Service
Facial fillers
A filler is a gel based on hyaluronic acid that is injected under the skin to restore lost facial volume — in the cheeks, temples and the lines beside the nose and mouth — or to correct shape. The effect is visible straight away and is temporary: the body breaks the filler down over months.
What concerns does it address?
Who is it for, and when is it done?
Fillers are used for loss of volume in the cheeks and temples, deep lines beside the nose and mouth, and wrinkles that are visible even when the face is relaxed.
When you want real, longer-lasting volume, we recommend your own fat tissue.
How is it done?
The filler is injected with a fine needle or a cannula, in the amount and at the sites agreed before the procedure.
We use only hyaluronic fillers registered in Croatia — the kind an enzyme can dissolve if the result is not right. For every product you receive a declaration with its name and batch number; this is your right and your safeguard for later. We do not use permanent fillers: they cannot be removed, and problems can appear years afterwards. A wrinkle that is visible at rest needs botox as well as filler; botox is then given first, so that the muscle does not push the filler out.
When is the procedure not suitable?
The treatment is not done during pregnancy and breastfeeding, when there is active inflammation or infection of the skin at the treatment site, or with a known allergy to the ingredients of the product.
Filler is not placed in an area that already contains permanent filler or silicone — the reaction is unpredictable and makes the problem worse. It is done in adults. We do not advise dissolving an old filler and placing a new one in the same visit.
General reasons for postponing a procedure (pregnancy, breastfeeding, inflammation, a clotting disorder, smoking): When is a procedure postponed?
What can be done if the result is not right?
A hyaluronic filler can be dissolved with the enzyme hyaluronidase, so the result is not irreversible.
→ Filler dissolving and removal
What can the procedure not do?
A filler adds volume. It does not tighten loose skin, does not change skin texture and does not remove wrinkles caused by muscle movement.
Anaesthesia
Before a procedure under general or regional anaesthesia, you are seen by the anaesthetist, who works full time at the clinic; the same doctor is also present during the procedure. The anaesthetic assessment and the anaesthesia for larger operations are included in the price of the procedure. What happens before, during and after anaesthesia is described on the Anaesthesia page.
Risks
Expected — swelling and tenderness in the first days, sometimes bruising. The final shape is seen only once the swelling has gone.
Occasional — uneven distribution of the filler, a small lump under the skin, filler that has moved or stayed visible longer than you were told; this is treated by dissolving.
Rare, serious — if after the injection the skin turns white or blue, hurts a great deal, or a patchy redness appears and spreads, especially beside the nose, between the eyebrows or on the forehead, these are signs that the filler has pressed on or blocked a blood vessel, and hyaluronidase has to be given within hours, not days; the same applies to a sudden change in vision. In these cases, call us straight away.
Expected, and rare but serious → Risks and complications: what is the course of healing, and what is a complication?
Specialist and team
Specialty: plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
Head nurse Martina Šereg arranges appointments and is your contact after the procedure.
What happens at the examination?
Before the treatment there is an examination: the doctor examines the area, asks about illnesses, medicines and allergies, and talks with you about what you expect. How many treatments make sense in your case is agreed at the examination.
What if the result is not as agreed?
The result of a procedure is assessed at a follow-up visit, once the swelling has gone down and the scar has matured, not in the first weeks. If it differs from what was agreed at the examination, the same surgeon carries out the correction.
→ Poliklinika Barbel's correction policy
In the same visit
- Botox — wrinkles, sweating, teeth grinding — a wrinkle that is visible at rest needs botox as well as filler, and botox is given first so that the muscle does not push the filler out; both need no recovery.
- Profhilo, PRP and microneedling — procedures with no recovery are almost always done together, at one visit.
Frequently asked questions
How long do fillers last? Months; it depends on the type of filler, the amount, and how much the area moves — in areas with little movement, some of the filler can stay for years.
Filler or your own fat tissue? Filler gives an immediately visible, precise and temporary result; fat tissue is your own and stays permanently in the part that takes, but needs two to three sessions and a short recovery.
Medical review: doctors of Poliklinika Barbel · October 2026.