Restylane: Stories

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I Am Still Trying to Deal with the Horrible Effects of the Restylane - Los Angeles, CA

  • posted 5 months ago
  • updated 2 months ago
  • Not Worth It
  • Los Angeles, CA

Horrible experience and way too much money trying...

  • 30 Dec 2012

Horrible experience and way too much money trying to fix the damage from Restylane injections under my eyes and the later Vitrase to dissolve it. The cost I listed is the total cost I spent in trying to fix the result of the initial Restylane injection and includes the cost of that original injection. I was badly overfilled, left with extremely noticeable discoloration and dents.

I tried some things like Pixel and RF under the eyes in attempt to make it look better before I resorted to getting Vitrase to dissolve the overfill. Once the Vitrase was injected, my under eye skin became saggy and wrinkles developed under my eyes - probably a result of multiple factors, not the least of which was having that area stretched by the overfill. I tried several moderate chemical peels, spaced months apart to try and address the discoloration and improve the skin texture but nothing has helped.

I have perma dents, discoloration, wrinkles and bags under both eyes (one under eye is worse than the other). Having a small amount of Restylane injected again to try to address the dents made things even worse, with my newly saggy under eye skin.

It has now been 14 months since that first injection of Restylane. I don't feel like I have any options left to try and improve this. I would not recommend this procedure.

I woke up yesterday morning with my eyes swollen...

  • 3 Feb 2013
I woke up yesterday morning with my eyes swollen shut. My upper eyelids, the corners of my eyes, lower eye lids and upper cheeks are all swollen with red steaks running down my cheeks toward my nose. The last time I had a tiny bit of Restylane injected to try and fix the permadents was more than 3 months ago.

I went to the urgent care across the street and the doc thought I was probably having some kind of allergic reaction to something. She didn't think it could be the Restylane, since it is 3 months past injection. I was injected in the hip with some Decadron and told to pick up some Benedryl. I will be seeing an Ophthalmologist tomorrow. I am not so convinced that this has nothing to do with the restylane. Posting a photo from 2 hours after the Decadron injection - swelling had started to go down but still pretty bad.
Great review?

My Doctor: Name not provided

My rating:

Update: 3/25/2013. Woke up with the left under eye very swollen all the way to the inner corner. Put ice on it for 10 minutes before going to work. It has been 12 hours and the swelling has reduced a lot from this morning but swelling has become a trend. Two weeks ago I woke up with the right eye almost swollen shut.

Comments (32)

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Brenda84337 14 Apr 2013
Would like to have the name of the doctor emailed, as I've been looking into an Ocuplastic Surgeon.
Sallify 26 Mar 2013
I was having the same symptoms you describe -- recurrent swelling months after Restylane injections to the tear troughs. Also lumps and bumpiness under the eyes when the swelling went down. It turns out that I had a biofilm infection. The treatment is six weeks of two different antibiotics. I'm still taking them, but after the first couple of days my condition was so much improved. I have had no swelling at all since starting the antibiotics. Most doctors seem unaware of the risk of biofilm with Restylane, but if you message me privately, I can send you more information and articles that my doctor sent me. It may be, of course, that you have something different going on, but if this possibility hasn't been addressed by your doctor already, it would be a good question to ask if a biofilm infection could be what's causing your problem. Sending best wishes with the hopes that your condition improves.
shayna6218 15 Mar 2013

Hello All: I had the same oculoplastic surgeon as cp354. He is world reknowed and is in the LA Area. I have decided to opt out of having vitrase also. Sometimes it is better to wait it out especially in my case where the overfill is only visible in certain light. It will dissolve in due time. Next time I will definitely be using Belotero instead and being very conservative. I actually was very conservative this time too. My usual mantra is " I am looking for improvement not perfection." I find it better also if I do things in increments so that I have time to settle my mind, check out the work under various lights and make a reevaluation. I can be over zealous and want it all done now although this was not the case this time. For those of you hoping to have the product dissolve, maybe try gently tapping that area several times a day as product dissolves more around areas of movement.

