When it comes to cannula work, my workhorse size is the 25g 40mm. It offers a great balance of flexibility and length when working in the midface, lower face, and perioral regions.

If you’re just starting out with cannulas, my best advice is this: don’t jump straight into treating a face. First, get a feel for it. Place a syringe of gel on the cannula and practice injecting on the back of your hand, a skull model, or a rubber practice pad. We have several of these available at The Confidence Lab for you to play with.

Practice the motion and pressure of expressing small aliquots of filler, or laying down retrograde and anterograde threads. Most importantly, pay attention to the extrusion force as this will vary depending on the rheology of the filler, as well as the length and gauge of the cannula. There are so many variables to take into consideration.

Learn how it moves, how it bends, and how it feels in your grip.

This tactile feedback is critical as cannulas have a different feel than needles, cannulas with a round tip can feel the anatomy while needles cut through it. The more familiar you are with how a cannula behaves in your hand, the more confident and precise you’ll be when it’s time to treat a patient.