A US research team has noted that dermal fillers may cause an immune reaction, blocking lymphatic channels.
The team unveiled the findings during the Annual Scientific Conference of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) in London. Director of the bodySCULPT plastic surgery practice in New York Dr Spero Theodorou spoke about the study that will be published later this year.
“Under-eye filler is one of the biggest problems,” he said. “You see women everywhere with swollen eyes and young women having fillers in their faces. It’s very hard to remove and it blocks lymphatics in your face which is an important system. Not all patients will have swelling, but evidence suggests all will have some degree of lymphatic blockage.”
Furthermore, BAAPS president Mr Marc Pacifico, commented, “People don’t need to panic and have fillers dissolved as an emergency. This is preliminary research, but it gives us a scientific explanation for side effects we are seeing with fillers; whether it has more medical ramifications is unknown at this stage. However, this does highlight the importance of using a medically trained clinician for injectable fillers.”
Earlier this year, a study of BAAPS facelift surgeons showed a trend in women enquiring and having facelifts at a younger age which could be linked to the rise in concerns about using fillers. The study found that 65% of surgeons observed that patients interested in facelifts are more circumspect about using facial fillers, and 80% noticed an increase in intra-operative anatomical distortion due to the use of fillers in facelift patients.
Mr Pacifico noted, “Our surgeons have seen filler lasting longer than expected, well over a year in many cases. Many have noted that anatomical structures are certainly more tethered and scarred when fillers have previously been used, and have seen an increase in intra-operative and pre-operative anatomical distortion due to the overuse of fillers.”
