Dissolving Facial Fillers
From hair dye to wrinkle cream, beauty trends and standards date back to ancient times. It’s safe to say that the popularity of social media has heightened our beauty fascination to a fever pitch. While beauty modifications like a new hairstyle, lipstick color, or self-tanner can be reversed with relative ease, what happens if we dip our toes into trends that are not so easily reversed? Dr. Yumeng (Marina) Li of CMC Dermatology shares more about returning to your baseline after dissolving facial fillers.
Is it possible to dissolve facial fillers?
Dr. Li of CMC Dermatology shares “only hyaluronic acid fillers can be truly “dissolved”. This is usually done by injecting an enzyme called hyaluronidase, which is able to break down and dissolve hyaluronic acid fillers. This simulates the same process that happens naturally within our bodies. The hyaluronic acid degradation products then get absorbed and metabolized. A skilled injector will identify where the filler is located and inject an appropriate amount of hyaluronidase into the area. The procedure takes a couple of minutes, and the results can be seen almost immediately.”
It can take up to several days to see the full effect of the procedure. It’s also possible that you may need multiple treatments to achieve the desired result.
Can you get fillers again in the future?
According to Dr. Li, “if you want to get more fillers in the same area, it is recommended to wait at least a week before getting fillers again.” She adds, “sometimes, I get requests from patients for the dissolution of their dermal fillers in order to return to a more natural or baseline appearance. More frequently I get requests from patients to “fix” a certain part of their filler that they do not like. While dermal fillers can produce excellent results when administered by a skilled practitioner, fillers can migrate naturally over time or patients can simply change their minds about the desired look.”
In cases where patients are dissatisfied with their post-treatment appearance, dissolving the filler can help restore a more natural appearance. Additionally, beauty trends change over time. Dr. Li notes, “I’m seeing a lot more requests for smaller, more natural appearing lips now as opposed to a few years ago, when there were a lot of requests for the Kardashian lips.”
Recently, social media influencer Angela White (Blac Chyna) made headlines for dissolving the fillers in her cheeks and jawline in order to return to her more natural self.
Is it possible to have an adverse reaction to fillers?
Patients may experience an adverse reaction to fillers immediately after the injection for up to several days or weeks.
Immediately, patients may experience bruising or swelling. This is normal after getting fillers. However, an excessive amount of swelling that persists for more than a couple of weeks should be brought to your provider’s attention.
Additionally, some patients may experience immediate hives after a filler injection, which is a sign of an allergic reaction. Persistent redness or pain could be signs of infection, which can occur days after the injection to even months after. Feeling nodules after the injection is common, but should improve over time with gentle massage. Delayed nodule formation after weeks could be signs of an inflammatory reaction.
Last but not least, the most worrisome adverse reaction is arterial or venous occlusion, which can lead to skin necrosis and even blindness. This usually presents as acute pain and/or dusky appearance of the overlying skin that occurs immediately or within several hours following filler injection. This is a medical emergency and needs to be treated with hyaluronidase to reduce the severity of symptoms.
Cosmetic Dermatology at Conway Medical Center
Fellowship-trained in cosmetic dermatology, Dr.Li provides her patients with a comprehensive care plan for both medical and cosmetic dermatology, including but not limited to fillers, dissolving of fillers, Botox, collagen stimulators, Mohs Surgery, and cosmetic & laser surgery.
Yumeng Li, MD, MS
ACGME Fellowship trained in Mohs Micrographic Surgery/Cosmetic Dermatology
ACGME Fellowship trained in Dermatopathology
ASDS Fellowship trained in Cosmetic Dermatology
Board certified in Dermatology and Dermatopathology
