A Thorough Review for Smile Line Fillers: Sharing My Honest Experience

Editor’s Note: Before getting started with sharing my experience surrounding smile fillers, I would like to advise the readers to make sure that the professional they have chosen to trust with their face is a qualified and licensed provider for fillers. If you are planning on getting fillers in smile lines or any filler, in general, you must check that they are trained professionals before making the final call. 

As you all may already know by now, what I will be talking about in this article, let me say that I will be sharing a real and honest review of my experience with getting smile line fillers myself. 

So if you are someone who is planning to get smile line fillers, you can go through this detailed review of smile line fillers as I will be sharing a raw and personal experience. Not only that, but I will also share other essential things about smile line fillers – from the pros and cons, smile line fillers’ cost to before and after journey and recovery, and results of smile fillers too. 

The following article is my personal experience, and you can pick up the points to learn from the mistakes that I made. So let’s get right into it without further ado!

About Smile Lines and Nasolabial Fold Fillers 

Smile lines or nasolabial folds are a facial feature that many of us have, and so do I. But I won’t say that I am the biggest fan of it. Because over time, it has become a feature that I get fixated on, and sadly, not in a positive way.

So for those of you who don’t know much about smile lines, let’s talk about them for a bit. Smile lines or the nasolabial folds are the lines, or you can say the visible crease coming down between your nose and sides of the lips. While many see it as a sign of aging, there are still some like me who get them in their early or mid-twenties. And so, for the rescue, that’s where the smile line fillers or nasolabial fillers step in.

In today’s time, where it can become pretty common to go under the knife, fillers are making it easier than getting surgical procedures done. And the same can be in the case for smile lines and its treatments. 

Compared to other procedures like rhinoplasty, lips surgery, etc., fillers cost much less. If you are thinking about how much fillers are for smile lines, the process of getting smile line fillers costs somewhere around $300 to $600. And one can repeat it for 3 to 6 months. 

So I am very delighted to announce that I have been lucky enough that I got to experience getting smile fillers done. And I will be pretty honest about it.

Before making the decision to go ahead with getting nasolabial fold fillers, I was quite unsure. And, of course, having a pool full of questions and doubts about it. So with my journey of smile line fillers so far, I will try to make things easier for you to understand and clear the air surrounding it as much as I can. So let’s get into the pros and cons of smile line fillers first and get the ball rolling! 

Pros and Cons of Smile Line Fillers

It’s easier to say that ‘age is just a number’ than to actually accept it. I mean, not many are okay with signs of aging, including me! And personally, as long as I can look youthful with the help of fillers, why bother sitting and complaining about the things that bug me? 

So now, moving on to one of the most important parts – pros and cons, I will list down what I think gives a plus by getting smile line fillers and what can be the cons. These are as per my research and personal experience.  

In my opinion and from what most people have to say when it comes to the advantages and minus points of getting smile line fillers done, these are the ones that I can think of. Now let’s talk about my transition as I will be sharing the before and after versions of getting smile line fillers. 

Smile Line Fillers: Before and After

While everyone has their own reason for getting the smile line fillers, the reason, that at least I have heard the most from people to get smile line fillers is because they are habitual smilers or that crease of smile lines in their family has run deep since the old times. But for me, I simply didn’t want them to keep getting more visible as the numbers of age went up.

So before I got the smile line fillers, my nasolabial folds were pretty visible. Even when I didn’t smile, the crease was always there and that bugged me. I noticed them the first time when I was somewhere with overhead lighting, the smile lines were just popping out. 

But initially, I thought that it was due to the lighting or that I was probably thinking a lot. And looks like that thought didn’t age well. So a month back, I finally got the smile line fillers. But mind you, it was after thorough research that went down for weeks. 

So here I have shared mine before and after images of getting smile line fillers. 

While the results might be visible, and maybe a letdown for some, to me, it was a win-win. Look guys, I cannot exactly display through just an image how my smile line fillers have changed the overall look of not only my nasolabial folds but my whole face as well. 

Keep in mind that it is just a month’s difference between the pics taken. It can get better or remain the same, too. Hence, I have explained everything in as much detail as possible in the blog. 

So I will leave it to you to decide whether you should go with the procedure or not. If you have questions like how long do smile line fillers last? Or can I smile after nasolabial filler? Let me clear these two most asked questions. 

Smile line fillers, as per experts, last for a good 6 months and even a year. But, as I have mentioned plenty of times already, make sure that you consult a licensed and well-experienced practitioner. My provider was kind enough about discussing the ongoing trends with fillers and answered my questions hands-on, no matter how bad they might have sounded 😁. 

I have also read about people googling ‘smile lines filler or botox’ and that is because they are confused about which one to go for. And while there is no right answer to it, I would only say what I have learned. If it is about relaxing the muscles around the mouth, botox works just fine. But, when it comes to softening the deep nasolabial folds around the mouth, smile line fillers surely do the trick. 

Now getting back to another question, about the smiling part, you might have a little difficulty in smiling just after getting the smile line fillers, but I recommend you most likely avoid doing that. Let the fillers take their time to do their job and adjust with the blood vessels. But it should be kept in mind that the amount of filler is very vital in the overall process of fillers for smile lines. Let’s jump in and catch up on that.

The Right Amount of Filler for Nasolabial Folds

One of the most important questions on everyone’s mind would be ‘What is the right amount of filler and how much filler do you need?’ Well, before you think too hard about it, let me make it easy for you – there is an average amount of 0.5ml to 2ml that is mostly used on each side of the face. 

