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.
While it is possible for fillers to migrate, this side effect is extremely rare and can be avoided by choosing a qualified injector. Though filler migration is very uncommon, its likelihood increases when fillers are performed by an inexperienced or underqualified injector.
Although extremely rare, dermal fillers are able to migrate within the skin if consistent and adequate pressure is applied to them. For this reason, we advise patients not to get a facial, massage (on the treated skin), or microdermabrasion for the first two weeks following their filler injections.
Migrating filler can happen when injectable products are placed into the wrong plane. As Dr. Hahn explains, a thin plane – known as the pars marginalis and pars peripherals – separates the lip muscle (orbicularis oris), and injecting it into the wrong plane can allow the filler to move.
Migrated lip filler is visibly noticeable and usually presents as lumps, but can also appear as a puffy upper lip, lack of a defined border between lip edge and above and/or below the lip border – think duck lips.
"In cases of undereye filler, migration is seen as bumps in the lower eyelid and/or upper cheeks areas underneath the eyes."
If your lip fillers have migrated, it will almost always be noticeable visually. This can be presented in many ways; from a puffy upper lip, a lack of a defined border between the lip edge and above and/or below the lip border.
That said, these injectable treatments take some time to integrate into your tissues, and it's normal for your dermal filler to take up to two weeks to fully settle into your face.
[Injectors are] learning more and more that the filler can travel and migrate to regions outside of the injection site. This can happen months or up to years after the injection."
Massaging the treated areas can disrupt the dermal filler and cause the hyaluronic acid solution to move out of place. This can lead to an uneven or lumpy appearance.
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.
Con: Potential Side Effects
Patients usually experience minor bruising for 24 hours to several days. Other symptoms include rashes, swelling, and potential infection. Over time, patients may feel the filler moving away from the desired area, or, although extremely rare, develop lumps under the skin.
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.
This happens when the filler was injected too superficially. Patient may take notice to the uneven appearance several weeks post treatment or 3+ months post treatment when the body starts to slowly metabolize the filler. Additional areas that can be “botched” are cheekbones, chin, marionette lines, etc.
When injected, the filler can feel firm or harden. This can be alarming for patients since most want their fillers to feel soft. Cheek fillers are one that can be somewhat firm, but not hard.
Avoid itching, or picking around the injection site. Avoid applying intense heat to the treated area, that includes hot tubs, saunas, sunbathing or tanning. Don't drink alcohol the day of treatment, and try to avoid it for 2 days after. Avoid exercising for 2 days or until swelling subsides.
Answer: Juvederm/Restylane Migration
HA fillers will dissolve in 9-12 months, it can be reversed with an enzyme called hyaluronidase. I suggest seeing a well trained filler injector. Best, Dr.
Answer: Fillers and Migration
Fillers can move and may be a result of poor injection technique or poor choice of filler for the given location injected.
The amount of filler will vary depending on factors such as age, size of the cheeks in proportion to the rest of the face, and degree of pre-existing cheek volume loss. Many clinics advertise packages for 1 or 2 mL of cheek fillers to be performed every 6 to 12 months.
People with higher metabolisms will experience shorter filler results because their bodies will break the filler compound down faster than those with slower metabolisms. The same goes for other treatments such as BOTOX® and Dysport®.
Sun exposure speeds up the aging process on the skin and is one of the leading causes of wrinkles. Those UV rays can also cause certain fillers to break down faster and being absorbed by the body more quickly. To get the best results, use a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every day.
6 to 10 Hours After Treatment
If there is a visible bump, you can massage the area. Depending on the areas treated and the product used, you may feel “firmness.” These areas will soften and settle with time (usually 1-2 weeks).
Bruising may occur if an artery or blood vessel has become blocked due to filler injection. Bruising may range from a blue discoloration to a dusky purple-grey appearance. Swelling is likely to occur in and around the injection site if vascular obstruction is present, and may range from mild to severe.