Filler injections, also called dermal fillers, have become a cornerstone of medical procedures for aesthetic purposes. Mainly based on hyaluronic acid, but also, in some cases, on biostimulatory substances (calcium hydroxylapatite, polylactic acid), they allow for wrinkle correction, restoration of facial volumes, and improvement of skin quality without surgery.
Although non-invasive, these injections constitute a regulated medical procedure, subject to precise rules regarding frequency, dosage, injection site, and follow-up. The question of their repetition over time raises a legitimate concern : how often can they be repeated without compromising health?
The frequency of filler injections primarily depends on the lifespan of the product used. Hyaluronic acid, the most commonly used substance, is resorbable, meaning the body naturally eliminates it over time. Its longevity varies according to several factors :
Thus, a patient can receive injections every 6 to 18 months depending on the treated areas and products used, without endangering their health, provided they are performed by an experienced physician and in compliance with medical guidelines.
It is sometimes necessary to perform early adjustments or touch-ups, particularly in the weeks following the initial injection. These procedures, carried out at a distance from the main session (generally 2 to 4 weeks later), allow for the correction of slight asymmetry, refinement of volume, or adjustment of an insufficient result.
These occasional touch-ups are not inherently dangerous, provided they are limited, measured, and medically justified. Vigilance is required, however, to avoid performing injections too close together without real necessity, driven by subjective dissatisfaction or unrealistic patient expectations.
That is why personalized medical follow-up is essential : it allows the physician to plan a progressive, reasonable, and harmonious treatment protocol while ensuring long-term tissue health.
Injecting too often, too much product, or at inappropriate intervals carries real aesthetic and medical risks, although largely avoidable with responsible practice. These risks notably include :
The medical approach does not consist of accumulating product, but of following a global, progressive, and reversible aesthetic strategy. Injecting an area does not mean it should be "reloaded" at regular intervals, without considering the result obtained.
It is the role of the physician to clinically evaluate, at each consultation, the condition of the tissue, the possible presence of product residues, the dynamics of the face, and to adapt the strategy accordingly. It is not uncommon, for example, for a product injected a year earlier to still be partially present, and for no new injection to be necessary.
In other words, the frequency of injections is never automatic or systematic, but depends on a personalized medical evaluation.
For filler injections to remain safe for health, it is essential that they are performed :
The physician must also know how to refuse an injection when it is not indicated, when the tissue is saturated, or when the patient’s motivation falls within a logic of aesthetic addiction. This is where the ethical responsibility of the physician lies, who must never give in to a purely commercial request.
There is no official or absolute threshold in terms of the number of annual injections. What matters is not the frequency itself, but the total volume injected, the anatomical area concerned, the tissue’s capacity to receive the product, and the quality of the medical procedure.
Some patients receive, without any adverse effects, several sessions per year spread over different areas (lips, cheekbones, chin, under-eye hollows), provided that each injection meets a precise indication, is spaced reasonably, and respects the physiology of the tissues.
The frequency of filler injections can also depend on the patient’s biological and skin age. In a young patient (30 to 40 years), the tissues are still well vascularized, firm, and minimally lax. A moderate injection may be sufficient to prevent the first signs of laxity or to re-harmonize a profile. In this case, injections every 12 to 18 months are sufficient.
In an older patient (over 50 years), who presents with more pronounced laxity, generalized volume loss, or tissue atrophy, the treatment plan may require closer sessions initially, followed by progressively longer intervals once the correction is achieved. This remains safe.
An entrenched misconception is to believe that injections require systematic maintenance, like an aesthetic subscription, under threat of "losing everything." The result of filler products is reversible, but their effects never disappear abruptly. Even in the case of total cessation, tissues do not degrade beyond their initial state; they simply resume their natural aging process, without any rebound effect.
Thus, a patient can perfectly space out injections, or even temporarily suspend treatments, without any harmful effect on health or biological dependence. Maintenance is recommended to preserve an optimal aesthetic result, but never medically imposed.
It is common, in current medical practice, to treat multiple areas in a single session: for example, restoring the cheekbones, softening the nasolabial folds, and redefining the jawline. This type of comprehensive treatment, called full face harmonisation, presents no inherent danger, provided that the total doses remain reasonable and the products are properly distributed anatomically.
The frequency of injections is therefore not just a matter of schedule, but also of overall strategy: sessions can be spaced further apart if each intervention is more comprehensive. On the other hand, it is not recommended to repeat small, frequent injections without a planning logic, as this increases the risk of asymmetry or unattractive product accumulation.
An experienced doctor knows how to recognize clinical signs indicating that a tissue requires a pause. This can manifest as overly tight skin, heavy facial features, irregularities perceptible to the touch, or reduced facial mobility.
These signs indicate that it is appropriate to slow down the pace or allow the product to resorb, or even consider enzymatic dissolution (hyaluronidase) to restore a healthy baseline. This type of assessment can only be performed by an experienced doctor, who will know how to adjust the frequency according to the patient’s biological response.
Article written by Dr Romano Valeria
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