Filler migration is the movement of a dermal filler from its injection site to another area of the body. While it is possible for fillers to migrate, this side effect is extremely rare and can be avoided by choosing a qualified injector.
In rare cases, facial fillers like Juvederm can migrate to another site of your face within a few days of your injections. This happens when the filler moves before it has fully bonded with your facial tissue.
False: Fillers Make Your Skin Sag
The fact is, dermal fillers add such a subtle and healthy amount of volume to the skin, that any skin stretching will be minimal. In fact, if you already have sagging skin or wrinkles, these fillers will take up the space that was once occupied by natural fat.
Cheek filler migration, in particular, is the Spreading Of Fillers Outside The Cheek Area, thus causing long periods of pain and discomfort, swelling, and irritation around the eyes, nose, lips, jaw, and neck.
"In cases of undereye filler, migration is seen as bumps in the lower eyelid and/or upper cheeks areas underneath the eyes."
Signs and symptoms of allergic reactions to cheek fillers include prolonged swelling, pain, and discomfort. It may also cause itchiness and, in very rare cases, anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is the severe allergic reaction to medication or food that leads to shock, skin rashes, and low pulse rate.
Over time, as facial movement increases in areas like the lips or cheeks, it causes the filler to break down and dissolve at a quicker rate. This makes the filler disappear faster in more active areas of the face.
You can spot filler migration as it can give that ducky or “shelf-like” appearance above the lip border. In areas such as the tear-trough, migration can be seen as little lumps and ridges around the lower eye area.
How Long Does Lip Filler Migration Last? The good news is fillers are only semi-permeant. Depending on how recently the filler was injected, the migration will last approximately 6-18 months. During that time your body will naturally metabolize and break the filler down over time if left alone.
The use of fillers in the face to achieve a liquid facelift or to increase the size of your cheek bones will leave some damage behind to your face and in the young patient under the age of 35 it will make you look older.
Filler works by inflating a pocket or space under the skin. Once the filler is gone (whether absorbed back into the body or chemically dissolved), that space will become empty leaving the tissues in a more stretched out position (think of sucking out the beans from a bean bag leaving it with an excess, sagging bag.
Do they lift like a facelift? Never. However, they do provide a bit of a lift or give the illusion of lifting. Cheek fillers also provide volume to the face.
Dr. Frank says the best way to deal with migration is to dissolve the filler with hyaluronidase (an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid gels). In just a few hours, hyaluronidase softens the filler and returns the lips to a more natural shape, projection, and size.
Cheek filler is a low-risk procedure, but complications may include: Bleeding. Bruising. Bumps that look like acne.
In recent years, however, there have been many media stories of dermal fillers gone wrong. Filler complications such as necrosis, infection, filler migration, lumps and unnatural results are all possible.
During this two week period, the hyaluronic acid in your filler will settle into your dermal tissues and begin to interact with the water in your skin. This process will hydrate your skin and give you a healthy, youthful appearance.
Calcium hydroxylapatite is biosynthetically produced, which means that no animals or animal products are used. This lowers your risk of an allergic reaction and no skin testing is required. This type of dermal filler is known to produce a very natural result, doesn't migrate and side effects are rare.
Dermal filler can be removed with an injectable treatment known as Hyaluronidase or Hyalase. This is injected into the area treated with dermal fillers. Hyalase is already naturally found in the body just like hyaluronic acid is.
The filler can take several weeks to soften and settle into your skin. This means that patients won't see the ultimate results of their treatment immediately. Although individual results will vary, many people achieve the full effect within two weeks after receiving their injections.
Most hyaluronic acid fillers used in the lips, jawline, and cheeks, including Juvederm and Restylane, metabolize after 6 months to a year. Sculptra can continue to provide results in the face for up to two years.
How Can Injectable Fillers Stretch Out Skin? Injectable fillers can stretch out the skin if they are used too often and in large doses. This occurs because the fillers are stretching skin that is producing less collagen and elastin to maintain youthfulness; therefore, once the filler is gone, the skin cannot contract.
By injecting hyaluronic acid into the skin around the eyes, in strategic places, volume can be increased, and the skin can be restructured. This can help to lift the eyes.
Facial fillers are very effective at dealing with deep wrinkles such as marionette lines. They gently plump out the wrinkles, resulting in a smoother appearance. Dermal fillers can also be used to add volume to your cheeks, replacing the diminishing fat pads in that area.
When the dermal filler is used as a jowl filler, it is injected along the jawline in the pre-jowl sulcus and the marionette lines to regain jawline definition. Treatment of jowls with jawline fillers often involves treating the chin area.