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Has anyone noticed that now there are different types of Juvederm you can get injected into your lips, smile lines, facial wrinkles and nasolabial folds (the creases that can run from the bottom of the nose out to the corners of your mouth)? Well we know that Juvederm is a gel made of hyaluronic acid which helps add voume to your face. The maker of Juvederm (Allergan) claims that hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance.
How many versions of Juvederm are there?
Now the company Allergan has different versions of the injectable gel on the market which include Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra Plus, Juvederm Ultra XC, and Juvederm Ultra Plus XC. If they don’t stop making Juvederm variants I am going to tell you to just go and get Restylane lol. But Restylane will probably come out with these different versions to compete.
What are the two basic types of Juvederm?
There are two basic types of Juvederm which are Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Ultra Plus. From everything I’ve read (and I’ve read a lot because I sit around all day reading beauty stuff) Juvederm Ultra Plus is a thicker material and the thickest one that Juvederm puts out. That would make Juvederm Ultra Plus the superior choice for creating facial volume. If you have very deep nasolabial folds and deep crevice deflated areas, then your doctor would probably use the Ultra Plus version for that. Basically, it’s for deep line filling in a woman’s face. Doctor’s like the stable thick consistency of Ultra Plus for creating volume and they also say it lasts reasonably well. If you only have fine lines the Juvederm Ultra Plus is too thick and the Juvederm Ultra is the better choice.
The basic version of Juvederm (Juvederm Plus) is a lighter consistency. Let’s say you are a woman who just needs a little judicious lip volume. If that is the case, you could get Juvederm Ultra for as cheap as you could find it offered by a good doctor, and just get the basic plumping. You wouldn’t really need the thick stuff and why pay more money for it. Use the Juvederm Ultra for more superficial wrinkles and lines and the Ultra Plus for deeper lines and volume filling. I’ve also read that the viscuous thickness of the Ultra Plus makes it last a few months longer but it may be just that you get more of it because your wrinkles would be deeper. Obviously if you got more cc’s injected then it’s going to take it longer for it to totally deflate itself. If your facial wrinkles are really fine I don’t think you would want the Ultra Plus as it could look lumpy in that case. Ultra Plus is more for deep groves. Likewise you don’t want trout pout by getting too much Ultra Plus pumped into your lips. If you have a decent doctor then he knows what to do.
What is Juvederm XC?
My understanding is that the XC formulation of Juvederm is specifically for enhanced patient comfort. Both Juvederm Ulta and Juvederm Ultra Plus have the XL version wherein there is an anesthetic (Xylocaine) pre-mixed in with the Juvederm agent. It’s the same stuff as Juvederm, but it has lidocaine in it which numbs you. Basically the XC version is going to be more painless than the basic Juvederm version. It does really hurt to get your lips injected. Some women were using a numbing cream such as EMLA or Lidocaine that the doctor provides or that they write a prescription for. But the cream just affects the surface so the Lidocaine which is injected should be a bit more effective than a surface cream.
If you really are a wimp you could pay for a dental block (novacaine) but that would add substantially to the price. If I were a wimp I would probably use a numbing cream for 20 minutes on the skin before the injections, then get the XC version. If you can get Juvederm cheaper by skipping all that and just wincing then by all means, wince. The only thing is that the lidocaine solution may take up space or volume in the liquid. I am not certain how much space it takes. But I would think that if you get the regular Juvederm injected verses the Lidocaine laced XC version in the exact same CC’s you may be getting numb and less Juvederm.
Allergan claims that a study proved that Juvederm lasts up to a year and I don’t buy it. They probably found one person that it lasted a year for. Most everyone else, it’s more like a couple of months. This stuff is expensive. The odds are that if it is done judiciously and not overdone you will like it. That means getting it redone. Think twice before you take on a lifetime Juvederm mortgage ladies. Just saying. By the way Botox is made by Allergen also. So if you get Botox and Juvederm, Allergen makes lots of money of you. We should go buy some stock of Allergan so we can pay ourselves. Own what you inject, now that’s a thought.