Dental & Skin Clinic, Royal Tunbridge Wells
Dermal Fillers in Tunbridge Wells — Rested, Rather Than "Done"
Volume and definition restored gradually and conservatively, by a GDC-registered clinician who works with facial anatomy every day — starting with an assessment, not a syringe.
- Treated by Dr Simon Azimi, GDC 81382
- Hyaluronic acid fillers — dissolvable
- Assessment and medical history first
- Two minutes from Tunbridge Wells station
- Over-18s only
It isn't lines. It's the face falling slightly differently.
The change people describe is rarely a wrinkle. It's flatter.
The cheek that used to catch the light now catches a shadow. The fold running from the nose to the corner of the mouth has deepened enough that make-up settles into it. The jawline is less of a line than it was. Lips that were never large have quietly become thinner, and lipstick has started to travel.
You notice it most in overhead lighting, in the lift at work, on video calls. In the mirror at home you look fine. In a photograph taken from below, you don't recognise the person looking back.
None of it is dramatic. That's rather the problem — there's nothing specific to point at, just a general sense of having deflated slightly, and of looking tired at times when you aren't.
And you've seen filler done badly. Everyone has. The over-filled cheek that sits too high, the top lip that has become its own event. That's the thing you're actually frightened of — not the needle, but the result.
Replacing what's gone, not adding something new
The aim is that your face reads as rested. Not fuller. Not different. Rested.
Well-judged filler puts a small amount of volume back where volume has been lost, so light falls on your face the way it used to. The shadow under the cheekbone softens. The fold beside the mouth becomes a crease again rather than a groove. Lips regain the shape they had rather than acquiring one they never did.
Done properly it is quiet work, and often less product than people expect. The commonest reason a face looks "done" is not bad technique but too much, too fast — treating everything in one appointment and judging the result while it is still swollen. Building gradually, over more than one visit if needed, gives a result that people read as you rather than as treatment.
You'll see a change immediately, though it won't be the final one — swelling in the first day or two makes everything look fuller than it will settle to. The honest version of the result appears at around two weeks.
And it isn't permanent. That's a feature, not a limitation.
Why have fillers placed by a dentist?
Detailed anatomical knowledge, used daily.
Because the face is a dentist's working territory, and because the most serious filler complication is an anatomy problem. Dentists are formally taught the anatomy of the face and inject close to significant nerves and blood vessels as a routine part of dental care, every working day. The mid-face and lower face — cheeks, lips, folds, chin and jawline — are the areas dentists know best. Knowing where the facial artery and its branches run is not an optional refinement in filler work; it is the whole safety case.
The right person to manage a complication.
The serious risk with dermal fillers is vascular occlusion, where filler obstructs a blood vessel. It is uncommon, it is time-critical, and it is managed with an enzyme that dissolves hyaluronic acid. What matters is that whoever treats you recognises it immediately, holds the reversal agent on the premises, and knows how to use it. That is a clinical setting question, and it is worth asking any clinic — including this one — before you book.
Clinical premises, clinical records.
Treatment takes place in a dental surgery held to the decontamination, infection-control and clinical-waste standards required of dental practices. Which product was used, how much, and exactly where, is recorded — information that matters if you ever need it dissolved or treated by someone else.
A conservative approach, and a review.
Less at the outset, reviewed once the swelling has gone, added to only if needed. It is slower. It is also how you avoid the result you're worried about.
Over-18s only.
It is illegal in England to administer dermal fillers for cosmetic purposes to anyone under 18. Identification is requested where there is any doubt, and no exception is made regardless of parental consent.
Book your consultation
Assessment first, and an honest answer about whether filler is the right answer for what's bothering you. No obligation.
What are dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers are soft, injectable gels used to replace volume that has been lost from the face, soften folds, and refine contour.
The fillers used here are based on hyaluronic acid — a substance your skin already produces naturally, which holds water and gives skin its plumpness, and which the body produces less of with age. Because the gel is based on something your body already makes, it is gradually broken down and absorbed over months, and — importantly — it can be dissolved deliberately if needed.
Fillers are classed as medical devices in the UK rather than as medicines. They do not require a prescription. They do require a proper assessment, and they should only be placed by someone who understands what is underneath the skin.