But there is no such thing as the right and wrong amount, and that is because every person has their own depth to smile lines, and hence, every individual’s case is different. Thus, varying the amount of dermal filler that is used. 

Now I will share some important points that I wish I knew and had considered about the smile line fillers process. 

Points to Consider Before Getting Smile Line Fillers 

So now that you know pretty much about my experience of getting smile line fillers, I want you to go through the points that are quite essential. I will accept that I did not follow up with these, but I should have. Because these points would’ve for sure helped me in a quicker recovery. Let’s have a look at them.

• You might get swelling and redness

It is not uncommon to get bruising or swelling after getting fillers of any sort. And it was no different in the case of smile line fillers either. So if you are someone who is getting fillers for the first time, don’t panic when there is redness and swelling after the procedure. 

While it swings from person to person for when you get the bruising after the procedure, in my case, it was the next morning. I panicked, but not much. And that was because the same had happened when I had gotten my lip fillers. So you have to make sure that you put ice on the areas and follow as your practitioner has instructed. 

• The fillers’ provider may not numb you prior to the procedure

While there are some providers who do offer to apply numbing cream before starting with the process of fillers, there are many who don’t. Hence, if you think that the process of getting the needle in and out of your skin will be very hurtful, you can confirm whether they will be applying a numbing cream to your skin before or not. In my case, my provider did not apply the numbing cream and get started with the process. 

I was hesitant initially about how painful the experience was going to be 😟 but then it turned out pretty fine. I did not feel the pinching of the needle into my skin a lot, as the practitioner was very patient throughout the whole procedure and made sure that I felt okay. 

• You may feel the filler physically 

After I was done with my smile line fillers and went home, I was curious and excited to find out what good smile line fillers are going to do for me. So I waited a couple of hours and when I touched my face, I could feel a bit of stiffness in the areas where I had got the fillers. And oh dear, did this scare me? A little. Hence, I made a video and shared it with my provider. 

They were sweet enough to FaceTime me and told me some gentle exercises that might help with the decrease in the rigidness. They also explained that the stiffness will soften over time and eventually go away. 

• Don’t make a comparison with other fillers and areas

It is a mistake that many of us make and I did the same guys! Please keep this in mind, DO NOT compare one kind of filler and its effects with another filler. Since every area of skin is different from the other, the same is the case with filler. Even though most of the after-effects can be common, it is not necessary for them to wear off just like any other filter.

Speaking from personal experience, as I have got lip fillers in the past, I would highlight the difference here. Since my provider did not numb my skin before injecting the smile line fillers, I personally did not feel much pain in the needle moving here and there. 

But, it is also important to note that it did not hurt as much as it did during the time of lip fillers. And that is because the numbing cream is given due to the sensitivity of lips, which is more in the lips in comparison to that of skin. 

So make sure that, unlike me, you pay full attention to these points and keep them in mind. Because these will be helping you in your recovery journey, and you might get more effective results too. Talking about the recovery and results, now I will share the after-experience of getting fillers for smile lines. 

Recovery and Results 

While the experience for everyone can be different, I personally had redness and a bit of swelling even after a week of getting smile line fillers. As you may already have seen in my before and after photos, even though there is a visible difference in my nasolabial folds, it felt a bit stiff in the areas where I got the fillers. In fact, for the couple of next days that followed, I could still feel the filler in the places, which worried me a bit. 

But, my practitioner assured me that they will dissolve as time goes by, and they actually did. Just make sure that you follow the points your doctor prescribes, and you can also go through the points I have mentioned that I wish I had known before getting my smile line fillers done.

Even though I had my fair share of ‘did I do the right thing?’ moments many times after getting the filler, I can surely say that I don’t regret getting them done at all. In fact, now that my smile lines are gone, I feel pretty confident and don’t shy away from smiling like I used to.

Smile Line Fillers Gone Wrong?

As fillers have become quite common, more than ever, with more and more people getting them done, is it possible that there are no complications at all?

Well, we all know that fillers have their own side effects, and it is better to be aware of them. Especially if you are thinking of going through the process. So who wants to end up getting your face messed up by an inexperienced practitioner? 

If you want to know what one should do to avoid the potential risks that can cause a ‘smile fillers gone wrong’ situation, read the points given below. 

• Make sure that before getting the smile line fillers, you do overall proper and thorough research about them.
• Do not believe blindly in what others say, as everyone’s experience can be different. 
• If it worked out for them, doesn’t mean it has to work out the same exact way for you, too. So do not make comparisons.
• Visit a provider who is medically licensed and experienced and has deep knowledge about fillers.
• Check if the practitioner is giving details about the procedure before getting started with it.
• Beware of infections and see if the provider isn’t using an old filler syringe. 
• Take initial consultation and don’t hurry with making a quick decision. 

If unfortunately, you are someone who has already been a victim of the ‘smile line fillers gone wrong’ scenario, it is still not too late. There are some smile line filler treatments that might not fully cure the problem, but at least help you out with the situation. 

Signing Off

Now that you have gone through my experience of getting smile line fillers, the question that remains is – will there be a second time? Well, I’d say there will be a third and a fourth too. If you are going to ask why, the answer is pretty simple. I turned my smile lines from insecurity to something I can now be confident about. I love how much better and smooth the texture of the skin around my nose and mouth looks now. And that’s all thanks to the smile line fillers. 
So if you think that this is all you are looking for, and it’s about time to have an enhancement to your beauty, I would definitely recommend it. Before you start googling ‘smile line fillers near me’, make sure that you don’t compromise on this. Some of the best fillers for smile lines include hyaluronic acid-based fillers, as the plumping effects are quick and visible almost right after the procedure.