By Dr Duncan Brennand, Lead Aesthetic Doctor at L’Atelier Aesthetics, 101 Harley Street
Julaine and dermal fillers both come out of a small syringe and both improve how the face looks, but the similarity ends there. A filler adds volume at the moment it is injected. Julaine encourages your own skin to rebuild firmness gradually over months. They are not interchangeable, and choosing between them depends on what you are actually trying to treat. Here is how we think about the decision.
If you have a specific hollow or area you want to fill, a dermal filler is the right tool. It adds volume exactly where it is placed, on the day it is placed. If your concern is an overall loss of firmness and definition across the lower face, Julaine is the better answer, because it rebuilds the skin’s own support structure rather than targeting specific spots. For many patients, the ideal plan combines both, done in the right order.
Dermal fillers are gels that sit where they are injected and create volume immediately. The effect is visible the moment treatment is complete. Fillers typically last 12 to 18 months depending on the product and the area, and they can be dissolved quickly if needed, which is an important safety advantage.
Julaine works differently. It softens the skin on the day of treatment, giving an immediate improvement, but its main job happens over the following weeks and months as the skin responds by producing new collagen. That new collagen is what delivers the firming and lifting effect over time. Eventually the product itself is absorbed by the body, leaving behind the collagen the skin has built in response to it.
Dermal fillers suit patients with specific concerns: flat cheeks, a hollow under the eyes, thin lips, a weak chin or an under-defined jawline. They are also a good choice for patients who want an immediate change for an event or a defined look. Fillers can be adjusted and refined over time.
Julaine suits patients whose concern is more general. Early jowling, softness along the jawline, thinning cheeks and an overall loss of firmness across the lower face. It is also a good option for patients who do not want to look noticeably different overnight, because the result builds gradually. Patients in their forties and fifties often respond well because their skin is still able to produce a strong collagen response when given the right stimulus.
Reversibility is the most underrated point in this comparison. A dermal filler can be dissolved within 24 hours if a patient is unhappy or if there is a complication. Julaine cannot be dissolved. That means it requires a more careful and experienced approach, because the result stays with the patient for the full duration regardless of outcome.
In practice the two treatments work very well together. A typical plan for a patient in their mid-forties is Julaine first to rebuild firmness over three to four months, then small amounts of filler in specific areas if any hollowing remains. Leading with filler alone in that same patient can add volume without addressing the underlying loss of skin quality, which often produces a result that looks slightly off.
| Variable | Julaine | Dermal filler |
|---|---|---|
How it works | Stimulates the skin to build new collagen | Adds volume directly with a gel |
When you see results | Softening on the day, full result at 3 to 4 months | Immediate |
Duration | 12 to 18 months | 12 to 18 months |
Reversible | No | Yes |
Best for | Overall firmness, diffuse lower-face ageing | Specific hollows, defined shape |
Filler results are immediate. Any swelling settles within 24 to 48 hours and the final result is in place within a week. Most fillers last 12 to 18 months, with areas like the lips and lower face tending to break down faster than the cheeks.
Julaine softens the skin on the day of treatment, with the full collagen result building over the following two to three months. Most patients see their best result around three to four months after the second treatment. Results last 12 to 18 months, with an annual top-up to keep the benefit going.
“The question I ask patients is: do you want to look different, or do you want your face to look like a better-rested version of itself? Filler is often the right answer to the first. Julaine is almost always the right answer to the second. And for patients who want both, the order matters. Julaine first, filler to refine afterwards, never the other way around.”
Dr Duncan Brennand, Lead Aesthetic Doctor, L’Atelier Aesthetics
At L’Atelier Aesthetics, Dr Brennand personally delivers every Julaine and every filler treatment. Injectable work is not delegated. The planning, dosing and placement all sit with the doctor.
Julaine and dermal fillers are both effective treatments but they solve different problems. If you have a specific area you want to fill or define, filler is the right tool. If your concern is a general loss of firmness and skin quality across the lower face, Julaine is the better starting point. For many patients the answer is both, with Julaine done first and filler used afterwards to refine specific areas. Dr Brennand will work through the right plan for your face at consultation. Our clinic is at 101 Harley Street, London W1G 6AH, a short walk from Bond Street, Oxford Circus and Regent’s Park. Book through the website or call us to arrange a time.
Neither is better overall as they do different jobs. Julaine is better for overall firmness and general lower-face softening. Dermal filler is better for specific concerns like flat cheeks, hollow under-eyes or thin lips. Dr Brennand will advise at consultation based on what you are trying to treat.
Yes, and most longer-term plans involve both. Julaine is usually done first to build the collagen foundation over three to four months, then filler is added in small, specific amounts to refine what remains. Dr Brennand sequences the two so they work together rather than against each other.
Julaine results typically last 12 to 18 months after a full course of one to two treatments. A single top-up at around 12 months keeps the benefit going.
No. Unlike dermal filler, Julaine cannot be dissolved. It is absorbed by the body naturally over 12 to 18 months. At L’Atelier Aesthetics, Dr Brennand always starts conservatively and builds gradually, so patients can always add more but are rarely in a position of wanting less.
For early jowling, Julaine is usually the first choice because it rebuilds firmness along the jawline rather than masking the softening with volume. For more advanced jowling, a combination of Julaine, filler and an energy-based tightening treatment often works best.
Julaine and filler are both priced per treatment. Most patients need one to two treatments of each if both are planned. Exact dosing and pricing is confirmed at consultation with Dr Brennand.
We welcome patients from across Marylebone, Mayfair, Fitzrovia, Regent’s Park, Soho, Knightsbridge, Belgravia, Chelsea and Kensington, as well as visitors travelling to London for specialist aesthetic and skin treatments. Our location benefits from excellent transport links, with Oxford Circus only a 13 minute walk away, Bond Street and Regent’s Park Underground stations are also both within easy reach. The clinic is also conveniently accessible from major London rail stations and Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports thanks to the Elizabeth line, making visits straightforward for both UK and international patients.
Whether you are travelling from within London or further afield, our Harley Street clinic provides a calm, professional environment for personalised aesthetic and skin health treatments in one of the capital’s most respected medical locations.
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