Can injections of Restylane or Juvederm make my acne worse?
Usually not, but it is possible. If you’ve had a skin filler (e.g., Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane) injected in an area that’s prone to acne, there’s a chance of acne worsening in that area for a few weeks. This is because inflammation is one of four main causes of acne. The other main causes of acne are increased oil production, increased acne bacteria, and increased skin cell turnover, which results in blocked pores. Think about the filler process: a needle goes into the skin, a skin filler is injected through the needle, the filler absorbs water, and then the area may be pressed on to mold the filler. All these actions can cause inflammation. This inflammation can be enough of a stress to your skin to cause an acne breakout. By the way, many treatments can act as acne “stressors”, and make acne worse. I always tell my acne patients that even their new acne skin care regimens can temporarily make acne worse before it gets better. This is why it’s important not to give up after only a w
