Filler for Smile Lines and Nasolabial Folds

Nasolabial folds and smile lines are two names for the same crease: the line that runs from the side of the nose down toward the corner of the mouth.

The sources we checked do not explain what causes the fold, so a licensed provider who examines you is the one to ask; this page sticks to what the FDA approval orders and product labels actually say about the area.

The approval orders themselves describe the fold in different ways: as a wrinkle-and-fold problem (Juvéderm Vollure XC and Radiesse carry that wording, among others), as "dynamic" wrinkles and folds (RHA 2, 3 and 4, and Evolysse), and as a contour deficiency (Sculptra's 2009 approval is for shallow to deep nasolabial fold contour deficiencies).

The material behind the HA fillers on this page, hyaluronic acid, is a sugar naturally present in skin and cartilage; filler HA comes from bacteria or rooster combs and is often chemically crosslinked to last longer.

Yes, in one specific sense: FDA describes dermal fillers as medical device implants approved to create a smoother and/or fuller appearance in the face, and it names the nasolabial folds among those areas.

For the other areas, see dermal filler for the face by area.

"Fix" oversells it.

What filler is approved to do there is create a smoother and/or fuller appearance, not erase the fold, and what that would mean for your fold is an in-person question for a licensed provider.

Approval is product by product: Juvéderm Vollure XC, for example, was approved on 2017-03-17 for moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds in adults over 21, and it has no lip indication.

FDA also says filler injection should be considered a medical procedure, not a cosmetic treatment, and advises choosing a licensed health care provider with dermatology or plastic-surgery experience who is trained in filler injection.

There is a serious risk to weigh.

Published case reports put the nasolabial fold among the sites where vision loss after filler has been reported: a 2015 review of 98 published cases counted nasolabial folds at 13.3% of them, and a 2019 update covering January 2015 to September 2018 added 48 new published cases, with nasolabial folds at 14.6%.

Those are counts of published case reports, not rates of how often this happens.

In a 2021 JAMA Dermatology study of 370 US board-certified dermatologists reporting 1.7 million filler syringes, nasolabial folds and lips were the sites where vascular occlusion was most often reported.

Two routes come up for this area: placing filler in the fold itself, or adding volume higher up in the cheek or midface first.

The approval orders support both, because some products are approved for both areas: Restylane Lyft is approved for nasolabial folds and for cheek augmentation/midface contour deficiencies (2015-07-01), and RHA 4 is approved for nasolabial folds (2017) and for cheek augmentation/midface contour (2025).

Other cheek products are approved for other areas: Juvéderm Voluma XC for cheek augmentation to correct age-related midface volume deficit (approved 2013), Restylane Contour for cheek augmentation and midface contour deficiencies (2021), RHA Dynamic Volume for cheek augmentation/midface contour (2025) and saypha ChiQ for cheek augmentation (2026) — the approval orders cited on this page name no nasolabial fold use for these products.

What we did not find is any head-to-head study comparing cheek-first and direct-fold treatment for this area in the sources we checked, so we cannot tell you that one approach works better.

Which route fits your face is an in-person call for a licensed provider; our cheek filler guide covers the cheek area in depth.

"Best" is not a label category, so the factual answer starts with the fillers whose FDA approval orders name the fold — the table below gathers the ones our cited approval-order statements document — and the choice among approved products is an injector's judgment, not a ranking we can make for you.

If you are new to filler as a category, our dermal fillers guide covers the material types and how approval works.

Allergan, the maker of Juvéderm, describes its collection as six FDA-approved hyaluronic acid fillers covering cheeks, chin, temples, smile lines, lips, under-eyes and jawline — each for its own labeled area.

A dash means the detail is not part of the sources cited on this page; a parenthetical dates the approval it names, which is not always the fold approval.

FDA says dermal fillers are approved for adults aged 22 or older (over 21), with each product label setting the exact age: the Vollure and Lyft approval orders cited above say over 21, while the RHA and Evolysse orders say 22 or older.

Sculptra behaves differently from the HA fillers in the table.

Its label says the immediate fullness after a session is mostly water swelling that resolves within hours to a few days, the correction then develops gradually, and at least 3 to 4 weeks should pass before the area is reassessed.

Its label also reports delayed papules and nodules under the skin — usually palpable rather than visible: in the US 5-year post-approval study of 867 subjects, they occurred in 28.5% of subjects overall, including 19.0% in the nasolabial folds.

Bellafill's permanence cuts the other way: FDA says removing filler can require injections, surgery or other interventions with their own risks, and removal may be difficult or impossible, especially for permanent fillers or fillers not made of hyaluronic acid.

That matters for this area: hyaluronidase dissolves only hyaluronic acid fillers, per Cleveland Clinic, so the non-HA rows above cannot be undone the same way — our filler dissolving guide explains the process.

Syringe sizes are not uniform: Revanesse Versa, Versa+ and Lips+, for example, are approved in 1.0 mL and 1.2 mL syringes.

How many syringes a smile-line treatment takes: we found no label, professional body or peer-reviewed source that gives a standard number of syringes per face area, so any count in a quote is the provider's judgment.

For scale: Allergan says Juvéderm treatment can range from $600 to $1,400 depending on the product and the provider, and ASPS lists average costs of $715 for hyaluronic acid fillers and $901 for non-hyaluronic acid fillers such as Radiesse, Sculptra and Bellafill.

Allergan's range is not defined as a per-syringe price.

The ASPS figures are average fees reported by ASPS member plastic surgeons, not med spa prices, and ASPS's page does not state the data year, or whether a fee is per syringe or per procedure — treat them as one specialty's numbers, not a quote to expect.

ASPS says filler cost varies with the injector's expertise and qualifications, the type of procedure, the time and effort required and the geographic location of the office, and that health insurance does not cover dermal fillers.

On duration, FDA's estimates run by material: hyaluronic acid effects last approximately 6 to 12 months, calcium hydroxylapatite approximately 18 months, and poly-L-lactic acid up to 2 years — material-level figures, with product-specific numbers coming from individual labels and makers.

Those maker numbers carry their own scope: Allergan says Juvéderm Vollure XC results in the smile lines can last up to 18 months with optimal treatment and Ultra Plus XC up to 1 year there, and Teoxane and Revance say RHA fillers last up to 15 months in dynamic wrinkles and folds.

Each is an "up to" figure from the maker — Allergan's with optimal treatment — not a promise of what your fold will do.

Allergan says Juvéderm products are injected with a needle or a cannula and that their results are visible immediately after treatment.

The short term can look busy: FDA lists bruising, redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, itching and rash as common filler side effects, and notes that many resolve within days to weeks while some side effects can appear weeks, months or even years later.

The Juvéderm Important Safety Information says the most common side effects were redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, discoloration and itching, and that most resolve within 30 days.

Juvéderm's labeling advises avoiding makeup for 12 hours after treatment and minimizing strenuous exercise, extensive sun or heat exposure, and alcohol in the first 24 hours.

Before-and-after photos show what one person got on one day; they are not a preview of your result.

The most useful before-and-after starts with a consultation: a licensed provider can examine your fold, talk through which approved products they would consider, and quote what a treatment would cost.