Diane Walder, MD

Restylane is fantastic product to volumize the tear trough areas, however anytime you inject fillers into the skin you run the risk of bruising and swelling. In fact, we do tend to see more swelling in this sensitive area and occassionally it can take up to 2-3 weeks for the swelling to subside. It is important to ask your provider what to expect with these injections so that you are not worried sick. Be patient. It is always best to follow up with your provider if you are concerned to ensure that everything is ok. The great thing about these fillers is that they are not permanent and will dissolve over a period of time.   

Over the many years that I have been administering Botox, I have not witnessed a case of acne like flare. It is a very uncommon occurrence. In fact itching is not a common associated symptom of acne. I would recommend to follow up with your dermatologist regarding this rash as it may be something unrelated that needs attention. 

This is a great question!  In fact, we normally recommend to put the fillers in first and then wait a few weeks to do the laser resurfacing treatments. The fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm smooth out the fine lines which make the laser treatments more effective so that all of the skin is treated. Hyaluronic acid fillers do attract water and re-volumize the skin.  They provide instant gratification and the laser resurfacing will help your body re-build it's own natural collagen and elastin over time. The combination produces wonderful results!

This is definitely a tough subject as there really is no clear answer. There have been no human studies on Botox and pregnant women or women trying to conceive, as realistically the risks associated outweigh the benefits of such a procedure. I feel that it would be wrong for any physician to say that there probably is nothing to worry about even if we would do think that it is relatively safe. I would recommend discussing this with your health care provider as he or she can best guide you. I normally advise my patients to wait at least 3 months as this is generally the time that the toxin begins to wear off. It is better safe than sorry.  

Hi! Usually local anesthesia wears off in a few hours, however every individual is different and metabolizes anesthetics differently. It is more likely that the asymmetry is from the residual swelling, which can last a few days. As the swelling subsides, it should get better. However, asymmetry that does not improve past a few days should warrant a follow up with the provider that injected the filler.