Why is my face swelling 4 weeks after using Voluma and Volbella?

Question

My lips are hugely swollen, my cheekbones are swollen and under my eyes are swollen. The swelling moves from one area to the other. I am starting my second week on methlyprednisolone . Dr says it will be to hard to dissolve the filler because it is in numerous areas. what do I do? Do I wait it out?

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

This needs an in-person evaluation. I recommend following up with your injector. If necessary, the filler can be reversed with hyaluronidase. It may take a series of treatments. Best, Dr. Emer

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

I'm sorry that you are experiencing so much swelling.  You should still be able to consider having the filler dissolved it you choose.  It sounds like you are doing the right thing by following up with your injector.  Continue to do so to find the right treatment for you.

Monika Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question! Swelling after filler injections is always normal, some people swell more than others depending on a number of factors such as blood thinner use, diet, and anatomy.  However, 4 weeks after filler injection should be enough time for normal post-filler injection swelling to resolve. If you've previously had Juvederm products and not reacted before like this then I would assume this is more than regular swelling and possibly a reaction to the filler. All fillers, especially Juvederm products, will draw in water and swell to some degree and then settle down. I usually give patients about two weeks for the filler to "settle" and swelling to resolve. It's hard to give accurate advice without photos and knowing exavtly how the treatments were performed.  In general, I would recommend giving yourself more time. Perhaps you are one of the few patients who are simply much more sensitive to filler or any procedure and therefore have a higher tendency to swell. You should of course continue to see your injector during this time. Best of luck!

Emil A. Tanghetti, MD · Answer

Delayed inflammatory reactions after Voluma, Volbella and Vollure have been reported. These reactions have been reported weeks to months after injection and sometimes have been associated with recent dental work. Some people have felt that they are related to the development of a biofilm in the area of injection. They generally are best treated with a course of antibiotics such as doxycycline or minocycline. They generally take 6-8 weeks to resolve. Dissolving this type of hyaluronic acid can be challenging. I would suggest following up with a trusted provider and considering a course of doxycycline 150 to 200 mg a day for 6-8 weeks.

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

If you are having a reaction to the fillers that were injected and prednisone is not helping then I suggest you have the fillers dissolved as much as possible at once.  By having the product dissolved there will be little for the body to react to. In the future you should have a skin test to see what you are allergic to so that this problem is not repeated.  Best, Dr. Green

William Greenberg, MD · Answer

Since it has been over 4 weeks, it seems that your body isn't reacting well to Juvederm vycross fillers family. Typically a course a steroids resolves this issue.  Best option at this point is to have as much filler disolved to remove the offending substances so your body can return to normal.

Vilma Di Maria, MBBS · Answer

Thankyou for your question. If the prednisolone is not helping i suggest you go back to your injector and get the filler dissolved.It may take a few session but this can be fixed.Good luck

Daniel Straka, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Swelling after filler injections is always normal, some people swell more than others depending on a number of factors such as blood thinner use, diet, and anatomy.  However, 4 weeks after filler injection should be enough time for normal post-filler injection swelling to resolve. If you've previously had Juvederm products and not reacted before like this then I would assume this is more than regular swelling and possibly a reaction to the filler. All fillers, especially Juvederm products, will draw in water and swell to some degree and then settle down. I usually give patients about two weeks for the filler to "settle" and swelling to resolve.
It's hard to give accurate advice without photos and knowing exavtly how the treatments were performed.  In general, I would recommend giving yourself more time. Perhaps you are one of the few patients who are simply much more sensitive to filler or any procedure and therefore have a higher tendency to swell.  Time is never a bad option. You should of course ocntinue to see your injector during this time.
If the swelling persists even longer without clear improvement over the next few weeks or month then I would highly consider dissolving it. Your body just isn't reacting well to the filler and is likely to continue to cause problems down the road. I have had patients sent to me who had filler injected 6 months or even years prior to seeing me and then suddenly develop severe swelling that doesn't go away depsite steroids, antibiotics, etc. When I dissolve the filler, the swelling has gone away in nearly every case. On only one occasion a patient required surgery to excise granulomas (this is very rare), but overall people do very well.
Good luck!

Why is my face swelling 4 weeks after using Voluma and Volbella?

Answers (8)

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