Don't Take NSAIDs to Relieve Soreness
It's normal to experience some lingering soreness after filler injections, and pain medications can certainly provide relief. However, it's important that you take the right kind of painkiller so you don't make any bruising worse.
There have been cases reported that occurred 12-24 hours after being injected but almost always it occurs immediately. If no treatment is initiated to improve the vascular flow, the skin will start to appear dusky, a bluish tint, with fine reticulations (lace like) to areas WELL BEYOND THE SITE OF INJECTION.
Answer: Skin necrosis is rare after injection of filler
Signs of skin necrosis include changes in skin color (a blue, dusky, or dark hue in that area), pain, and “breakdown” of the skin.
It's typical for patients to experience slight swelling or puffiness in the area for up to 24 hours. This is a common side effect that should be no cause for concern. However, should the swelling or inflammation in the area persist past two days, consult your provider.
If you think your fillers have gone wrong and if you have any of the following symptoms, CONSULT A MEDICALLY QUALIFIED PERSON NOW: Severe pain. Blanching of the skin and/or white spots. Mottled skin.
Vascular occlusion is typically mild, resulting in skin redness (erythema) or bruising around the injection site. However, if vascular occlusion is not treated quickly and properly, patients may experience skin death (necrosis) and even blindness, as facial fillers can migrate retrogressively to the orbital area.
A) Vascular occlusion usually causes some pain or discomfort, but may only manifest itself by the appearance of blanching, bluish discoloration, or mottling of the skin. Anything that seems unusual even hours after dermal filler injection should be reported immediately to your treatment provider.
The resulting ischemia produces a dusky discoloration associated with sluggish or absent capillary refill after digital compression, as well as possible loss of function. Therefore, pain out of proportion in terms of severity or persistence after the treatment should be further investigated.
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.
IMMEDIATE after care – What to do at home
Apply a cool compress to the treatment area (do not apply ice directly to the skin) for 10 minutes every half an hour on the day of treatment. Avoid any heat inducing activities for 24 hours such as strenuous exercise, spas, saunas and hot showers.
Swelling subsides, typically, within a few days. It's most apparent 24 to 72 hours after treatment before starting to subside gradually. Very occasionally, swelling can last from several days to four weeks.
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.
Drink plenty of water. HA based fillers such as Juvederm work by using the water naturally stored in our tissues, by drinking plenty of water after having a dermal filler treatment it helps the filler hold its chaos and last for longer.
These include redness, bruising and tenderness at the injection sites. Discomfort or tenderness lasts only a few days and can generally be managed with over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen. Hypersensitivity and numbness are also common for the first few days after treatment.
The complication of injecting a dermal filler into an artery is a serious, although rare complication. It can lead to problems such as restriction of blood supply to the skin or eyes, leading to the death of skin, scarring, and blindness.
The cream/white appearance of the skin is known as blanching and is the result of pressure placed on the loop arterioles in this superficial skin. This may take a little practice to get right in the beginning. Massage may help reduce any excessive placement of the filler.
“A key difference is that bruising will have a normal capillary refill time, whereas a VO will have a delayed capillary refill,” Dr Jaymi advises as the best way to determine bruising from vascular occlusion. “Capillary refill time is a simple bedside measure to check peripheral tissue perfusion.
The injected filler may pass through the ophthalmic and internal carotid arteries, and finally, lodge in the distal middle cerebral artery [3,4]. Previous studies have demonstrated that blindness and a stroke can occur as a result of the injection of soft tissue fillers in any part of the face [3].
So, how soon after injecting do the effects of vascular occlusion start to show? Depending on the case, it can happen immediately and be treated on the spot. But Dr. Jason notes that it can also occur after you've left your injector.
These include injection site redness, swelling, or bruising. However, disastrous outcomes can occur, including necrosis, vision loss, and cerebrovascular accidents. In cases of HA filler related complications, certain treatments can be attempted, such as hyaluronidase, massage, and hyperbaric oxygen.
When you have had too much filler, then you may appear to have a bulging forehead, an overly pointy and sharp chin, and overly protruding cheekbones. Furthermore, the filler can stretch and weigh down your skin over time, which is known as filler fatigue.
Are Lip Fillers Supposed to Feel Hard? Your lips may feel stiff or rigid immediately after injection with dermal fillers. Don't worry — this is entirely normal, and the lip fillers will soften with time.