Do dermal fillers hurt and what are the side effects?
Swelling can occur due to a reaction to the dermal filler solution, or if the injection process tears blood vessels in the skin as the needle is inserted. Generally, an ice pack can be placed on the injection site after the procedure to reduce swelling.
Bruising occurs when the injection needle breaks tiny blood vessels, causing blood to spill into surrounding tissue–a temporary side effect. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends not exercising within 24 hours of your procedure to control further bruising and inflammation.
As with any procedure that breaks the surface of the skin, infection is a possible side effect. Infections are rare with dermal fillers, as long as your doctor or dermatologist uses a sterile syringe and follows standard precautions for injectable materials.
Allergic reaction can be a common side effect–especially with bovine-based injections, such as the collagen products Zyderm and Zyplast. To prevent allergic reactions, your dermatologist may perform a skin allergen test. If you’re allergic to bovine-based dermal fillers, other products are available, such as the human-based collagen Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast.
There is also some risk of the injected dermal filler material shifting once it has been placed under the skin. This may cause lumps under the skin in undesired places. The risk of shifting increases if you touch, prod or play with the injection site once the procedure is finished.
Depending on the area injected and the type of filler or pain control used, patients may find the procedure relatively painless to mildly uncomfortable. Treatments around the nose or lip areas are usually more painful. The obvious immediate side effect is of slight bleeding after the needle has been inserted into the skin. Other risks include mild bruising, redness and swelling that may also occur around the site of injection. These signs may take 2 – 3 days to vanish completely, especially around the lips where there is little flesh and the skin is tender. Rarely, allergic type reactions can occur after treatment with some fillers. These include prolonged redness, swelling, itching and or hardness and bumps in the skin. Such signs may appear at some or all of the points of injection. Sometimes, they can last for several months or longer, but this is extremely unusual. If you have a history of cold sores, or fever blisters in the treated area, filler injections may cause them to break
