Filler complications - are fillers safe or dangerous?
Your doctor's choice increases the risk of complications! Fillers are safe, provided that it is carried out by a expert doctor with the right tools. “The most important thing when deciding who to treat yourself to is to first examine the doctor/clinic before they examine you. Who is that doctor anyway? What tools does he/she work with? How much experience does the doctor have? And, how safely does the doctor work? The safety of fillers depends on how the doctor works. Clinic Doctor Frodo makes no compromises about quality and safety. You'd be surprised how many people don't need treatment after the first consultation. A good doctor will always check whether a treatment is safe, correct and wonder if someone has really been helped with a treatment. The big so-called budget clinics that don't ask, they're running. They still believe that the (young) adult client is responsible himself. There are few clinics that take the time to really understand the client's question. (costs time and therefore money). Unfortunately, many clients are unaware of the fact that some doctors who do cosmetic treatments are not trained and are not even affiliated with the professional association NVCG. Every doctor has taken an oath, but the balance between doing good and making a profit does not always seem to be balanced. There are many tensions between the interests of a clinic and the doctor who really wants to help the patient. The responsibility as a cosmetic doctor is great. Customers expect you to be well educated, work according to the guidelines and be affiliated with the NVCG.
Safe filler treatment at Doctor Frodo clinic
Complications with permanent versus temporary fillers
A distinction can be made between temporary and permanent fillers. As the name suggests, temporary fillers provide temporary results. An example of this is a Juvederm filler, hyaluronic acid, a substance that occurs naturally in the body. Hyaluronic acid is naturally broken down by the body after a few years. Permanent fillers are highly unsafe because they provide a lasting result, including permanent complications.. Examples include Dermalive, Bio-Alcamid and Aquamid. But how safe are fillers? And are temporary fillers safer than permanent fillers?
Fillers and Corona
An allergic reaction of redness and swelling may occur where hyaluronic acid injectables are placed in combination with a Moderna vaccine/Pfizer vaccine. The vaccination activates the immune system and can also cause an immune response to by-substances in the vaccine (PEG/mannitol). This could also trigger an immune reaction against these by-substances in the filler. More about fillers and Corona
Complications after filler treatment
Many people wonder what complications can occur after using fillers. Rightly so, because complications can always occur to a greater or lesser extent. This not only applies to filler treatments, but complications can also occur after other cosmetic procedures, such as a botox treatment or laser treatment. The most common complications after filler treatment are: poor result, pain or tenderness, visibility of the filler or the development of hard lumps. These symptoms are not only very annoying, but often also disfiguring the skin. Complications do not always occur immediately after treatment. Sometimes it happens that complications only develop after a few years. That's why it's important to get good advice before a filler treatment or other cosmetic treatment. After all, treatment by an unskilled doctor or with a permanent filler is really dangerous. Possible complications after filler treatment:
- After treatment, the skin may be slightly red, slightly itchy or sensitive. These mild reactions disappear quickly.
- Bad result: If the treatment is done properly, no one should be able to see that you have been treated. But you have to look better!
- Tyndell effect: The Tyndell effect is a bluish discoloration of the skin. This can occur if the wrong filler is used, too much of the filler is used, or if the filler is placed too superficially.
- Nodules: In some cases, the filler can be encapsulated and develop small nodules. This is of course very annoying. In the case of a temporary filler, this can easily be solved with the use of hyaluronidase.
- Infection: If you have an infection in your teeth, in your facial cavities or elsewhere in the body, the filler may also become irritated and not swell. This is called “secondary swelling” and is caused by the immune system attacking the filler for a short period of time (1-2 days). If this happens, you can use an NSAID (ibuprofen/ diclofenac) to reduce swelling. Should the filler itself become infected (very unlikely), it is easy to treat with antibiotics and, if necessary, a temporary filler can be dissolved with hyaluronidase.
- Blood vessel entrapment: If a filler is sprayed into a blood vessel (or in large quantities near a blood vessel), the skin can be deprived of blood. The risk of this nasty and rare complication (we've never seen it in our clinic before) can be minimized with good knowledge of the anatomy and the right injection techniques. Any blood vessel entrapment caused by a temporary filler should be treated immediately with hyaluronidase. In the case of a permanent filler, surgery will have to take place.
Honest advice from the Doctor Frodo clinic
How safe are permanent fillers?
Unsafe! Permanent fillers such as Dermolive, Bio-Alcamid and Aquamid are not skin-specific substances. Some people may have an allergic reaction to it. After a treatment with these artificial fillers, the risk of complications (as mentioned above) is therefore higher than after a treatment with natural fillers, such as hyaluronic acids Juvederm and Restylane. The Dutch Association of Cosmetic Medicine (NVCG)2) has permanent fillers on a blacklist. Complications can occur even after years and range from inflammations to hard lumps that sometimes travel under the skin. So are these fillers dangerous? Yes, and that is why Clinic Doctor Frodo does not use permanent fillers.
How safe are temporary fillers?
When used by an expert doctor, temporary fillers are safe. Much safer than permanent fillers. In our clinic, we use Juvederm and Restylane, natural, temporary fillers with hyaluronic acid, a skin's own substance that is very safe to use. These fillers are degradable and are not encapsulated by skin tissue. After a few years, the substance is slowly broken down by the body. In that case, the treatment must be repeated to maintain results. Complications after using hyaluronic acid fillers are rare. Should one of the above complications nevertheless occur, the Juvederm and Restylane hyaluronic acid fillers can become dissolved with hyaluronidase. Other cheaper hyaluronic fillers do not or do not dissolve poorly with hyaluronidase. So watch out which hyaluronic acid filler you are being treated with!
Combating complications
Complication after permanent fillers: If permanent fillers have been used and complications arise, it is not easy to combat them. The substances Dermolive and Bio-Alcamid usually cannot be removed. A course of antibiotics or other anti-inflammatory drugs can offer a solution. In other cases, it is possible to reduce any skin hardening by means of a laser treatment. Doesn't that help either? Then a surgical procedure is necessary. For the treatment of complications with permanent means, you can contact the Erasmus MC Complications Consultation. Department of Dermatology, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam During the consultation at the complications office at the ErasmusMC, an ultrasound will be made of the area where the complication occurred and, if possible, it will be treated immediately. Treatment of filler complications is covered by medically necessary care and is covered by your insurance. However, you will need a referral from your doctor before you can go to this office hour. Scars can occur due to the treatment of complications from permanent fillers. A dent in the skin can also occur by removing swelling. This treatment, with the help of laser or lipofilling, is usually not covered by your insurance. Complication after hyaluronic acid fillers: Should complications occur unexpectedly after the administration of temporary hyaluronic acid fillers, they are easier to cure. This is because, in contrast to permanent fillers, natural fillers can be removed from the skin. A hyaluronic acid filler can be broken down with the enzyme hyaluronidase, so that the skin recovers immediately and long-term complications are prevented.
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