Which areas can be treated with dermal fillers?
The areas most commonly assessed are:
- Lips — restoring shape, definition and hydration, or softening the fine vertical lines around the mouth. Subtlety matters more here than anywhere else on the face.
- Cheeks — replacing volume over the cheekbone, which lifts the shadow beneath it and often improves the mid-face generally
- Nasolabial folds — the lines running from the nose to the corners of the mouth
- Marionette lines — the lines running down from the corners of the mouth, which can give a permanently downturned expression
- Chin — improving projection and balance in profile
- Jawline — defining the line of the jaw where it has softened
Which of these is appropriate for you — and importantly, which is the *cause* rather than the symptom — is the assessment. Treating a nasolabial fold directly is sometimes the wrong answer when the fold is being created by volume loss higher up the cheek.
Some areas are higher risk than others because of the blood vessels running through them, and some concerns are better addressed by something other than filler. You'll be told which is which.
How long do dermal fillers last?
It depends on the product, the area and your own metabolism, but hyaluronic acid fillers generally last somewhere between six and eighteen months before being gradually absorbed. Areas that move a great deal — lips in particular — tend to be at the shorter end. Firmer products placed deeper, such as in the cheek or jawline, tend to last longer.
The change is gradual rather than sudden. Most people find the result softens over months rather than disappearing overnight, and top-up appointments are usually spaced by how the result actually looks rather than by the calendar.
Am I suitable for dermal fillers?
Broadly, dermal fillers may be appropriate for adults in good general health, with realistic expectations, whose concern is volume loss or contour rather than skin texture or muscle movement.
They are not suitable if you:
- Are under 18 — a legal prohibition, not a policy
- Are pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding
- Have an active skin infection, inflammation or cold sore at or near the intended site
- Have a known allergy to hyaluronic acid products or to lidocaine, where the product contains it
- Have certain autoimmune conditions or a history of severe allergic reactions — these are assessed individually
- Have had permanent or semi-permanent filler placed elsewhere in the past — this genuinely changes the assessment and must be disclosed
Blood thinners, aspirin, fish oil and high-dose vitamin E all increase the likelihood of bruising. Don't stop prescribed medication for a cosmetic appointment; tell us instead and we'll plan around it.
Does it hurt?
Most people describe pressure and a brief sting. Lips are the most sensitive area by some distance, and most people find the rest of the face straightforward by comparison. Numbing cream can be applied beforehand, many hyaluronic acid fillers contain a local anaesthetic within the gel itself, and a dental block can be used for lip treatment where appropriate — which is one practical advantage of being treated in a dental surgery. It is not painless, and we won't say it is.
What happens if I don't like the result?
Hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved.
That is the single most reassuring fact about this treatment and it is worth understanding properly.
An enzyme called hyaluronidase breaks down hyaluronic acid, and an injection of it will dissolve filler over a matter of days. It is used for two quite different reasons: as a correction, if a result is uneven or heavier than intended and you'd rather it went; and as an emergency treatment, if filler has obstructed a blood vessel and needs removing urgently.
Two honest caveats. Hyaluronidase is itself a prescription-only medicine, so it requires a prescription — which is one more reason to be treated somewhere that can obtain and administer it promptly. And it is not perfectly selective: it can break down some of your own natural hyaluronic acid alongside the filler, which usually recovers, but it means dissolving is a considered step rather than an undo button.
What it does mean is that this treatment is not a permanent decision. Hyaluronic acid filler placed today will either be absorbed by your body over months, or it can be removed deliberately. There is a way back, which is not true of every cosmetic procedure — and it is one of the reasons we don't use permanent fillers.
Step by step
What happens, from consultation to review
Consultation and assessment
Full medical history, medications, allergies, and any previous filler or injectable treatment — including where, when and what, and particularly any permanent or semi-permanent product. Your face is then assessed in proper light and from more than one angle, in movement as well as at rest.
Working out the cause, not just the complaint
People often arrive asking for one area and are bothered by the effect of another. You'll be shown what's actually producing the change you've noticed, and what treating it would and wouldn't achieve.
A plan, a price and the risks in writing
What is proposed, roughly how much product, what result is realistic, what it costs, how long it should last, and every risk that applies to you — given to you on paper to take away.
