Juvederm in 11's After Receiving Botox For 4 Years. Experiencing Swelling and Bruising, Why?

Juvederm is completely different from Botox. It is a thick gel injected to create volume. Bruising and swelling are common side effects, and swelling always follows gravity. That area is also a little risky because there are blood vessels that we worry about compromising.  You should follow up with your provider to be evaluated for increasing pain, swelling or color change.

There may be a few reasons for the swelling.  The juvederm might be retaining more water than normal, there might be more Juvederm than you needed, there might be a bruise and even hematoma that creates swelling, but it may go away on its own. Please see your docotr for an evalutaion.

 

The information provided in Dr. Shelton's answer is for educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute medical advice.  The information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for consultations with a qualified health professional who may be familiar with your individual medical needs. If you are experiencing a medical emergency proceed to your nearest emergency room.

The area between your eyebrows in called the glabella.  Typically I will use a thinner product such as Juvederm Ultra or Restylane here instead of Juvederm Ultra Plus or Perlane.  There is a higher risk of occluding a blood vessel in this area from filler injection.  This can be a medical emergency which needs to be treated right away.  You should call the office where you were treated to have them take a look to make sure there is no risk of vascular occlusion.

It is not uncommon to need both Botox and fillers such as Juvederm in the glabellar region. This is because the repetitive muscular action of the corrugator muscles can create ingrained / etched lines that do not go away with the muscle relaxation provided by Botox alone.

Fillers have a greater chance of bruising for a variety of reasons. Because of the increased viscosity of fillers versus botox (which has the viscosity of saline), the product usually requires a larger bore needle. This creates a bit more trauma. The product itself temporarily causes some increased swelling as well due to the short-term inflammation that can develop. This swelling doesn't have to be directly where it was injected, but can surround the injection site as well. The injection site is just the epicenter.

I suggest plenty of ice, and keep your head of bed elevated. The swelling should be gone within a day or two, while the bruising may last up to a week (but can be easily covered with makeup).

Michael M. Kim, MD

 

It is not at all uncommon to have bruising and swelling after Juvederm injections. Juvederm is much more viscous (thicker) than Botox and so is more likely to cause bruising and swelling. And some of my patients bruise a lot more than others. If it seems excessive to you, you could call your doctor's office and get them to check it out for you to make sure it is normal. Good luck.