What is the difference between Juvederm Ultra and Ultra Plus?
Ultra Plus is the thicker of the two. Ultra is softer and is the usual choice for lips, while Ultra Plus is used for deeper folds that need more support.
Juvéderm Ultra is the softer of the two, and it is the usual lip choice. It sits smoothly in soft tissue and gives a natural finish. Juvéderm Ultra Plus is thicker, and it is made for deeper work. It suits the folds running from the nose to the mouth, where a gel has to hold more weight. Both are hyaluronic acid from the same family, and both can be dissolved.
| The difference | Juvéderm Ultra | Juvéderm Ultra Plus |
|---|---|---|
| What it is mainly used for | Lips and the area around them | Deeper folds |
| What it feels like | Injections, numbed | Injections, numbed |
| Cost | Priced per syringe | Priced per syringe |
Side by side
Juvéderm Ultra
Medium
Firm enough to shape a lip, soft enough to stay smooth in it.
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
Thicker
Denser gel with larger particles, so it resists being flattened by the tissue around it.
Juvéderm Ultra
Lips and the area around them
Lip volume, the lip border, and the lines running out from the mouth.
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
Deeper folds
The creases from nose to mouth, and other places that need support rather than surface work.
Juvéderm Ultra
The usual pick
It gives volume without feeling hard, which is what most people want from a lip.
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
Many injectors avoid it
A thicker gel in a lip can feel firm and is more likely to show as a small lump.
Juvéderm Ultra
Moderate
Enough to hold a lip shape. Not enough to prop up a deep fold on its own.
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
More
It pushes back against tissue, which is what a deep fold needs.
Juvéderm Ultra
About a year in a fold, less in a lip
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
About a year, often a little longer
Juvéderm Ultra
Often half a syringe to one
Half a syringe is a sensible first lip treatment.
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
Often one syringe per side
Folds are treated on both sides, so plan for more than one syringe.
Juvéderm Ultra
Yes
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
Yes
Juvéderm Ultra
Injections, numbed
The XC versions have a numbing agent mixed in, and most clinics use a numbing cream first.
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
Injections, numbed
Same. A thicker gel takes more pressure to push through the needle, which some people feel more.
Juvéderm Ultra
Bruising, swelling, tenderness
In a lip, too much gel or gel placed too far forward gives a heavy, rolled edge.
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
Bruising, swelling, firm lumps
Placed too shallow, the thicker gel is more likely to be visible or felt as a ridge.
Juvéderm Ultra
Priced per syringe
Both sit in the same range, so cost rarely decides this.
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
Priced per syringe
Sometimes a little more, but the difference is small next to how many syringes you need.
Juvéderm Ultra
Juvéderm Ultra Plus
Common questions
Ultra Plus is the thicker of the two. Ultra is softer and is the usual choice for lips, while Ultra Plus is used for deeper folds that need more support.
Usually not. A thicker gel in a lip can feel firm and is more likely to show as a lump. Many injectors will not use Ultra Plus in lips at all.
Ultra Plus tends to hold a little longer, mostly because it is denser and is used in areas that move less. Both run around a year in a fold.
More gel gives bigger lips, not thicker gel. A second half-syringe of Ultra will do more than switching product.
Yes. Both are hyaluronic acid, so an enzyme called hyaluronidase removes either one, usually within a day or two.
Both sit in a similar price range, and both are sold per syringe. How many syringes you need matters far more than which of the two you get.