Top Dermal Fillers 2021: Everything You Need to Know

Heart-shaped look. Defined lips. Raised cheeks. Angular jaw. These are just some of the trends sweeping the world of dermal fillers. While 2020 saw a slight reduction of people receiving fillers, down from 3.8 million in 2019, 3.4 million still received injections, pandemic or not. As the world reopens – and video conferencing becomes the norm – all eyes are on our faces. Little wonder, then, that dermal fillers are seeing a serious uptick in interest. Anecdotally, at least.

But with so many brands on the market, who knows which is the top dermal filler?

Ask any dermal filler company, and they’ll promise their hyaluronic fillers are the best. That it lasts longest and with softer, more natural results. Most doctors likely prefer to use only one brand of filler, however. The one they know best. Yet, patients can often benefit from at least a couple of selections with such a range of formulations and results. Especially as patients are demonstrating increasing knowledge of the brands available.

With over 200 brands of hyaluronic fillers on the market, selecting the best dermal filler is a daunting task. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top dermal fillers for 2021.

Let’s get started.

Big Two: Restylane and Juvéderm

No listing of the top dermal fillers is complete with talking about the Big Two. The iPhone and Android of the dermal filler world. It’s no surprise these are the two biggest: they were the first to the party.

Back in 1996, Swedish scientist, Bengt Agerup, became the first to stabilize hyaluronic acid. Shortly after, Restylane launched the world’s first hyaluronic filler – banishing the inferior collagen and silicone fillers to history. Soon after, Juvéderm appeared – the rest, as they say, is history.

Today, Juvéderm has overtaken its predecessor, becoming the world’s leading brand of hyaluronic acid facial fillers. Lasting up to 24 months, Juvéderm boasts some of the most advanced fillers on the market. However, results can vary significantly between products. Juvéderm Ultra 3®, for instance, is an excellent lip filler but only lasts around six months.

Restylane, however, focuses on high-end facial fillers. Bringing together two revolutionary technologies – BT and NASHA^TM – Restylane offers a wide range of fillers perfect for any procedure. Indeed, their classic formulation, Restylane®, is ideal for lips, undereye bags, and even for noses. There are few if any, side effects reported. Results last from 6 to 18 months.

Not all the big names are the best, though. Sooner or later, new and exciting brands catch up.

Saypha

Beginning in the 1970s, it took the pharmaceutical firm Croma until the 2000s to branch into hyaluronic fillers. However, their first brand Princess® proved wildly successful. Within a few years, the company had pivoted, making dermal fillers their core business.

Following a rebranding, Princess®, now known as Saypha®, is a world-recognized high-quality brand renowned for its reliability and medical effectiveness. Impressively, this hypoallergenic hyaluronic acid is not of animal origin – so skin tests are rarely required. The key benefits include the perfect level of viscosity, adequate elasticity, no color, and guaranteed sterility. There is also a wide range of indications, from lip augmentation to the correction of wrinkles and folds.

Overall, a high-quality product with few side effects. Results typically last between 6 to 10 months.

Belotero

Belotero is another high-end brand like Juvéderm and Restylane. The difference? Belotero is remarkably lightweight, meaning it can readily be injected into fine lines without any bumps. That makes Belotero one of the best precision fillers available on the market.

Due to the slight difference in formulation, Juvéderm attracts more water, creating greater and plumper filling. For cheeks, lips, and other areas, it’s fantastic. But when dealing with fine lines like crow’s feet, Belotero shines. Plus, it doesn’t cause the Tyndall effect (a bluish periocular tint), so it is ideal for working close to the eyes.

Its benefit is also a downside, however. When dealing with areas that need lots of filling and lifting, you’re better off opting for a product like Saypha Volume®.

Radiesse

Focusing on hand augmentation and facial wrinkles and folds, Radiesse may be specialized, but it certainly works. There’s even been a trend of injecting diluted Radiesse superficially into the face, neck, and body for skin laxity and textural issues. Thus, demonstrating the versatility of the product.

Patients report amazing and instant results. That’s because Radiesse is intentionally thicker than other brands, meaning it doesn’t migrate to adjacent areas. It can even stimulate new collagen production, creating a long-term improvement to the skin. Indeed, unlike other hyaluronic fillers, Radiesse is made from calcium hydroxyapatite microspheres – identical to the bone’s mineral structure. That does mean around 2% of patients develop cellulitis, however. Although, that’s primarily attributable to the injection technique.

Radiesse offers a radically different form of dermal filler, with results lasting longer than one year. However, its thick texture makes it unsuitable for more precise procedures