Facial fillers have become increasingly popular in recent years, and with the rise of clinics offering cosmetic injectables, it is important to understand the risks associated with the procedure. Touching or “massaging” the areas of the face after the injection can cause the product to move, and it is unhygienic as it can allow bacteria to enter through small wounds. To minimize the risk of lumps formation, our professionals recommend gently massaging the injected areas immediately after the procedure. It usually takes about two weeks for the filling to settle and integrate into the surrounding tissue. To maintain desired results and prevent filler migration, we recommend following our aftercare instructions.
Filler migration is the movement of a dermal filler from the injection site to another area of the body, and while it is possible for fillers to migrate, this side effect is extremely rare and can be avoided by choosing a qualified injector. An inexperienced or underqualified injector can increase the likelihood of filler migration. During an evaluation prior to treatment, a qualified injector will ask about your complete medical history, including medications, allergies, and vaccines (including COVID-19) to help determine if you are at risk of a serious immune response or not. A serious immune system response to a filling is not related to the technique used with the injector, but it can often be prevented by undergoing a thorough evaluation. It is normal for some swelling to occur after receiving the filler, but a very small percentage of patients may have moderate to severe inflammation due to an immune system response caused by an illness, an allergic reaction, or a vaccine. Sometimes, this swelling can cause the filling to move slightly, although it often only occurs in patients who have had a filling placed in the past 6 to 12 months. Both Botox and dermal fillers are eventually metabolized by the body and safely excreted through the liver and kidneys.
For this reason, many of the same activities should be avoided after Botox and dermal filler injections. However, since dermal fillers are injected deep into the skin where they rest for their entire lives while Botox is injected into the muscle where it is slowly absorbed, there are a few different activities to avoid for each of them. We recommend that patients do not undergo facial treatments, massages (on treated skin), or dermaplaning for the first two weeks after filler injections. If you wear tight masks for long periods of time, such as healthcare workers, only put on a facial filler when you have been away from work for a considerable amount of time. In rare cases where infill migration does happen, two professionals stepped in here to help shed some light on what actually causes infill migration, how you can fix it, and most importantly, how you can prevent it in the first place. In that case, “the injector can dissolve the filler with hyaluronidase, an enzyme that breaks down the hyaluronic acid used in fillers” he explains. If you have received fillers on the upper half of your face, avoid wearing glasses or glasses in the days immediately following filler injections.
On average, the body naturally metabolizes fillers between six months and a year but remains can remain for up to two years. The best recommendation for an injector is to see how it works in person so ask your filler friends about their experiences. If you decide to dissolve it with hyaluronidase make sure that the problem is due to filler migration otherwise it will dissolve your body's natural hyaluronic acid.
