What is facial harmonization?
Facial harmonization is a non-surgical treatment plan that seeks to balance the proportions of the face by combining several minimally invasive procedures —chiefly hyaluronic acid and botulinum toxin— rather than treating a single area in isolation. It is not a product or a device: it is a strategy that starts from reading the whole face.
The underlying idea is simple. A face reads as harmonious not because it has one «perfect» feature, but because its parts hold proportion with one another: the relationship between chin and nose, the projection of the cheekbones, the balance between the upper, middle and lower facial thirds. That is why harmonization does not begin with the syringe, but with the analysis: which feature is unbalancing the whole, and what change —sometimes a small one— improves the overall impression.
It is worth stating clearly what it is not. Facial harmonization is not surgery and produces no permanent or structural change: it models contour and volume with temporary material, and that material is absorbed over the months. Nor is it «filling until it shows»: the goal is for the result to look like you, on a good day, not like a different face. When what is needed is a change in bone structure or a correction of the nose, the honest answer is surgery —a rhinoplasty, for instance— and that is said at the consultation.
Techniques used by Dr. Arístides Arellano
Harmonization is not a single treatment, but the combination of several tools, each for a different problem. Which are used, in which areas and in what order is defined at your consultation, according to your anatomy and what you want to balance:
- Hyaluronic acid (fillers): an absorbable gel that adds volume and defines contour. It is used to project the chin, mark the jawline, support the cheekbones, hydrate and shape the lips or soften the tear trough. Its great advantage is that, if the result does not convince, in most cases it can be dissolved with an enzyme (hyaluronidase).
- Botulinum toxin: it temporarily relaxes specific muscles to soften expression lines —frown, forehead, crow’s feet— and, when well indicated, to balance asymmetric movement or refine the lower third. It adds no volume: it works on movement.
- Collagen stimulators: materials that, rather than filling, induce the tissue to produce its own collagen progressively, to improve firmness and skin quality. They are assessed case by case within the plan.
- The judgement of when NOT to inject: the most important tool of all. When the imbalance is structural —a markedly retruded chin, advanced sagging, a nose needing bony correction— insisting with filler makes the result worse. In those cases the appropriate surgical option is proposed, such as a facelift or a rhinoplasty, instead of forcing the syringe.
How is it performed?
Facial harmonization is performed in the office, on an outpatient basis and under topical or local anaesthesia, and a session usually lasts between 30 and 60 minutes depending on the number of areas treated. First the face is studied with the patient seated and the points are marked; then the product is infiltrated with a fine needle or cannula, through very small punctures, without incisions or stitches.
The result unfolds in two tempos. That of hyaluronic acid is immediate —the volume is visible the same day— and settles within one or two weeks as the initial swelling subsides. That of botulinum toxin is progressive: it begins to show within a few days and reaches its full effect around the second week. That is why the plan is usually spread out and reviewed, rather than done all at once.
It is important to understand that the result is temporary. As a guide, hyaluronic acid lasts between 6 and 18 months depending on the area and the product, and botulinum toxin between 3 and 6 months. Harmonization is therefore framed as maintenance over time, not as a one-off change. That is an advantage as much as a limitation: nothing is definitive, but nothing is irreversible either.
Every medical treatment —topicals, peels and energy-based devices included— carries risk and requires a prior assessment. In darker skin (Fitzpatrick IV–VI, the most common phototypes in Mexico) a poorly indicated procedure can darken the patch instead of lightening it. Results may vary according to each patient, their phototype and their individual triggers.
Who is a good candidate?
The best candidate is a person with a mild to moderate imbalance of facial proportions who wants a natural result, without surgery and with little recovery time, and who understands that the effect is temporary. In general terms, facial harmonization works best when:
- There is a specific, correctable disproportion of volume or contour —a poorly projected chin, flat cheekbones, thin lips, a poorly defined jawline— and the skin retains good quality.
- Expectations are realistic: the aim is to balance and refresh the face, not to transform it or to look like a different person.
- The person prefers to start with something that recedes over time before considering surgery, or does not want or cannot have surgery at this time.
- There is no active infection in the area, no pregnancy or breastfeeding, and no clotting disorders or conditions that contraindicate injectables; all of this is assessed at the consultation.
- When the imbalance is structural or sagging is advanced, the honest assessment is that injectables will not deliver the expected result and facial surgery should be considered.
