The sensation of dermal filler injections is often described as a feeling of fullness in an area that didn't feel that way before. This is because a small pocket of liquid has been added under the dermis layer, and your sensory perception of your own flesh will adjust and you won't notice it after a while. Most patients only experience mild bruising and swelling after the filler injection. You may also notice that the area feels a little sensitive to the touch for a couple of days afterwards, especially if you have been injected with filler in your lips.
However, there are two more serious side effects worth mentioning. First, the filler is a foreign body and can develop an infection. I have seen chronic infection in two patients who were injected with filler in another office, both cases involving Juvederm Voluma, a product used on the cheeks. The infection is treatable and treatment involves dissolving the filler, along with antibiotics and steroids to reduce swelling.
In my practice, I only use Radiesse or Restylane Lyft on my cheeks and I haven't seen chronic infections develop with any of these products. The second serious complication that can occur with fillers is injection into an artery or vein. If this occurs in a vessel that irrigates the skin, the overlying skin will turn dark or spotty without treatment, potentially developing a wound. If injected into an artery or vein in the vessels around the eye, the possible result is blindness. Fortunately, this complication is very rare.
However, it is essential that the complication be recognized immediately and treated appropriately. In my office, we have an emergency kit and treatment instructions immediately available in the unlikely event of a serious filling complication. And my injector nurse and I are trained to recognize this type of complication. It's common to numb the ice-treated area first, but each injection is quick. With or without ice, you shouldn't feel anything but a slight prick.
The area just below the eyebrow may be a little more sensitive. Even then, it will feel like a more pronounced sting closer to a bee sting and should go away immediately. It will take a few days for Botox to take effect. At that time, the muscles will start to feel a little heavy. You'll get used to it after a week. If you are immunocompromised, you have an increased risk of infection after the filler injection and you should discuss this with your primary care doctor before considering filling.
If you notice small bumps and bumps after the filler injection, this is almost always swelling and disappears after a few days. If you have an active infection near the treatment area, such as an infected tooth, for example, you should avoid injecting filler until the infection has resolved. A vascular occlusion can occur for many reasons, but it is also a small possibility when a dermal filler injection is given. This enzyme breaks down the HA filler and allows the body to absorb and metabolize the filler quickly. You should schedule periodic reviews to determine if you need to “fill” the fill quantity so that you are not in two years with all the filling absorbed and you have to start from scratch. Having a nurse or nurse practitioner injecting you with the filler can also be very safe, as long as they are supervised by a plastic surgeon, dermatologist or facial plastic surgeon who is immediately available in the event of a complication.
Even though the results are immediately visible, you should give the fillers a little time to settle after the injection. A dermatologist may inject additional filler to maintain balance or may dissolve it completely depending on the type. Fillers made with calcium hydroxylapatite, a mineral-type compound found in bone but created synthetically, is a semi-permanent filler. When facial filler is incorrectly injected into a specific blood vessel in the face, an occlusion can occur. The latter freezes muscles to reduce wrinkles while dermal fillers are FDA-approved injectable implants to help smooth skin and wrinkles. So how long do dermal fillers delay? Well, that depends entirely on how much you're going to make, what fillings you choose and who you pay to administer them.
