I am taking prednisone and antibiotics and a narcotic to help reduce swelling and pain. When I touch it it feels like firm small balls but one side of my face is more swollen than the other. Will it soften and feel normal or am I having a reaction. Already returned to doctor and she said wait, but I am controlling pain with narcotics.
March 8, 2018
Answer: Cheek Filler Concerns I'm sorry you are experiencing so much pain from your filler! It is common for one side to have more swelling than the other side after filler injections, so that in and of itself I would not be worried about. Sometimes if one side had more bleeding during the treatment than the other side, you can get blood formation under the skin (known as a hematoma) that can feel like a firm ball as it sounds like you are experiencing. Your body will break down the hematoma over time on its own (usually days to weeks) if that is what the firmness is from. Another possibility is that the firm ball is from a bolus of filler - this will usually not go away until the filler itself has dissolved (6 months to 1 year in most cases) unless a dissolving agent is used to dissolve/smooth out the filler. Pain is always possible after filler injections, especially the cheeks, since you are having to go through the muscle with the needle. Mild-moderate pain is normal, however severe pain is not. It is not common to need narcotics for post filler pain. Severe pain can be related to infection or vascular occlusion - if you are 5 days out from your procedure and your pictures look normal, I have a low suspicion for vascular occlusion. If it was due to infection, you would have other symptoms as well, such as redness, warmth to the area, drainage from the area, fever, chills, and body aches. If you have any of these symptoms, I would let your injector know immediately. I hope your pain and swelling resolve soon!
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March 8, 2018
Answer: Cheek Filler Concerns I'm sorry you are experiencing so much pain from your filler! It is common for one side to have more swelling than the other side after filler injections, so that in and of itself I would not be worried about. Sometimes if one side had more bleeding during the treatment than the other side, you can get blood formation under the skin (known as a hematoma) that can feel like a firm ball as it sounds like you are experiencing. Your body will break down the hematoma over time on its own (usually days to weeks) if that is what the firmness is from. Another possibility is that the firm ball is from a bolus of filler - this will usually not go away until the filler itself has dissolved (6 months to 1 year in most cases) unless a dissolving agent is used to dissolve/smooth out the filler. Pain is always possible after filler injections, especially the cheeks, since you are having to go through the muscle with the needle. Mild-moderate pain is normal, however severe pain is not. It is not common to need narcotics for post filler pain. Severe pain can be related to infection or vascular occlusion - if you are 5 days out from your procedure and your pictures look normal, I have a low suspicion for vascular occlusion. If it was due to infection, you would have other symptoms as well, such as redness, warmth to the area, drainage from the area, fever, chills, and body aches. If you have any of these symptoms, I would let your injector know immediately. I hope your pain and swelling resolve soon!
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