The first 48 hours
Some swelling and tenderness is normal, and it's usually most obvious the morning after. Lips swell more than anywhere else, sometimes noticeably. Bruising is possible and can last up to two weeks.
Settling
The result softens and settles over roughly two weeks. Judge it then, not on day two.
What are the risks of dermal fillers?
Dermal fillers are generally well tolerated, but they are an injection into the face and they carry genuine risk. Anyone who tells you a filler treatment is completely safe is either misinformed or selling.
Common and expected:
- Swelling, particularly in the lips, most noticeable in the first 24 to 48 hours
- Redness and tenderness at the injection sites
- Bruising — common, sometimes lasting up to two weeks, and more likely on blood thinners
- Small lumps or firmness that usually settle within a couple of weeks, and can often be massaged or adjusted
Less common:
- Asymmetry, or a result that isn't what you wanted — correctable, and dissolvable if necessary
- Persistent nodules under the skin
- Reactivation of a cold sore, if you're prone to them and the area treated is around the mouth
- Infection at the injection site
- A delayed inflammatory reaction, which can occur weeks or months later, sometimes triggered by an illness or a vaccination
Rare but serious:
- Vascular occlusion. This is the one that matters. If filler enters or compresses a blood vessel, it can cut off blood supply to an area of skin — and, very rarely, to the eye, with the risk of visual loss. The warning signs are severe or disproportionate pain, blanching or a white patch, mottled or dusky skin colour, and visual disturbance. It is uncommon, it is time-critical, and it is why the treating clinician's anatomical knowledge, their ability to recognise it immediately, and immediate access to hyaluronidase all matter far more than the price of the appointment.
- Severe allergic reaction
If anything concerns you afterwards — particularly severe pain, skin colour change, blanching or any change in your vision — contact us immediately rather than waiting. You'll leave with written aftercare and a direct number.
Aftercare — the first few days
- Leave the treated area alone: no rubbing, massaging or pressing unless you've been asked to
- No make-up over the injection sites for the rest of the day
- Avoid strenuous exercise, alcohol, saunas, steam rooms and sunbeds for 24 to 48 hours
- Keep out of extreme heat and extreme cold while it settles
- Sleep on your back on the first night if you can, particularly after lip treatment
- Drink water and expect some swelling — an ice pack over a cloth helps in the first day
- If you're prone to cold sores and having lip treatment, tell us beforehand — preventative treatment can be arranged
These treatments are not available to anyone under 18. In England it is an offence to administer dermal fillers for cosmetic purposes to under-18s, and no exception is made.
Fees
How much do dermal fillers cost in Tunbridge Wells?
Filler is usually priced by the syringe or by the area, and the amount needed varies — which is why the consultation gives you a figure for your face rather than a figure from a list. You'll have the full cost in writing before you commit to anything.
It's worth saying plainly that price is a poor way to choose. The cost of correcting or dissolving an unsatisfactory result exceeds the saving on a cheap appointment, and the cost of managing a serious complication does not bear thinking about. What you are paying for is the assessment, the anatomical knowledge, the product, the premises and the person who picks up the phone if something goes wrong at the weekend.
Prefer to talk? Call 01892 547286
Dermal fillers vs anti-wrinkle treatments vs doing nothing
| Dermal fillers | Anti-wrinkle treatments | Skincare & sun protection | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addresses | Volume loss, folds, contour | Lines caused by muscle movement | Skin quality, texture, prevention |
| Typical areas | Lips, cheeks, folds, chin, jawline | Upper face | Whole face |
| Regulatory status | Medical device | Prescription-only medicine | Cosmetic or medical-grade product |
| Result visible | Immediately, settling over ~2 weeks | Gradually, over ~2 weeks | Over months |
| Duration | Around 6–18 months, by product and area | A few months | For as long as you keep it up |
| Reversible | Yes — hyaluronic acid can be dissolved | No — it wears off | n/a |
| Under-18s | No — illegal for cosmetic use | No — illegal for cosmetic use | Yes |
Would filler help my lines, or is it the wrong treatment?
A useful rough test: if the line is visible when your face is completely still and doesn't change when you move, it's more likely to be volume or skin quality. If it appears when you make an expression and vanishes when you stop, it's more likely to be movement. Faces frequently have both, and filler placed where a movement problem exists tends to look heavy.
