What side effects should a doctor anticipate when using fillers?

No matter how safe dermal fillers may seem for facial contouring and anti-aging procedures, side effects cannot be ruled out when using fillers. The American Society of Aesthetic and Plastic Surgeons indicates that contour plastic surgery, during which the introduction of fillers to correct the face, ranks second in popularity after botulinum toxin injections. Therefore, researchers are constantly looking for such a filler that would be effective, safe, easily distributed in tissues, did not require allergic tests, and did not cause undesirable effects.

In recent years, the number of rejuvenating procedures associated with volume plastic surgery has been growing very rapidly. Most often, in order to correct defects in the soft tissues of the face, they use & nbsp; dermal fillers as the most popular non-permanent injectable materials.

The success of the filler procedure depends on the following factors:

• competent insertion technique;
• properties of input material;
• accounting for indications and contraindications for a particular patient;
• compliance by the patient with the recommendations of the doctor in the period after the procedure.

However, more and more often, doctors pay attention to complications after the use of certain fillers for injectable contouring. The severity of these complications may vary.  Before performing any procedure, the physician should consider the possibility of any of them.

Complications are usually caused by one of three factors – injection material, qualification of the doctor, individual characteristics of the patient.

Side effects of fillers: causes and manifestations

Adverse events that occur with the introduction of fillers are classified into short-term, short-term and serious.

Short-term side effects of fillers

Such phenomena include redness, swelling and discomfort in the injection area, the appearance of a hematoma. They can occur with the introduction of any filler. The feeling of discomfort is most often associated with the viscosity of the injected filler and the pressure under which it is injected, and also depends on the size of the needle. Painful sensations during the introduction of the filler arise due to the increased sensitivity of some zones – e.g. lips, periorbital area. Such patient-unpleasant effects can be relieved with topical anesthetics or ice packs prior to injection.

The patient should be warned in advance that redness and swelling at the injection site – this is a completely normal skin reaction to needle injury. Redness usually disappears after a few hours, swelling can last 1-2 days (on the lips a little longer). The risk of edema is reduced by applying ice to the injection site, sparing injection, reducing the number of injections.

The appearance of hematomas may be due to damage to the blood vessel by the needle during the injection or its rupture due to the pressure on it of the injected drug. Usually hematomas are local in nature and disappear in 5-10 days. A good knowledge of the anatomy of the face, the use of a blunt cannula will help to avoid these side effects.

Short-term side effects of fillers

Such undesirable side effects include situations where the injected filler is visible under the skin or when nodules (tubercles) form after the injection of the filler. This complication is associated with the introduction of the filler too close to the surface  or in too much quantity. Accuracy, caution will help to avoid such troubles & nbsp; and good technique when injecting fillers.

Serious side effects not always associated with fillers

Quite often, patients complain of headache or sinusitis after contouring with fillers, especially with injections in the forehead. Sometimes itching occurs in the injection area, acne appears, the herpes simplex virus is activated.

Rare serious complications can be caused by rejection of a filler injected superficially – this is manifested by bacterial infection, inflammation, scarring.  Skin necrosis may occur at the injection site. The most severe consequences of injection contouring – this is a collagen vascular disease, as well as facial paralysis.

In general, the side effects of fillers are most often short-term and do not pose a threat to the health of the patient. The high qualification of the doctor and his good command of the technique of introducing each of the fillers used, knowledge of the features of injection contouring will help to avoid serious complications.