Facial contouring

What is contouring and which methods are available in Estonia?

Contouring is the shaping of the contour of the face or body using injection technology. Unlike botulinum toxin, which relaxes the muscles, contouring adds volume or stimulates the body's own collagen production. The main product categories are: hyaluronic acid (Juvéderm, Restylane, Belotero, Teosyal — an immediate, soft result), calcium hydroxylapatite (Radiesse — a firmer result, suited to shaping the jawline and more defined areas), poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra — a biostimulator that stimulates collagen over 6–24 months) and complex injection protocols in which several products are combined.

The most common contouring areas in Estonia are the lips, the cheekbones (a "midface lift" without surgery), the nasolabial fold, marionette lines, the jaw angle, the chin, the temples and the backs of the hands. Instead of filling individual folds, experienced doctors often rebalance the facial contour as a whole — a "liquid facelift" approach that restores volume lost with age at several points at once.

The result is immediate with fillers and gradual with biostimulators. How long it lasts depends on the product and the area: lip filler 6–9 months, cheekbone and jawline fillers 12–18 months, Sculptra and Radiesse up to 24 months. Repeat procedures hold the result for longer.

Contouring prices and how the procedure works

The price of contouring depends on the product used, the quantity (hyaluronic acid is measured in millilitres, biostimulators in vials) and the clinic. 1 ml of hyaluronic acid usually falls in the 250–500 € range, depending on the brand and the area. Sculptra or Radiesse sessions start from 350–600 €, and 2–3 procedures a few months apart are often needed. Complex "liquid facelift" plans (3–5 ml across several zones) are larger investments — the doctor will set out the exact sum at the consultation.

A typical visit starts with a consultation at which the doctor assesses the proportions of the face, the patterns of ageing (where volume has been lost, where there is too much) and the patient's wishes. Once the plan has been discussed the skin is cleansed, a topical numbing cream is applied (10–20 minutes) and, where necessary, the doctor also numbs the areas to be injected with a separate injection. The injecting itself takes 20–60 minutes depending on the number of zones.

Experienced clinics such as Health Clinic in Tallinn, ProAge Ilukliinik in Tartu and Dr. Mari Laasma Ilukliinik follow the principle that less is more. Instead of large changes, several smaller sessions are carried out 2–4 weeks apart, with a top-up at a follow-up visit if needed. This approach reduces the risk of an "overfilled" look and allows the result to be personalised.

How to choose a clinic for contouring

The first check is the Health Board licence — in Estonia, contouring injections may only be given by doctors in a beauty clinic licensed by the Health Board. Beauticians, cosmetic nurses and beauty salons are not permitted to inject. Check the doctor's registration in the Health Care Professionals Register (Tervishoiutöötajate register) and the clinic's licence on the Health Board website. Injection technique requires knowledge of anatomy (the position of blood vessels and nerves) and practice — for a doctor starting out this can take years.

At the consultation, pay attention to how the doctor assesses the face as a whole. Quality contouring starts from an analysis (facial proportions, patterns of ageing, asymmetry), not from ordering a specific "lip filling". An experienced doctor will often propose a different plan from the one the patient initially wants — because frequently the problem is not what the patient sees, but a loss of volume in the neighbouring area.

The products used must be in the register of the State Agency of Medicines (Ravimiamet), and the clinic must be able to show the original packaging and the batch code. Injections offered at a suspicious price (a 100 € lip filler, for example) point to cheap products from Asia whose safety has not been verified in Estonia. Prefer a clinic that displays a list of the products it uses and where the doctor speaks openly about what they work with.

Risks, side effects and contraindications

The side effects of contouring fall into two groups: the ordinary ones (swelling, haematoma, redness, tenderness at the injection site, slight asymmetry for 1–2 weeks) and the serious ones. The latter include vascular occlusion (which can cause skin necrosis), infection, granulomas and, in extremely rare cases, damage to vision (if filler enters a branch of the ophthalmic artery). The likelihood of serious complications is very small with an experienced doctor and correct anatomical technique.

Contraindications are pregnancy and breastfeeding, allergy to the product's components (a prior test is necessary), neuromuscular diseases, active skin infections in the injection area, autoimmune disease in an active phase and blood clotting disorders. Relative contraindications (blood thinners, recent dental work, a herpes infection on the lips) must be discussed separately with the doctor.

After the injections, avoid the sauna, intensive exercise, alcohol, make-up on the injection sites and vigorous massaging of the face for 24–48 hours. Hyaluronic acid can be dissolved if necessary with an enzyme (hyaluronidase) — an important safety net that experienced clinics always offer. With biostimulators there is no such rapid reversal, which is why the doctor is chosen especially carefully.

Contouring in Estonia's most popular cities

Tallinn offers the widest choice of contouring — most aesthetic medicine doctors work in the capital, including at Health Clinic and Dr. Mari Laasma Ilukliinik, where the full spectrum of injectables approved by the State Agency of Medicines is in use. The wait for a consultation is usually 1–4 weeks, and with popular doctors up to 2 months.

In Tartu, contouring is offered by ProAge Ilukliinik and Medical Aesthetics, both growing aesthetic medicine centres. In Pärnu (Estonia Spa Medical, for example) and in Narva, beauty clinics mainly offer the basic hyaluronic acid products — for more complex plans a trip to Tallinn may make sense. Contouring requires regular maintenance and follow-up visits, so choose a clinic for geographical convenience.