Signs to look for include pain at the injection site and discolouration of skin (pale or deep red) for up to a few hours after filler injection.
Adverse reactions from facial fillers most commonly include prolonged swelling, asymmetry, bruising, and lumps or bumps. These can be embarrassing but are not serious in terms of health risks. Rarer, severe symptoms may include allergic reactions, blindness due to embolism, and death of skin cells.
If dermal filler is injected in the wrong place it can block your blood vessels and potentially cause death of the skin tissue. This can cause continuous pain and skin discoloration. As with other risks, if you choose a practitioner or doctor with extensive anatomy knowledge and experience you can minimise the risks.
After the initial injection, the next sign of a problem with a VO is usually pallor. In the case of a true, complete vascular occlusion, pallor is very stark, particularly in lips. There will be a grey patch on the lip that sometimes has zero capillary refill.
In this case, necrosis often turns the skin blue or gives it a blue cast. It can also result in pustules and a scaly look along with white plaques.
To know if your filler is botched, you should look out for signs such as lumps or irregularities in the skin, unevenness between sides of the face, pain or tenderness in the area, discoloration or bruising at the injection site, and redness or swelling around the area.
Late complications are defined as those appearing after about 2-6 weeks. They comprise late allergic reactions, chronic inflammation and infection, granulomas, filler migration, loss of function, telangiectasia, and hypertrophic scars. A detailed history may disclose a potential allergy.
Increased redness, pain, swelling and heat around the lips hint at an infection. The presence of pus is also very worrying, and a professional must be consulted as quickly as possible.
If you experience any signs of an allergic reaction after a filler injection, such as tenderness, swelling or asymmetrical fullness, seek medical attention immediately. Ask your doctor to test for allergies to the injectable fillers and/or the liquid gel in which they are suspended.
“Pillow face” occurs when too much filler is injected into areas like the cheeks, nasolabial folds (the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth), lips, and under-eye area. This repeated overfilling can result in a bloated, round appearance that looks far from natural.
Facial overfilled syndrome is an underdiagnosed aesthetic complication due to multiple incorrect. placements of fillers. Incorrectly placed dermal fillers, poor selection of filler products, overzealous attempts by the injec- tors, and overly enthusiastic clients who “chase the lines” are the common causes of this.
After your first dermal filler appointment, you want to avoid any hot and humid place. For example, don't rush to the sauna or a hot tub right after your treatment. The high heat makes swelling in your face a lot worse.
These reactions, occurring months after injection, can include swelling, inflammation, and infections. The research highlights the importance of patient selection, high-quality products, and strict hygiene to minimize risks, providing valuable guidelines for practitioners to ensure safer aesthetic treatments.
The best results of dermal fillers are seen typically 1 to 2 weeks post treatment with some of the swelling and bruising dissipating by then. It could take up to 4 weeks for everything to completely settle down, at which point you will notice the results you're expecting.
Using injectable filler for large-scale body contouring or body enhancement can lead to serious injury, including long-term pain, infection, permanent scarring or disfigurement, and even death.
While most patients are satisfied with the results of dermal fillers, some find the change too drastic or have other reasons and would want to undo it. Using injectables like dermal filler is not a perfect science, and some patients react differently to the treatment, which is why dissolvers exist.
Overfilled, “Duck” Lips: Too much filler creates a disproportionate, unnatural look. Uneven Appearance: Lopsided or uneven volume distribution. Prolonged Lumps & Bumps: While lumps and bumps are normal and usually fade in the days after treatment, they may persist if filler is unevenly injected or clumped together.
If you're less than thrilled with your filler results—at any time, for whatever reason—talk with your injector. They should be “guiding you through the injectables process, not only during the procedure but afterward too,” says London-based plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Ashwin Soni.
However, they are likely not your final results, as you may experience some slight swelling and bruising. Generally, dermal fillers take around ten to fourteen days to settle and completely integrate into your skin. It can take up to four weeks, however, depending on the type of dermal filler you receive.
Signs of filler fatigue
Puffy or overly rounded features: excessive volume can create a bloated or unnatural look, particularly in areas like the cheeks and under the eyes. Loss of natural contours: the face may lose its natural definition, with features appearing merged or amorphous.
Symptoms of Necrotizing Skin Infections
The skin may look pale at first but quickly becomes red or bronze and warm to the touch and swollen. Pain is intense. Later, the skin turns violet, often with the development of large fluid-filled blisters (bullae).
What is the Tyndall effect? The Tyndall effect is a rare phenomenon in which a patient's skin takes on a bluish tone after he or she receives dermal fillers. This discoloration is most often visible in the skin below the eyes due to the area's thin skin.