EZ Gel vs. Filler: Compare and Contrast
EZ Gel, also known as PRF Gel, and hyaluronic acid dermal filler are both injectables that volumize the face yet they are very different. Volumizing the face means to fill up a space or make something bigger... think of lips or cheeks. Loss of facial fat volume with age is a normal part of facial aging, and often replacing volume in the face will restore a more youthful appearance .Traditionally, facial volumization has been the role of hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler. EZ Gel is a newer volumizing injectable treatment which is made completely from the patient's own blood during the office visit, with no pharmaceutical additives. EZ Gel is a combination of albumin and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) which is made into a gel by temperature differences. It is a natural product and appeals to those who don't want dermal filler, and who do want the great regenerative properties of PRF. These include sustained growth factor release under the skin, exposure to beneficial stem cells and exosomes, and stimulation of collagen (much stronger than supplementing collagen orally!)
HA dermal filler injections tend to provide longer lasting volume to the face than EZ Gel. However, filler does not provide any of the regenerative or collagen stimulating effects that EZ Gel/PRF Gel does. For example, HA filler in the cheeks/mid-face generally provides volumization for 12-18 months. EZ Gel is recommended in a series of 3 monthly treatments, and it provides volumization for 9months after the third treatment.
When it comes to lip filler specifically, our opinion is that filler is best, due to the ability to be more precise with the placement of volume. However, in the setting of dissolving lip filler, EZ Gel may be injected right after a lip filler dissolving session to heal the lips up faster, build natural collagen and lend volume to the lips right away after dissolving, whether or not a filler redo is desired after dissolving.
In terms of safety, both filler and EZ Gel are truly quite safe, with the complication risk of each being very low. With that being said, EZ Gel has a safety advantage over filler in that the rate of vascular occlusion from EZ Gel is lower than filler, and it's injected with a cannula (at least here at Skinbeam) which also lowers the risk of the EZ Gel ever entering a blood vessel.
In terms of pricing, you'll get more volume injected - more milliliters of gel - with EZ Gel than filler for a comparable price. One treatment with EZ Gel usually yields approximately 4-5 ml of injectable gel, whereas a similarly priced filler session would buy 1-2 ml of injectable gel.
Bruising and downtime: this boils down primarily to cannula vs needle technique as well as a little bit of luck. Our faces are a minefield of veins and arteries. Cannula treatments do tend to involve less bruising than needle. EZ Gel is injected with a cannula. Filler can go in with either cannula or needle, and it depends on the facial area in question. For example, for lip filler we strongly prefer needle technique for precision, and getting a bruise from lip filler is always a possibility.
Quick takeaways: if you're seeking long lasting volume replacement, think about an HA dermal filler treatment. If you're a naturalist, and you want the regenerative and collagen stimulating benefits, go for EZ Gel.
