Are Injectable Fillers Safe?
Posted December 17, 2015 in Injectable Fillers
Injectable fillers can smooth wrinkles, add volume, and enhance facial contour to restore a more youthful and attractive facial appearance. Treatment with injectable fillers is incredibly popular; however, some skeptics wonder whether injectable fillers are safe. Extensive research and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have concluded that injectable fillers are indeed safe with proper use and application.
Safety of Use and Application
The FDA has approved treatment with injectable fillers as a medical procedure to create a fuller or smoother facial appearance. Specifically, fillers are FDA approved for use on the nasolabial folds, cheeks, lips, as well as the back of the hands. Most fillers are comprised of naturally occurring materials such as collagen, hyaluronic acid, and calcium hydroxylapatite, which reduces the risk of an adverse reaction in the body. While injectable fillers are safe for facial or hand augmentation, using fillers for unapproved treatments such as breast or butt augmentation may not be safe. Patients with inflammatory conditions or bleeding disorders may also not be eligible for injectable filler treatments. The safety of use for patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding, under 18 years of age, or prone to excessive or thick scarring and the safety of prolonged and repeated use have yet to be evaluated in controlled, clinical studies. Nonetheless, for the bulk of the population, injectable fillers are widely accepted as safe for the effective treatment of facial wrinkles and volume loss.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
As with most medical procedures, treatment with injectable fillers presents potential risks. For example, patients may experience pain, swelling, redness, bruising, and bleeding, particularly with the higher-caliber needles needed for thicker fillers. Anesthesia can minimize pain for treatment of the lips and sensitive areas. Some fillers contain lidocaine to minimize pain. In some cases, a lump can form in the treated area, which can be drained or broken down by injecting hyaluronidase. Some patients may experience an allergic reaction, causing prolonged redness or swelling. There are plenty of treatments for potential allergic reactions, and any reaction should go away when the injected material eventually breaks down. The rare occurrence of an accidental injection into a blood vessel may cause vision changes, signs of a stroke, unusual pain, or blanching of the skin. While these risks and side effects may occur, they are uncommon for the most part and are not considered a significant issue. In most cases, patients are entirely presentable the day after treatment.
Choose an Expert Surgeon to Minimize Risk
The most important thing that potential patients can do to minimize the potential risks of treatment with injectable fillers is to choose an expert surgeon. With the sensitive touch and experienced hands of an expert plastic surgeon, the patient is far less likely to experience pain or discomfort during the procedure. Additionally, other side effects are far less common at the hands of an expert because trained specialists will know the correct technique, how to prevent problems, how to recognize problems that may occur, and how to treat problems. While injectable fillers offer cosmetic benefits, these treatments are considered medical procedures that only a doctor or plastic surgery specialist should perform.
Injectable fillers are considered safe when used by an expert plastic surgeon for their intended purpose. By following these recommendations, you can safely undergo treatment with injectable fillers to enhance your appearance.
Dr. Andrés Taleisnik is a board-certified plastic surgery expert who is well-qualified to perform your treatment with injectable fillers with safe and pleasing results. He will educate and advise you through the entire process to ensure that you are comfortable and prepared for your procedure. To schedule your consultation with Dr. Taleisnik today, please call (714) 538-8549 or fill out our online contact form at your convenience.