The other honest answer is that some concerns are not injectable problems at all. Skin texture, pigmentation, sun damage and laxity are addressed differently, and if that is what's bothering you, you'll be told so rather than sold a syringe.
Read about anti-wrinkle treatments
From the blog: anti-wrinkle treatment or dermal fillers — which do you need?
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long do dermal fillers last?
Hyaluronic acid fillers generally last around six to eighteen months, depending on the product, the area and your own metabolism. Lips tend to be at the shorter end because they move constantly; firmer products in the cheek or jawline tend to last longer. The result fades gradually rather than disappearing suddenly.
Can dermal fillers be dissolved?
Yes. Hyaluronic acid fillers can be broken down with an enzyme called hyaluronidase, over a matter of days. It's used both to correct a result you're unhappy with and, urgently, to manage a blocked blood vessel. It requires a prescription, and it isn't entirely selective — it can affect some of your own natural hyaluronic acid too — so it's a considered step rather than an undo button.
Will my lips look obviously done?
That depends on how much is placed and where. Treating conservatively, reviewing at two weeks and adding only if needed is how a subtle result is achieved. If you want a look that reads as obviously enhanced, that's a legitimate choice, but it should be a decision made deliberately rather than a result you end up with by accident. No outcome can be guaranteed.
How much swelling should I expect?
Some, and more in the lips than anywhere else — often at its most obvious the morning after. It generally settles substantially within 48 hours and fully over about two weeks. Don't judge the result before then, and don't book anything important for the following few days.
Will I bruise?
Possibly. Bruising is a normal risk of any injection and can last up to two weeks. It's more likely if you take blood thinners, aspirin, fish oil or high-dose vitamin E. Don't stop prescribed medication for a cosmetic appointment — tell us and we'll plan around it. If you have an event coming up, leave a fortnight.
Can I go back to work afterwards?
Most people do. You'll be asked to avoid make-up over the sites for the rest of the day, and to skip exercise, alcohol and heat for 24 to 48 hours. Whether you'd want to be seen depends on the area — cheek and fold treatment is usually unremarkable, lips are more visible on the first day.
Is it painful?
There's pressure and a brief sting. Lips are the most sensitive area. Numbing cream is used where appropriate, most fillers contain a local anaesthetic in the gel, and a dental block can be used for lip treatment — a practical advantage of being treated in a dental surgery. It is uncomfortable rather than pain-free, and you'll be told so.
What is vascular occlusion?
It's the most serious complication of filler treatment: filler entering or compressing a blood vessel and cutting off blood supply to an area of skin, or very rarely affecting the eye. It's uncommon but time-critical. Warning signs are severe pain, blanching or a white patch, mottled skin, or visual disturbance — contact us immediately if you notice any of these. It is the main reason to choose your injector on anatomical knowledge and complication readiness rather than on price.
Can I have fillers if I've had filler somewhere else?
Usually, but you must tell us what, where and when — particularly if any of it was permanent or semi-permanent, because that materially changes what can safely be done. If you don't know what was used, say so; it's common, and it's better than guessing.
Can I have fillers while pregnant or breastfeeding?
No. Dermal fillers are not given during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
Is there a minimum age?
Yes — 18. It is illegal in England to administer dermal fillers for cosmetic purposes to anyone under 18, and identification is requested where there is any doubt.
Do I have to keep having them?
No. Hyaluronic acid filler is absorbed over months and your face returns to how it was. There's no obligation to maintain a result and nothing deteriorates because you stop.
Getting here
Dermal filler appointments across Tunbridge Wells and West Kent
We're at the entrance to Calverley Park, opposite Tunbridge Wells railway station.
Start with an assessment
Book a consultation and you'll get a proper look at your face, a full medical history, a clear explanation of what's actually causing the change you've noticed, a written plan with the cost on it, and the risks in writing — before you decide anything. If filler isn't the right answer, you'll be told that instead.
Or call us on 01892 547286 — we're happy to answer questions over the phone first.
Mon–Fri 8:30am–5:15pm · Sat 10am–4:30pm1 The Lodge, Mount Pleasant Avenue, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 1QY
Reviewed by Dr Simon Azimi, GDC 81382