When should I seek medical attention after fillers?

Author: Ida Zboncak Jr.  |  Last update: Tuesday, September 9, 2025

If you have itching, a rash, trouble breathing, or swelling in your face or throat after the injections, get help right away. Eye problems: Fillers near your eyes could cause vision issues or even blindness in rare cases. If your vision changes after getting fillers, head to the emergency room.

How long after filler can you get complications?

Most side effects associated with dermal fillers, such as swelling and bruising occur shortly after injection and many resolve in a few days to weeks. In some cases, side effects may emerge weeks, months, or years later. Common risks include: Bruising.

When should I be worried about fillers?

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.

What are the red flags after fillers?

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.

What is a delayed response to fillers?

Delayed hypersensitivity reactions are characterized by induration, erythema, and edema and are mediated by T lymphocytes rather than antibodies. They typically occur 48–72 hours after injection but may be seen as late as several weeks postinjection and may persist for many months.

Do's and Dont's of Filler Aftercare - with Dr James!

How do you know if your body is rejecting fillers?

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.

What is considered a delayed response?

An emotionally delayed response is a reaction to an event that occurs in the present, but the emotional responses are not felt or expressed until some time later. It can be experienced by anyone, regardless of age or gender. It is often associated with trauma and can be a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

How to know if filler has gone wrong?

Here are some of the most common signs of lip filler problems:
  • The appearance of swollen “balloon” lips.
  • Excessive redness or bruising.
  • Asymmetry.
  • Strange-looking bumps and lumps.
  • Overstretching of the lip tissue.
  • Skin necrosis (tissue death)
  • Blindness of injecting the filler into the blood vessel.

What is not normal after fillers?

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.

How do you know if you have necrosis after fillers?

We'll be brutally honest here: the appearance of necrosis after filler is not for the faint of heart. 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. Sometimes the affected skin turns black.

How can I speed up healing after fillers?

To help reduce immediate side effects and promote quicker healing, follow your doctor's post-treatment instructions. This may include using ice packs to lessen swelling, avoiding heavy activities, and not touching or massaging the treated area for a while.

Is it normal to get lumps after fillers?

After receiving dermal filler treatments, most lumps or bumps that appear are temporary and linked to the natural healing process. These lumps are often the result of swelling or bruising, which typically resolve within a week or two.

What does a filler infection look like?

Diagnosing dermal filler infections:

The patient will present with a combination of lump, redness, tenderness, swelling or pus.

How do you know if you've had a reaction to filler?

The most common side effects include swelling, redness, bruising, and pain at the injection site.

How do you know if filler is blocking a blood vessel?

Symptoms of vascular occlusion include: Pain or discomfort at the site of the blockage. Swelling. Changes to your skin color; red (erythema) to blueish-purple or white spots (blanching).

How long after filler can you get infection?

The initial infected symptoms include pain along with tenderness and redness. These signs will typically occur within the first week between days 2 and 6. The formation of an abscess occurs between day 6 and 14.

What is a late reaction to fillers?

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.

What is forbidden after fillers?

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.

What are the don'ts after fillers?

After undergoing dermal fillers for facial asymmetry, avoid intense physical activity for 24-48 hours, including strenuous exercise and cardio exercise. These activities can increase blood flow to the face, potentially causing normal swelling and bruising where the hyaluronic acid-based facial fillers were injected.

How long after fillers can an occlusion occur?

Vascular occlusion is one of the rare complications of dermal filler treatment. It may happen as early as receiving the injectable filler or as late as 24 hours post-treatment.

How long does it take for fillers to fully settle?

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.

Can filler move if you touch it?

Although extremely rare, dermal fillers are able to migrate within the skin if consistent and adequate pressure is applied to them.

What is acceptable delay?

50ms to 100ms: Acceptable latency for some applications, though users may start to notice a delay, especially in real-time communications and fast-paced gaming. 100ms to 200ms: This range is where latency becomes more noticeable and can start to impact user experience, particularly in interactive applications.

What are examples of delayed reactions?

Examples of DTH reactions are contact dermatitis (eg, poison ivy rash), tuberculin skin test reactions, granulomatous inflammation (eg, sarcoidosis, Crohn disease), allograft rejection, graft versus host disease, and autoimmune hypersensitivity reactions.

What is bad response time?

Any response time over 1 second is problematic and needs to be fixed. The higher the response, the higher the chances of users leaving your website or application.

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