Bellafill injections are considered safe in the hands of an experienced injector.
Bellafill injections are considered safe in the hands of an experienced injector. A recent review of 417 Bellafill procedures performed between 2014 to 2017 noted six cases of adverse events (for a complication rate of 1.4%).
Common side effects include swelling, bruising, tenderness, redness, or slight bleeding at the injection site. It’s possible but rare to develop an infection at the injection site.
As with any injectable filler, Bellafill can cause a vascular occlusion or compression, cutting off blood flow to the skin and/or retina and potentially leading to skin death, scarring, and/or blindness. With non-dissolvable fillers, such consequences can be dire. (It bears repeating: Unlike treatment options using hyaluronic acid–based fillers, which can be dissolved early with hyaluronidase injections, Bellafill is not reversible.)
The microspheres in Bellafill can also cause lumps, known as granulomas, by forming scar tissue under the skin. “This is an unusual complication,” notes Dr. Windle, but when granulomas do form, they sometimes respond well to steroid injections.
The newest generation of Bellafill includes PMMA microspheres that are more uniform in shape and size than previous iterations, and have been “purported to decrease the incidence of granuloma formation,” according to a 2021 study.
It’s also not recommended for people who:
- Are under age 21
- Are susceptible to keloid or hypertrophic scarring (according to the FDA.
- Have a history of severe allergies and/or an allergy to bovine collagen or lidocaine
Anyone planning to get Bellafill should strongly consider having an allergy test about a month in advance, to rule out an allergy to bovine collagen. “However, it is reasonable to skip this test because the risk of having an allergic reaction is low,” Dr. Ho explains.
Related: Hyaluronic Acid vs. Biostimulatory Fillers: What to Know Before You Get Injected