Sallify 26 Feb 2013
cp354, I am having a very similar experience. My eyes started swelling two months after the second time I had Restylane injected to my tear troughs. After every swelling episode, my eyes look worse. My doctor wants to dissolve it with Vitrase, but I've read so many horror stories of it making things worse that I'm opting to live with the swelling and lumps instead. The first time I went to my GP about the swelling under my eyes, they assumed it was allergies. But now I have no doubt that it is from the Restylane, especially because I've read so many similar stories here. I feel for you, sister. If you ever need someone to commiserate with, I'm here.
Cosmetic Concierge 15 Mar 2013
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Cosmetic Concierge 15 Apr 2013
I'm sorry to hear about your expereince with fillers, I can empathize. I had Juvederm injected in my tear trough and had much lumpiness, swelling, bruising and lumps. I looked horrible. The PS should have used Restylane as it does not create as much lumpiness in this area. It takes a certain skill to inject the eye hollows and if you have very thin skin there, it is even more difficult. I then had Vitrase injected in both eyes. The Juve was dissolved- no problems He injected a small amount. A few days later, I was then injected with Restylane by his nurse injector, who did a fabulous job. We started very slowly and I came back several times. This whole prcess took 3 months to resolve. I was quite bruised from the first injection, and not happy. I did not have any residual effects from the Vitrase and was very pleased that it worked. I have since had Vitrase on one other occassion, with no problems. I have been getting fillers since 1998 and in my experience, RN's and derms tend to be better injectors than PS. There are exceptions to this, as I have also gone to PS's who are highly skilled in Liquid Facelifts. Technique and practice is so important. If your doctor wants to inject you with Vitrase, and you trust him, then perhaps this would be the best option. If you can live with it, then wait it out. Another option may be a laser treatment. Ask your doctor if a laser treatment may help with the swelling. Many PS use laser after a facelift to assist the swelling. Being well-informed before doing any comsetic work is so important as you have discovered, because you never know what can happen. I too have had allergic reactions to fillers or wierd swelling and redness. So I know what fillers, I should stay away from. Good Luck.
shaybelle 18 Feb 2013
Hello, I am sorry to hear about your situation. I have heard that Belotero Balance is a better filler for the under eye as the Tyndall effect is not a side effect. I am not sure if this will help you though. Give your skin some time to recover as the hyaluronidase may have also dissolved some of your own natural hyaluronic acid in that area. Maybe try taking vitamin A and zinc supplements to build up your own natural collagen also. I just had restylane filler under the eyes also and have mixed feelings about the results as under daylight it looks great but under certain dimmer light I can see the Tyndall effect under the right eye. I am also in the LA area and went to an oculoplastic surgeon. I am looking for another. I would appreciate if you would tell me the name of your doctor so I can avoid him. Thankyou and best of luck
Cosmetic Concierge 15 Mar 2013
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debtsettler 13 Feb 2013
Who was the doctor?
cp354 14 Feb 2013
I can privately email the doctor's name if you like. I don't feel comfortable posting it publicly.
debtsettler 15 Feb 2013

Sure, because I'm thinking about doing this, and sure wouldnt want to go to your doctor after what he did to you. thanks so much, heres my email: **********@ymail.com

debtsettler 15 Feb 2013
They won't let me post my debtsettler email as above. Not sure how to privately message
Megan P (Community Manager) 15 Feb 2013

Here are instructions from our Help section on how to use the private messaging system. :)

cp354 17 Feb 2013
Hi debtsettler, I emailed you at your personal email address and I also sent a private email to your Real Self email address.
Cosmetic Concierge 15 Mar 2013
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Cosmetic Concierge 15 Mar 2013
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This comment does not follow our Community Guidelines and/or Terms of Service. We reserve the right to remove any post for any reason.
Suec80 28 Mar 2013

CN you please email me the doctors name. Thank you

bruins1986 1 May 2013

can you email the doctor to me as well? *********@*****.com

ladyjade 9 Feb 2013
I'm sorry you've had such a bad experience. Did you research doctors and find one with a lot of experience, or was this done at a med spa, etc?
cp354 14 Feb 2013
The doc who over-filled me with Restylane is an Oculoplastic Surgeon and yes, I researched them. The subsequent frantic attempts to fix the damage with chemical peels, Pixel and RF were done at Med Spas.
8969anon 22 Feb 2013
The doctor that put filler in my eye was also a board certified oculoplastic surgeon. His staff told me he was an "expert in upper eyelid fillers". He overfilled it and left me with a bad result for 18 months now. Board certification didn't do me and many other people on this site any good.
lucidity 22 Feb 2013
Yes, I've had filler done by a doctor who supposedly had a lot of experience (and was of course board certified- I wouldn't go to anyone who wasn't) and left with a less than great result. And had a bad experience with fractional Co2 laser by a doctor who not only had a lot of experience, but also teaches other doctors how to do it. Going to someone who's board certified with much experience definitely doesn't guarantee a good result, but I have noticed that a lot of the horror stories posted on here are written by people who went to Medspas or did not seem to research their doctor.
8969anon 22 Feb 2013
What it comes down to is these fillers do not belong in our faces and we should not be heating our skin to the point that we have to use painkillers to bear the treatment. It is Russian roulette in the best circumstances. There are too many factors that can contribute to a bad result.
Simba1234 4 Feb 2013
So much trouble with hyaluronic acid fillers......not permanent, I dont believe it anymore, still have restylane in my skin after 3 half years.
mcat1045 4 Feb 2013
I had permanent damage from Juvederm under my eyes. Tyndall effect, loose skin, bags. The only thing that fixed my situation was a lower bleph with septal reset. Now it is smooth and even toned. My surgeon told me he 'wiped' the remaining juvederm with a q-tip. The incision was made under my eye lashes and he performed a skin pinch as well to get rid of the excess skin. Should have gone with the bleph in the first place.

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