid to have this procedure? Thank you, Melissa Ward

First of all ……….good for you for tackling and succeeding with a tough problem – anorexia.   You’re clearly on your way, succeeding and building a new healthy life.    Everyone who reads this I know is sending some good thoughts your way.  More on fillers.

Here are some thoughts on your questions:

  • So far, the experience with Voluma, which is made by the same company that makes Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus, is quite similiar, as in quite safe.
  • It’s true that it’s a little more challenging to sculpt with this product aesthetically, because to do it well requires more of a “3-D” approach.   However, an experienced dermatologist or nurse injector should be familiar with all the techniques to adjust or fix problems if they occur.  Just go to a dermatologist with a good track record.
  • So far allergic reactions to this product are extremely rare, just as allergic reactions to Botox or Juvederm are extremely rare.
  • So yes, most do very well with an experienced doctor or nurse.

To me this is one of the problems with sites like RealSelf –  since mostly it just aggregates content from it’s users, there are a lot of anecdotes that add up to a lot of unnecessary fear.   Most of the doctors who write for the site are paying the site money to do that and it’s a form of advertising for doctors and a revenue stream for the site.

Hope this helps,  Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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