Facial balancing with dermal fillers is an approach that looks at how the features of the face relate to each other, rather than treating one line or one area on its own. At Sensational Skin in Scottsdale, S. Kent Brown, M.D. evaluates the entire face with a focus on facial balance before any filler is placed. Whether filler fits your goals, and where, is decided at a consultation.
What is facial balancing with dermal fillers?
Facial balancing is a way of planning filler around proportion. Instead of starting with a single crease or a single feature, the provider looks at the cheeks, midface, lips and chin together and considers how changes in one area relate to the others.
Dermal fillers are gels placed beneath the skin to help restore volume. With age, the face loses elastin, fat and collagen, and that loss of volume can change facial contours: the cheeks may look flatter, folds around the mouth may deepen and the lower face may look different than it once did. A balancing plan looks at those changes across the whole face.
The phrase "facial balancing" describes a planning approach, not a single product or a set procedure. The plan that comes out of the consultation is different for each person.
Why look at the whole face?
A face is seen as a whole, and each feature sits in the context of the features around it. That is why Dr. Brown's approach is to evaluate the entire face rather than one isolated line or area.
In practice, a whole-face evaluation means asking questions such as how the cheeks and midface support the areas below them, how the lips relate to the chin, and where volume loss is showing across the face. The answers shape which areas, if any, belong in a filler plan.
Dr. Brown has been Medical Director of Sensational Skin since 1998 and has more than 25 years of cosmetic injection experience. He performs filler treatments at the practice. He is an anesthesiologist with more than 40 years of surgical experience, and over his career he has worked alongside surgeons in many specialties. That background informs his understanding of facial anatomy.
Which areas can a facial balancing plan include?
At Sensational Skin, a personalized filler plan may address several areas. The practice lists these:
- Cheek and midface volume
- Facial balancing and contouring
- Smile lines and facial folds
- Age-related volume loss
- Lips and chin
Not every plan includes every area. Some people come in asking about one feature, such as their lips, and the conversation at the consultation looks at how that feature fits with the rest of the face. The plan is built around the person, not around a list.
Which fillers does the practice use?
Sensational Skin offers a range of dermal fillers and collagen stimulators, including Juvederm Volux, Voluma XC, Volift, Vollure, Volbella, Volite, Restylane, Restylane Lift, Radiesse and Sculptra. The practice also offers two hyaluronic acid fillers from Obagi Medical, Obagi Saypha ChIQ and Obagi Saypha MagIQ, which are covered in more detail in our article on Obagi dermal fillers in Scottsdale.
Each product has its own characteristics, and the specific uses for each one are discussed at the consultation rather than decided in advance. A balancing plan may use more than one product in different areas. You can see the list of options on the facial fillers and injectables page.
For some patients, Dr. Brown discusses a liquid facelift, a non-surgical approach he performs using several dermal fillers and collagen stimulators together, with Jeuveau, to address the volume loss that comes with aging. Whether that approach fits is part of the consultation.
Skin quality first, then filler
The practice's stated philosophy for filler is to improve skin quality first, then place filler. Volume is one part of how the face changes with age. The texture, tone and condition of the skin itself are another.
Depending on the person, improving skin quality may involve medical-grade skin care such as ZO Skin Health, a chemical peel or a laser treatment. Once the skin is in better condition, filler can be added where volume is part of the goal. The order and combination of steps are worked out at the consultation, and not every patient needs every step.
Comfort and health questions
Nerve-block options are available for comfort during injections at Sensational Skin, and they can be discussed at the consultation.
Filler is a medical treatment, so your health history belongs in the conversation. If you have a skin condition, an active skin concern in the area you want treated, or any question about your health and injections, talk with a qualified medical provider before going ahead. This article is general education and is not medical advice for your situation.
Seeing filler results
Sensational Skin keeps a before and after gallery for injectables, including lip and chin filler. Results vary from person to person, and photos of other patients are not a prediction of your own outcome. The consultation is the place to talk through your goals and what a realistic plan looks like for your face.
Book a facial balancing consultation in Scottsdale
Sensational Skin is in Scottsdale, convenient to patients from North Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Arcadia and Biltmore. The practice offers a complimentary consultation, where Dr. Brown evaluates the whole face and talks through whether filler, a skin quality treatment or a combination fits your goals.
The practice is at 11111 N Scottsdale Rd, Suite 115, Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Call or text (480) 596-9111 to schedule, or request a consultation online.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is facial balancing with dermal fillers?
Facial balancing is an approach that plans filler around the whole face rather than one isolated line or area. At Sensational Skin, Dr. Brown evaluates the entire face with a focus on facial balance.
Who performs filler treatments at Sensational Skin?
S. Kent Brown, M.D., Medical Director since 1998, performs filler treatments. He has more than 25 years of cosmetic injection experience.
Which areas can a filler plan address?
A personalized plan at Sensational Skin may address cheek and midface volume, facial balancing and contouring, smile lines and facial folds, age-related volume loss, and lips and chin. The plan is decided at a consultation.
Book a consultation. Every plan starts with a consultation at our Scottsdale office, 11111 N Scottsdale Rd, Suite 115. Call or text (480) 596-9111, or request a consultation online.
Individual results vary. This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or a medical condition, please see a qualified medical provider.