What exactly is a hyaluronic acid dermal filler?
Dermal fillers are a hyaluronic acid which is a naturally occurring substance found in the body that helps to hydrate and add volume to our skin. As we age this replacement mechanism diminishes so the moisturising and plumping effects of hyaluronic acid decrease. Hyaluronic acid is used for various aesthetic treatments, for injection into arthritic joints to aid movement and for eye surgery.
Do I need to take a skin test before having a dermal filler?
There is no skin test required as hyaluronic acid dermal fillers do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. Hyaluronic acid is a natural sugar your body produces daily, so patch testing isn’t necessary.
What happens during the consultation for dermal fillers?
During your consultation, Nurse Julie will advise you about what is possible in terms of the treatment management plan for you. You will be asked to fill in a medical history form and complete a consent form. Photographs prior to being injected will need to be taken and these will be kept in your medical records for future reference and will not be used for promotional material unless you agree to this. Nurse Julie will assess your facial structure, discussing expectations with you and determine which product and will work best for your facial shape/what you would like to achieve.
What do I need to avoid before having a filler treatment?
In order to reduce the amount of bruising and/or swelling from the injection sites, Nurse Julie advises her patients the following:
- Avoid blood thinning over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen for 1 week prior to treatment. Please let Nurse Julie know if you are taking aspirin for medical reasons
- Avoid supplements including St. Johns Wort, ginko biloba, primrose oil, garlic, ginseng, and Vitamin E for 1 week
- Avoid topical products such as Tretinoin (Retin-A), Retinols, Retinoids, Glycolic Acid, or any “Anti-Aging” products for 3 days prior to treatment
- Avoid waxing, bleaching, tweezing, or hair removal cream on the area to be treated for 3 days prior to treatment
- Do not drink alcoholic beverages for 24 hours prior to treatment
- If you have previously suffered from facial cold sores, there is a risk that the needle punctures could contribute to another eruption of cold sores. Please let Nurse Julie know if you are prone to cold sores.
- You cannot have dermal fillers if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, are allergic to any ingredients, or suffer from neurological disorders
Is there anything I need to do on the day of treatment?
Please attend your appointment with all makeup removed if possible.
Do hyaluronic acid dermal filler injections hurt?
Any injection can have a little bit of discomfort, but the needles used for dermal filler injections are very thin and they are changed throughout the treatment to prevent them from blunting, so any discomfort is very minimal. In Nurse Julie’s experience, some patients feel a bit more discomfort when they are stressed, tired, have consumed an excess of alcohol the night before. In addition, female patients at certain times of the month, around the menstruation cycle have proved to be a bit more sensitive. Everyone has a different pain threshold hold to others, so it really does depend on the individual. Nurse Julie will apply numbing cream to the area before the injections to help keep any discomfort during the procedure to a minimum. Some dermal fillers have local anaesthetic in them which makes the procedure very comfortable. The numbing effects wear off within 1 hour and it not the same as having injections (dental block) so you can carry on with your normal day to day activities.
Will I bruise?
It is important to know that although bruising is rare, anyone is at risk. There are many hidden vessels and veins underneath the skin and sometimes, it really can’t be helped so you will need to plan certain treatments around social events.
What needles does Nurse Julie use for dermal filler?
Nurse Julie uses very thin needles or a cannula (which is like a bendy and longer thinner needle).
Will I have numbing cream?
Yes, of course.
How long will I be numb for after the treatment?
There will be a mild numb feeling for about an hour afterwards, but not like how you feel after seeing the dentist.
Will I notice the difference right away?
Yes, the results are instantaneous.
Why do lip dermal fillers have bad press?
It’s mostly down to a handful of celebrity plastic surgery incidents. In 2002, Men Behaving Badly star Lesley Ash suffered an incident that left her barely recognisable and a reluctant poster girl for lip fillers gone bad. Even now, more than 15 years on, her lips are still affected. But, to put this into perspective. She was injected with liquid silicone by the mother of a friend, a Venezuelan plastic surgeon. Thankfully, permanent silicone lip fillers are a thing of the past in the UK.
Why do some people look overtreated with dermal fillers?
If you see anyone who may look “overdone”, this would not be a result of one treatment, but a number of treatments over a period of time and likely, continuing time. The common stereotype associated with dermal fillers is that the treatment can make your face look “fake” or “overfilled”. The main reasons why some people may look overdone is because of the frequency of injections, the product doesn’t match the indication, the patient or it isn’t suitable, unethical practitioners who don’t say “no” to treatment requests, visiting a number of different practitioners, novice injectors with little experience, the look is appealing to them, the influence of celebrity culture and social media as well as body dysmorphia.
There is no skin test required as hyaluronic acid dermal fillers do not contain any animal-derived ingredients. Hyaluronic acid is a natural sugar your body produces daily, so patch testing isn’t necessary.