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Fillers: Needle vs Cannula

The conventional method to inject hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal fillers such as Voluma and Juvderm, has historically been performed with a (sharp) needle.  It has been common knowledge that the dermal filler injection process can cause pain and can be associated with complications such as bruising, skin necrosis and blindness.

However, when the blunt tip of a cannula is implemented these risks decrease drastically in comparison to the traditional needle.  Many ask why since both methods involve going into the skin tissue to deliver the filler.  With that said there are a total of 7 reasons the use of a cannula is the ideal option for filler injections. The traditional needle easily puncture blood vessels as it travels through the tissue with its sharp tip.  On the other hand, the blunt tip of a cannula softly moves blood vessels to the side instead of puncturing them.  This method significantly reduces the possibility of bruising, skin death and blindness.  Some injectors have reported a 90% reduction in bruising since switching to blunt tip cannulas.

If you are considering filler injections ensure that your injector utilizes a blunt tip cannula in place of a needle for your treatment.

7 Reasons To Ensure Your Injector Uses Cannulas

  1. The bruising and swelling post procedure are considerably decreased. This minimizes social downtime.
  2. Patient discomfort associated with dermal fillers during the treatment is lessened.
  3. The number of access points or “pokes” is substantially decreased with cannulas. Example; the lips can be enhanced with dermal fillers with only 2 access points with a cannula vs.10 with traditional needles.
  4. The total treatment time is condensed with cannulas. The majority of the time topical anesthesia is not necessary for areas such as smile lines and tear trough area. Also, the process with cannulas is shorter due to reduced number of pokes.
  5. The risk of a vascular catastrophe is almost abolished because a vessel cannot be pierced with a blunt cannula.
  6. Tear trough injections are able to be performed deep to the muscle to prevent the filler from being visible. (“Tindel Effect”)
  7. Cannulas can be utilized for all fillers with the exception of Sculptra.
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