A dermatologist will evaluate the conditions that need to be treated and go over your medical history before administering an injection of hyaluronic acid filler. The FDA has not approved injectables or dermal fillers for use by women who are expecting or breastfeeding. If there’s a history of anaphylaxis, pigmentation disorders, or severe allergies, the physician might not provide the treatment until your conditions resolve. Those who take blood thinners such as aspirin or ibuprofen will be recommended to stop using them two weeks before their injection. To avoid the risk of infection, dermal fillers shouldn’t be administered right after laser therapy, chemical peeling, or microdermabrasion, either.

During a hyaluronic acid filler procedure, your dermatologist will disinfect the site of injection and puncture your skin with a fine needle, and then inject a tiny volume of hyaluronic acid into the tissue. Dermatologist and filler expert Claire Wolinsky tells Who What Wear: “Part of how we do fillers and how we’re trained on fillers is that we look at the fat pads of the face, how they age and how they descend with age, and we re-inflate them because they shrink and they go down.” According to Dr. Dirk Kremer from Harley St. Aesthetics, your doctor may administer an injection of local anesthetic or give you pain-relieving ointment depending on your pain threshold and the intended site of injection to keep you comfortable throughout the procedure.