Filler is the treatment with the biggest gap between how it can look and how it often looks. The difference is not the product — most good clinics use the same hyaluronic acid brands — it is the plan, the hands, and knowing when to stop. This is what we tell clients at our Lekki clinic before the first syringe is opened.
What filler is and what it is for
A dermal filler is a soft gel injected under the skin to add volume, support or shape. The fillers we use are made of hyaluronic acid (HA) — the same molecule that holds water in your skin and joints — cross-linked so it lasts months instead of hours. HA fillers come in different firmnesses: soft gels for lips and under-eyes, firmer ones for cheeks, chin and nose.
Filler is for things you can see at rest: thin or uneven lips, flat cheeks, a weak chin, a bump on the nose bridge, hollows under the eyes, deep smile lines. It is not for lines that only appear when you move your face — that is Botox — and the two are often combined.
Areas and what each does
| Area | What it does | Typical amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lip enhancement | Shape, definition, modest volume | 0.5–1 ml |
| Cheek enhancement | Lift and definition to the mid-face | 1 ml |
| Cheek contouring | Fuller structure, both sides | 2 ml |
| Chin enhancement | Projects a weak chin, balances the profile | 1–2 ml |
| Nasolabial folds (smile lines) | Softens the fold from nose to mouth | 1–2 ml |
| Non-surgical nose job | Straightens a bump, lifts the tip | ~1 ml |
| Tear troughs (under-eye hollows) | Reduces the sunken, tired look | 0.5–1 ml |
| Multi-area packages | 2, 3, 4 or 5 ml across areas | — |
| Filler dissolving | Hyaluronidase to remove old or unwanted filler | — |
Filler is priced per area and per ml. An extra ml in the same session costs less than the first, and our multi-ml packages (2–5 ml across areas) are the most cost-effective way to balance several areas at once. Current prices for every area are on our Services & Pricing page.
How long each area lasts
HA filler is slowly broken down by your body. Areas that move more break it down faster:
- Lips: 6–12 months
- Tear troughs: 9–12 months (sometimes longer — the area barely moves)
- Nasolabial folds: 9–12 months
- Cheeks: 12–18 months
- Chin and jawline: 12–18 months
- Nose: 12–18 months
Some filler persists longer than the headline numbers, especially after repeated treatments. That is why we scan and feel for old product before adding more — stacking new filler onto old is how faces get heavy.
What the appointment looks like
- Consultation and plan. Photos from several angles; we talk about what you want and what we would actually suggest (sometimes different — a weak chin can make lips look thin, and filling the chin is the better fix).
- Numbing. Topical cream for 15–20 minutes. Most fillers also contain lidocaine.
- Injection. A needle or a blunt cannula depending on the area. Lips take about 15 minutes; a multi-area plan up to an hour.
- Immediately after. Swelling and some redness, more so on lips. A little bruising is possible. You see roughly the shape straight away; the real result shows once swelling settles.
- Two-week review. Swelling is gone, we assess symmetry, and small adjustments are made if needed.
Aftercare: cold compresses on and off for the first day; sleep with your head raised; no makeup on the needle points for 12 hours; no alcohol, intense exercise, saunas, facials or dental work for a few days; no pressing or massaging unless we ask you to.
The risk you need to understand
Minor and common: swelling, bruising, tenderness, small lumps that settle in a week or two, slight asymmetry corrected at review.
The one that matters: vascular occlusion — filler entering a blood vessel and blocking it. It is rare, it is an emergency, and it is the reason filler is a medical procedure. Signs are unusual pain, blanching or a blotchy, dusky colour of the skin, sometimes with vision changes. It must be treated with the dissolving enzyme (hyaluronidase) within hours. Any clinic doing filler should have the enzyme in the room, an injector trained in facial anatomy, and a clear emergency protocol. That is the standard at The Baddie Lab, and it is the first thing to ask anywhere else.
Other things to know: filler is avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding, over active infection or acne in the area, and in people with certain autoimmune conditions. Tell us about blood thinners, allergies, previous filler (what, where, when), and any keloid history.
How to not end up overdone
- Start smaller than you think. 0.5 ml in lips is often enough for a first time; you can always add at review.
- Treat the cause, not the symptom. Hollow under-eyes are sometimes flat cheeks. Thin-looking lips are sometimes a receding chin. A full-face assessment finds this.
- Respect the two-week review. Judging filler on day one, through swelling, leads to "it's not enough" and a second syringe you did not need.
- Let it fade. If a previous clinic over-filled you, dissolving and starting again is often better than "balancing" with more.
- Ask what product is being used, and see the box. Known HA brands with a batch number. Not "imported filler". Permanent fillers are a lifelong problem and we do not use them.
Where to get filler in Lagos
Choose on the person and the setting, not the price per ml. A medical clinic with a trained injector, hyaluronidase on hand, genuine pharmacy-sourced product and a review appointment is the minimum. Our fillers are placed by our medical team at our Lekki Phase 1 clinic, with prices for every area live on the Services & Pricing page. If you are deciding between Botox and filler, start with a consultation — it is the cheapest part of the whole process and the one that decides everything else.
Questions people ask
How long do lip fillers last?
Usually 6–12 months. Lips move constantly, which breaks HA down faster than in the cheeks. Softer lip products last toward the shorter end; firmer ones a little longer.
Do fillers hurt?
Most HA fillers contain lidocaine, and we apply a numbing cream first. Lips feel the most (pressure and a dull ache); cheeks and chin very little. The whole appointment is under an hour.
Are fillers safe for dark skin?
Yes. Filler sits under the skin, so pigment is not involved. People with a history of keloids need an honest conversation first, and any post-injection bruising can leave a temporary dark mark on melanin-rich skin, which we minimise with technique and aftercare.
Can fillers be dissolved?
HA fillers can be dissolved with hyaluronidase, an enzyme injection, within hours to days. This is both the safety net for complications and the fix for a result you do not like. Non-HA fillers (and 'permanent' fillers) cannot be dissolved, which is why we do not use them.
Will I look overdone?
Not if volume is added in sensible amounts to the right places. Overdone faces come from too much product, product in the wrong plane, and repeated top-ups layered on old filler. A conservative first session with a two-week review protects you from all three.
How much filler do I need?
Lips: usually 0.5–1 ml. Cheeks: 1 ml per side to start. Chin: 1–2 ml. Nasolabial folds: 1–2 ml. Nose: about 1 ml. A full-face balancing plan is typically 3–5 ml over one or two sessions — our multi-ml packages are priced for exactly that.
This article is general information for people in Nigeria and is not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Treatments at The Baddie Lab are only started after a consultation with our medical team. Results vary from person to person. If you have a medical emergency, go to the nearest hospital.