Injectables · 02 of 03
RHA Dermal Fillers
Hyaluronic acid fillers for facial lines and volume.
- Typical visit
- 30–60 min
- Downtime
- Plan for swelling or bruisingVisible effects may last one to two weeks or longer.
- First results
- Immediately
- Lasts
- Varies by gel and area
- Treatment plan
- Treatment, then a reviewRepeat treatment is based on your response.
Typical estimates. Your clinician explains the timing, recovery and treatment plan for you.
In brief
What this treatment does.
RHA is a family of hyaluronic acid fillers used for facial lines and volume. Different gels suit different areas. Your clinician will explain which formulation is available, where it is appropriate and the amount recommended before you decide.
- Smile lines beside the nose
- Lines around the mouth
- Lip shape and fullness
Before you decide
Suitability and important risks.
Accidental injection into a blood vessel can cause tissue injury, blindness or stroke. Seek immediate medical attention for unusual pain, white, gray or blue skin, changes in vision or stroke symptoms. Do not wait for an office callback.
Your health, medicines and previous treatments affect what is appropriate. Discuss benefits, risks and alternatives with the clinical team.
Who might consider it, and when to ask first
Often a good fit
- Adults 22 and older
- Lines that deepen as you speak and smile
- Anyone who wants a gradual, adjustable change
- First-time filler clients who prefer to start small
Discuss before booking
- Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding, as safety has not been established
- A history of severe allergies, or an allergy to lidocaine or similar anesthetics
- An active infection, cold sore or skin condition at the site
- Blood thinners, a tendency to keloid scars, or any other open question: bring it to your clinician first.
Visit & aftercare
Know what to expect.
The visit, step by step
Consultation
Your clinician studies your face at rest and in motion, and reviews your goals, allergies and medical history, including blood thinners.
Comfort
The area is cleansed and numbed, usually with a topical cream, and the gels contain a local anesthetic. For the lips, a local or nerve block is sometimes used.
Placement
Small amounts are placed with a fine needle or a cannula. You see the change as it happens and can give your input along the way.
Settling
Redness, tenderness, firmness, swelling, lumps or bruising are common. In the study behind the RHA 2 label, more than 70 percent of these responses had resolved by day 7 and more than 85 percent by day 14.
Results and follow-up
Your follow-up is scheduled two weeks after your first filler appointment. By then early swelling has settled, so your clinician can see the true result and decide whether a touch-up would help.
Caring for your skin afterwards
- Use a cold compress briefly, with a cloth between the ice and your skin, to ease swelling.
- Avoid strenuous exercise, heat and strong sun for the first 24 hours.
- Do not press on or massage the area unless we ask you to.
- Wait until the area has settled before a laser, peel or other skin procedure, and ask us how long.
- Seek immediate medical attention for unusual pain, white, gray or blue skin, or any change in vision. Do not wait for an office callback.
Areas and concerns to discuss
Smile lines
The folds from nose to mouth, an approved area for RHA 2, RHA 3 and RHA 4, softened rather than erased.
Lips
RHA 3 is approved for the lip body, border and corners of the mouth, for shape and fullness.
Cheeks
RHA 4 is approved for cheek augmentation and age-related midface contour deficiencies.
Perioral lines
RHA Redensity is approved for the fine lines around the mouth.
Other areas
Any area beyond a gel’s approved indications is off-label, and your clinician will tell you so plainly before you decide.
How it works & evidence
The detail behind the treatment.
How it works, evidence and device labeling
Hyaluronic acid is a sugar your body already makes. It holds water and cushions tissue. Your clinician uses the RHA collection to soften lines and restore volume, choosing the gel and the placement for each area of your face.
The RHA collection is made by Teoxane and is FDA-approved, with indications that differ by gel. RHA 2, RHA 3 and RHA 4 are FDA-approved for moderate to severe dynamic facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, in adults 22 and older. RHA 3 is also approved for lip augmentation, RHA 4 for cheek augmentation and age-related midface contour deficiencies, and RHA Redensity for lines around the mouth.
Dynamic lines are the ones that form as you talk, smile and frown. Hyaluronic acid can be dissolved with an enzyme, so filler is adjustable, and many people start gently and add later. A follow-up visit is scheduled two weeks after your first filler appointment to check how the gel has settled.
Device clearance and approval apply to particular products and uses. Ask which device or formulation will be used for your treatment.
- FDA labeling for RHA 2 (PMA P170002): indication, composition, adverse experiences, effectiveness
- FDA PMA P170002/S030: RHA 3 approved for lip augmentation (October 27, 2023)
- FDA PMA P170002/S048: RHA 4 approved for cheek augmentation and midface contour (September 18, 2025)
- FDA patient information for RHA Redensity (PMA P170002/S012)
- FDA: dermal fillers (soft tissue fillers), risks and consumer advice
Questions
Your questions about RHA Dermal Fillers.
What does RHA stand for?
Teoxane uses RHA for resilient hyaluronic acid. The gels are FDA-approved for dynamic wrinkles and folds, the lines that form as your face moves.
Does it hurt?
Most people feel pressure and brief stinging. Numbing cream and the local anesthetic built into the gels keep it comfortable for most.
How long will it last?
Varies by gel and area Your clinician will discuss the expected duration for your chosen product and area.
Why is there a follow-up at two weeks?
Swelling settles over the first one to two weeks, so two weeks is a fair point to judge the result. The visit is required after a first filler appointment, and your clinician uses it to decide whether a touch-up would help. In the RHA 2 label study, a touch-up at week two was part of the plan.
How does RHA compare with Radiesse?
RHA is hyaluronic acid. It adds volume directly and can be dissolved with an enzyme if needed. Radiesse is a calcium-based filler that lifts at once and then prompts collagen, and that enzyme does not dissolve it.
When can I exercise or have a facial?
Avoid strenuous exercise, heat and strong sun for 24 hours. For lasers, peels and other skin treatments, wait until the area has settled and ask us for timing.
General treatment information. Your clinician explains the choices appropriate for you.
Explore
Other treatments.
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Ask about RHA Dermal Fillers.
A consultation is a conversation about what you would like to change, and what you would like to keep. Nothing is scheduled until you choose to.
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