Chipmunk Cheeks After Restylane in Tear Trough?

Question

Three days ago I had Restylane injected in my tear troughs. He injected around the entire eye area. I bruised on one side and had swelling which is going down. I noticed right after that I had chipmunk cheeks! I look hideous. Are the chipmunk cheeks going to go away? I'm so scared I'll never look the same again. How could the under eye injections cause my cheeks to drop? Did my doctor mess up? I'm so scared, please help. My doctor just brushed me off when I called

Kenneth Hughes, MD · Answer

Swelling is very common after having fillers applied, give it a full 2-3 weeks to settle before seeing your final result Best regards

Paul S. Nassif, MD · Answer

3 days is still soon after your procedure, and you will be experiencing swelling. I would give it a little bit of time and see how your result appears when the swelling improves. The filler is not permanent, and can be dissolved with the enzyme hyaluronidase if necessary. I would recommend following up with your physician in 1-2 weeks. I hope this helps, and best of luck.

Sam Naficy, MD, FACS · Answer

Without first viewing before and after photo's, it is very difficult to answer this question. You should consider posting pictures. It can sometimes take two weeks or longer to see swelling completely go down.

Kenneth D. Steinsapir, MD · Answer

These fillers can be fantastic. They can also be a nightmare! The big issue is that patients are often not properly prepared for the swelling that can easily occur after these services. First, time is very helpful. Much of your concerns may resolve as the swelling settles down. You may have bruised with the service which also increases swelling. Generally patients who do not bruise are very good after about 48 hours but occasionally swelling many persist for many days. What does not resolve can be addressed with either manual adjustment or with enzyme.

Benjamin Barankin, MD, FRCPC · Answer

I have never had a chipmunk cheek after injecting tear troughs, and in fact have never had any complaints of any sort when injecting this area. The tear trough is a delicate area with important anatomy, so ensure your physician is highly trained and experienced, and that you have trust and rapport with them so that if something goes wrong, they'll be by your side; unfortunately, it doesn't sound like that's the case here. I would see a second opinion from a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, and consider hyaluronidase to dissolve any filler you're not happy with. Dr. Benjamin Barankin, Toronto Dermatology Centre.

Elizabeth F. Rostan, MD · Answer

It is absolutely normal to have swelling - even chipmunk cheeks - after injection of restylane in the tear trough area. It is so normal that your condition did not raise any alarm at your doctors office which is why you feel you were brushed off. That swelling can stick around for a week or 2 but it will go down and you will probably like your results a lot once that happens. Try to sleep on extra pillows at night, avoid very salty foods and strenuous exercise and maybe ice the area - these steps will all help reduce the swelling.

Steven Swengel, MD · Answer

Injection of hyaluronics into tear troughs can magically transform the areas and eliminate those troughs, but there is inherent danger of secondary or bruising if small blood vessels are accidentally nicked. Good lighting and a gentle tough on the plunger as one injects minimizes these risks. Many of us are starting to us blunt tip canulas in the delicate areas where it is virtually impossible to cause bruising or nicking of a blood vessel. Rest assured that the swelling will go down. May be a bit too late to try arnica, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to take some for the next several days.

Diane Walder, MD · Answer

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.

F. Victor Rueckl, MD (in memoriam) · Answer

First, it's only been a few days and that area can bruise and swell significantly, so don't panic. You need to give the area some time to heal from the injections before you can evaluate the final outcome. I know you want it to look good or be fixed right now, but you need to wait a minimum of 2 weeks before you do anything. If you did in fact get too much filler in any area, it can be removed easily with hyaluronidase, so you don't have to look like a chipmunk.

Chipmunk Cheeks After Restylane in Tear Trough?

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