Adverse effects usually last as long as the filler remains on the skin, meaning that short-term fillers have short-term side effects and permanent fillers can cause lifelong adverse effects. The main goal is to prevent them, however, this is not always possible. The things you buy through our links may cause Vox Media to earn a commission. Jennifer Sullivan answers all your beauty-related questions with practical, non-judgmental advice.
I'm curious to know the side effects of the filler. Does it really build up in your face and stay there, for the rest of your life? If the results are supposed to last only a few months, why do I see people talking about the long-term effects? Should I be concerned? You are right to be curious and concerned about the side effects of dermal filler. Not because these products are inherently harmful or because there's evidence that they stay on your face for the rest of your life, but because getting filler is serious. Contrary to what a lot of advertising and content on social networks would have you believe, padding is not a quick and easy aesthetic adjustment.
There are several types of fillers approved for cosmetic use in the United States, including hyaluronic acid fillers (such as Juvéderm and Restylane), which can be dissolved with hyaluronidase injections, and biostimulant fillers made with calcium hydroxylapatite (such as Radiesse) and polylactic acid (such as Sculptra), which promote the body's own production of collagen and elastin and cannot be easily dissolved or eliminated. The longevity and potential side effects of each filler are different. But in theory, the effects of most of the U.S. UU. In practice, things are more complicated than you can read on the FDA website.
For example, “we have magnetic resonance evidence that the filling lasts up to 12 years,” say Mobin Master and Stefania Roberts, aesthetic doctors from Australia who have published research on the long-term effects of padding. Levin, the founder of Entière Dermatology in New York City, means that your presence doesn't necessarily affect your health or appearance. That said, other things can go wrong. One problem that experts have noticed, especially as more people put on fillers, is that it can last longer than expected on some areas of the face, leading some people to add more filler prematurely.
Why would someone keep getting a refill when they already have, uh, full? Levin says that it may be that a person's concept of their appearance changes as more cosmetic work is done. Therefore, people tend to pursue this idea of how they think they should look, and they stack and stack the filling, leading to an overly full appearance, he says. That's one of the reasons why it's important to consult a provider who takes photos before each appointment. For the past ten years, Restylane and three types of Juvéderm were injected into my face and I am delighted with the results.
But I think one of the reasons I am satisfied is because I have found a dermatologist that I trust and have continued with her. I'm not here to make you pretty for a month or three months. “I'm a doctor, so I care about your skin health throughout my life,” Levin says. Do yourself a favor and look for a provider with a similar viewpoint.
By submitting your email, you accept our Terms and Privacy Notice and agree to receive email correspondence from us. This email will be used to sign in to all New York sites. By submitting your email, you accept our Terms and Privacy Policy and agree to receive email correspondence from us. As part of your account, you'll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can stop receiving at any time. While this complication is extremely rare, it can be devastating. The bad consequences of vascular occlusion include scarring, tissue death, and loss of vision.
In the few reported cases of blindness, the filling has interrupted blood flow through the central retinal artery, which supplies blood to all of the nerve fibers that form the optic nerve. The good news is that vascular occlusion can be considerably limited with a suitable injection technique, careful selection of the injection site and the right type of filler. Hyaluronic acid fillers, depending on their specific chemical composition, can last from six months to much longer before being gradually absorbed by the body. So where does this leave the smart consumer interested in non-invasive treatments to reduce the signs of aging? It's critical to find the right doctor to perform the dermal filler procedure.
In one study, Roberts injected himself into Master's face and then performed imaging studies that showed that the filler “flattened out a little over a period of 27 months, but didn't transfer to other areas of his face.” This occurs when the needle used to administer the dermal filler enters and penetrates a blood vessel. Dermal filler procedures can be expensive, which has led some consumers to turn to the online black market to buy fillers they can make themselves. I know that some states allow physician assistants and nurses to inject the filler independently or under the supervision of a doctor, but laws change frequently and I've seen many stories of medical spas operating illegally. A filler infection shows up as abnormal skin redness, tenderness, pain, pus, or nodules (lumps that appear at the injection site a few weeks after treatment with filler).
However, the available data so far suggests that injecting fillers has no long-term health consequences. See FDA advice for using dermal fillers safely and learn the difference between dermal fillers and injectable botulinum toxin products. We also recommend testing with a patch before the procedure to see if an allergic reaction to the filler is possible. People should be tested for allergies before receiving dermal fillers made with certain materials, especially animal-derived materials, such as collagen.