Recommended post-procedure care
Although it is not surgery, facial harmonization requires simple care to protect the result: do not massage or press the treated areas, avoid intense heat (sauna, prolonged direct sun) and high-impact exercise for one or two days, sleep with the head elevated for the first nights, and postpone aggressive dental or facial treatments until the doctor advises. A follow-up at two weeks allows symmetry to be checked and a fine adjustment made if needed. See the full guide: Post-surgical recovery and care.
Before and after
Most patients want to see before-and-after photographs before deciding. Out of respect for each person’s privacy, Dr. Arístides Arellano shows real cases —always with documented consent— during your in-person consultation, where you can review results from patients with a starting point similar to yours. Results may vary from patient to patient.
Approximate price
Reference prices: toxina from $6,000 MXN and relleno por vial from $6,000 MXN, approximate, depending on the areas treated and how much product your case needs. Approximate price — the definitive cost is set at your private consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano.
About Dr. Arístides Arellano
Dr. Arístides Arellano is a plastic surgeon holding a specialty licence: he practises under a Mexican medical licence (D.G.P. 1125959) and a specialty licence in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery (0002008), both issued by the Directorate General of Professions (DGP), which reissued his certificate of professional standing in 2025. His career began before Mexico’s present-day specialty-board system existed: he belongs to the founding generation of plastic surgery in Puebla, the second generation of a surgical tradition started in 1971 by Dr. Francisco Arellano Ocampo. Trust is verified, not promised: both licences are public and anyone can look them up in the DGP’s National Registry of Professionals.
Related guide for patients
To decide with judgement whom you trust with your face: How to choose a plastic surgeon in Puebla — part of the series of informational guides reviewed by Dr. Arístides Arellano.
Trust is verified, not promised. All 210 scanned documents —degree, licences, diplomas, publications and certificates, from 1977 to 2025— are open in Dr. Arístides Arellano’s credential archive, alongside an explanation of the difference between a specialty licence and a board certification.
Recovery · step by step
- Same dayReturn to daily life almost immediately. There may be redness, slight swelling and a small bruise at the puncture points.
- First 24–48 hoursAvoid massaging or pressing the area, intense exercise, heat (sauna, direct sun) and alcohol. Sleeping with the head elevated helps the swelling settle.
- First weekThe hyaluronic acid settles and any bruising resolves. Botulinum toxin begins to show around the third or fourth day.
- 2 weeksFollow-up review: the toxin reaches its full effect and the filler has settled. This is the moment for a fine adjustment if needed.
- Following monthsThe effect lasts, as a guide, 6–18 months for filler and 3–6 months for toxin. Maintenance is then considered. Results may vary.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is facial harmonization?
It is a non-surgical treatment plan that balances the proportions of the face by combining several minimally invasive injectables —chiefly hyaluronic acid and botulinum toxin— rather than treating a single area. It is not a machine or one particular product: it is a strategy that starts from analyzing the whole face to decide which change, sometimes a small one, improves the overall impression.
Does facial harmonization hurt?
It is usually not painful because it is applied under topical or local anaesthesia and many products already contain anaesthetic. During the session you feel the puncture and some pressure, and in the following hours there may be mild discomfort, redness or a small bruise that resolves on its own within a few days.
How long does the result last?
It is temporary. As a guide, hyaluronic acid lasts between 6 and 18 months depending on the area and product, and botulinum toxin between 3 and 6 months. That is why harmonization is framed as maintenance over time and not as a one-off change. Results may vary from one person to another.
Will I look «done» or strange?
The goal is exactly the opposite: to look natural, like you on a good day, not like a different face. The artificial look almost always comes from overloading one area («filling until it shows»), not from the technique itself. That is why the work here is done by balancing the whole rather than piling product into a single feature.
Does facial harmonization replace surgery?
No. Injectables model volume and contour temporarily, but they do not change bone structure or correct advanced sagging. When the imbalance is structural, the honest answer is the corresponding surgery —a rhinoplasty or a facelift, for example— and you will be told so at the consultation, without being pushed to inject what will not solve your case.
Is it reversible? What are the risks?
Hyaluronic acid is, in most cases, reversible: it can be dissolved with an enzyme (hyaluronidase). The most frequent risks are bruising, swelling, temporary asymmetry and, less frequently, nodules or vascular problems that demand careful technique and anatomical knowledge. Everything is assessed beforehand at the consultation, and results may vary.
Every case is different. Discuss yours in a personal consultation.
Book a consultation on WhatsAppEvery figure published on this site is approximate and is not a quote. Any procedure or treatment first requires a private assessment consultation with Dr. Arístides Arellano —$800 MXN, charged separately— and it is at that consultation that the definitive cost of your case is determined.
Educational content; it does not replace a medical consultation. Results may vary from person to person.