Juvederm Lip Filler: Volbella vs Ultra XC

Juvederm is Allergan's collection of six hyaluronic acid fillers, each approved for its own areas of the face, and Allergan says all six contain lidocaine.

Only two of them are approved for the lips: Juvederm Ultra XC and Juvederm Volbella XC.

Ultra XC was approved on September 30, 2015 (PMA P050047) for injection into the lips and perioral area — the area around the mouth — for lip augmentation in adults over 21.

Volbella XC was approved on May 31, 2016 (PMA P110033 S018) for lip augmentation and for correction of perioral lines — lines around the mouth — in adults over 21.

In their lip approvals, that is what separates the two products: Volbella XC's lip approval covers correcting perioral lines as well as adding volume, while Ultra XC's covers augmentation of the lips and perioral area.

Each also has a non-lip approval: Ultra XC for moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds, and Volbella XC, since May 28, 2021, for under-eye (infraorbital) hollowing in adults over 21.

Which one fits you is not something the labels decide — it is a question for a licensed provider who has examined your lips.

Don't assume every Juvederm box is a lip filler.

Ultra Plus XC is approved only for moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds such as nasolabial folds and has no lip indication, and the same is true of Vollure and Voluma.

If a practice offers "Juvederm lips," it is fair to ask which of the two lip-approved products is in the syringe.

Allergan says Juvederm results are visible immediately after treatment, and that its fillers are injected with a needle or a cannula.

What the maker documents afterwards is mostly injection reactions: the Juvederm important safety information lists redness, swelling, pain, tenderness, firmness, lumps/bumps, bruising, discoloration and itching as the most common side effects — dryness also with Volbella XC — and says most resolve within 30 days.

For Volbella XC in the lips specifically, Allergan reports that side effects in its studies were mild or moderate and generally lasted 30 days or less.

Juvederm's labeling advises avoiding makeup for 12 hours after treatment and minimizing strenuous exercise, extensive sun or heat exposure, and alcohol for the first 24 hours, because these may cause temporary redness, swelling and/or itching.

Before-and-after photos practices post are other people's results, not a prediction of yours — the labeled indications and the maker's reported side-effect figures are the documented part.

One slower reaction is worth knowing about: a study at one Canadian clinic of delayed-onset nodules after Allergan's Vycross fillers (Volbella, Vollure, Voluma) found them in 0.33% of 2,139 patients, and an earlier US chart review found them in 1.0% of Volbella patients; all nodules in the US series resolved with steroid injection plus hyaluronidase.

Allergan says that with optimal treatment, results from Volbella XC and Ultra XC in the lips can last up to 1 year.

Both halves of that sentence matter: "up to" is a maximum, not an average, and "with optimal treatment" is the maker's own condition.

This is a manufacturer claim, not a figure the label guarantees.

You will also see longer numbers in general lip-filler advice.

Cleveland Clinic says lip filler typically lasts 12 to 18 months depending on age and metabolism — a general figure that is not specific to Juvederm.

The maker's own claim for both lip-approved Juvederm products is up to 1 year.

There is no single national price.

Allergan's consumer site says Juvederm treatment can range from $600 to $1,400 depending on the product and provider.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) lists an average cost of $743 for lip augmentation with filler — an average fee per treatment reported by ASPS member plastic surgeons, not med spa prices — and ASPS does not state the data year.

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.

Allergan's Allē loyalty program gives 100 points = $10 toward qualifying treatments, including Juvederm.

The Juvederm guide covers the whole collection, including what treatment costs.

Restylane Kysse (Galderma) is another filler approved specifically for the lips: FDA approved on March 26, 2020 for lip augmentation and correction of upper perioral lines in patients over 21.

This section compares two makers' lip-approved products —Allergan's Ultra XC (2015) and Volbella XC (2016), and Galderma's Kysse (2020).

Galderma's instructions for use report a duration result from Kysse's pivotal trial: 60% of treated subjects (101 of 169) were still lip-fullness responders at week 48 — about a year — on blinded evaluator rating.

That is a trial result for Kysse, not a duration claim, and we found no trial comparing Kysse with either Juvederm product head-to-head, so the trial figure is not a ranking.

What the labels share: all three products are approved for lip augmentation in adults over 21, and none of the duration figures above is a promise.

For the brands beyond Juvederm and Kysse, the lip filler guide covers the rest, and FDA advises choosing a licensed health care provider with dermatology or plastic-surgery experience who is trained in filler injection — filler, FDA says, should be considered a medical procedure, not a cosmetic treatment.