Why there is no single number
It would be simpler if there were a standard amount of hyaluronic acid per face or per area. There is not. Two faces of the same age can be at very different stages, with losses in different places and to different degrees.
The amount of hyaluronic acid depends on what the facial assessment finds: how much loss of structure there is, in which areas, and what each person's anatomy is like. A number of syringes set before looking at the face is, in practice, a chart applied to someone who does not fit it.
In the N3F® Protocol, the rule is clear: the amount is the one the face calls for, defined in the assessment, not in a chart.
What defines the amount in each face
Some factors weigh more than others when planning the amount of hyaluronic acid. None of them, on its own, gives the answer.
The degree of loss
The more structure the face has lost, the more support needs to be restored. The degree of loss varies with age, genetics, sun, habits and weight fluctuations. To understand this loss layer by layer, see how the face changes over the years.
The treated areas
The treated areas also change the calculation. Structural points, such as the cheekbones and the jawline, call for different reasoning than delicate and finishing areas.
The chosen product
Gels vary in consistency and in cross-linking. The gel consistency chosen for each layer is part of the plan, and choosing the product is up to the professional. In the N3F® Protocol, the hyaluronic acid used is UP Contour, by Ilikia.
Each person's moment
The plan considers the life moment and health of the person in the chair. And, above all, it considers proportion: the right amount is the one that restores support without changing who you are.
Why counting syringes says little
It is common to compare treatments by the number of syringes. The comparison seems objective, but it leaves out almost everything that determines the result: where the product goes, in what order, in which layer and for what purpose.
One poorly placed syringe can weigh more on the face than several well distributed at the support points. That is why the result is not sold by the milliliter. What counts is facial planning and the reading of the person who applies it.
"I don't sell syringes. I sell results and continuity."
Dr. Fred Fortes
More product is not more result
There is a mistake in both directions. The best known is excess volume: too much product, or product in the wrong place, leaves the face heavy-looking and is the most common origin of the artificial look. Understand more in does hyaluronic acid make the face look artificial?
The other mistake is talked about less. When the loss of structure is significant and replacement falls short of what the face needs, small corrections spread across the face may not restore the missing support. The tendency then is to go back to spot touch-ups, which add product without addressing the cause.
Nor is it true that more product lasts longer. Duration depends on the product, the area and the body, and excess volume does not mean a longer-lasting result. A natural look lies in the right measure, not in the minimum or the maximum. See how long hyaluronic acid filler lasts in the face.
How the amount is defined in the N3F® Protocol
In the N3F® Protocol, the amount is a decision of the plan, made in stages:
- Assessment: photos, analysis of the thirds of the face, of what has lost structure and of what only looks tired.
- Individual plan: which areas are included, in what order and with how much product, considering your moment.
- Restructuring: the whole face, in the same session, with the amount the face calls for.
- 60-day follow-up: once everything has settled, the fine adjustments. This is where the result comes together.
- Annual maintenance: about one third of the initial amount, adjusted to your moment.
The 60-day follow-up is also part of this decision. With the gel settled and the face seen without the swelling of the first days, the fine adjustments are made. In maintenance visits, the logic is to work with less product each time, because the structural foundation has already been built.
When the answer is none
The ideal amount can also be zero. Some faces need structure before anything else, and some faces do not need anything yet. The indication comes from the assessment, and if it does not make sense to apply anything that day, nothing is applied.
For any patient, some precautions always apply: tell the qualified professional about your health history and previous procedures on the face, confirm that the product has Anvisa registration (Anvisa, Brazil's health regulatory agency) and be wary of proposals that set the amount before an assessment. The assessment takes place at N3F Clinic, in Brooklin, São Paulo, or during periodic appointments in Florianópolis.