Illegal fillers done 7 years ago going bad. Please tell me what is happening to my skin and what I can do (Photo)

Hi, thank you your question regarding what is happening to your buttock after illegal buttock injection 7 years ago. Basically, your body is reacting the the silicone. Your body is making scar tissue around the silicone in an attempt to wall off the silicone. To create scar tissue, there is a whole cascade of chemical reactions. This cascade starts with increased blood flow-- that is why there is swelling and "peu d'orange" or orange peel skin. Then, there is release of histamine that causes the itching. Then, your body tries to eject the silicone through the skin. This can cause skin color changes. Usually, the skin turns purple or even black. Bottom line, GET THIS BUTTOCK SILICONE REMOVED ASAP. I specialized in silicone buttock removal and subsequent buttock reconstruction. I am the Director and chief clinical investigator at the Institute of Silicone Removal. Since removing silicone from the buttock is a big procedure, please seek an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon with significant experience in removing silicone from the buttock. Do your research. Make sure they have performed many buttock silicone removal surgeries and have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced, buttock silicone removal surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. I hope that I have answered your questions regarding the silicone in your buttock. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

Silicone biopolymers are commonly used in the face and body. They may sometimes cause noticeable symptoms that we gauge using the Karamanoukian Soft Tissue Reaction Grading Scale from I to V. The severity of your complications dictates the interventions needed, ranging from itching and burning to severe necrosis of the soft tissue. Nerve pain and symptomatic swelling is also possible. Insurance may cover your surgery, but that is a discussion that requires you to contact and appeal to your insurance carrier. Options for removal are complex and depend on whether you have the material in your face or body. We reverse BBL with silicone commonly and remove silicone from the lips very commonly. Diffuse silicone in the face is not likely to respond to removal. Filler migration, swelling, and granulomas can cause significant discomfort and cosmetic ramifications. Our office specializes in the use of enzymes and filler reversal techniques without hyaluronidase to help improve the results of botched cosmetic fillers, whether caused by Juvederm, Restylane, or foreign fillers. We can also test for the material to determine the likelihood of silicone granulomas and silicone reaction.

Best,
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

Hi Amiraaa,
Have you found treatment for this condition yet? I seen many patients who present with similar complaints. Every patient's timeline is different- some expereince symptoms soon after injection. Some don't experience symptoms until much later (up to 25 years later).You are not alone in this, and there is treatment available. Feel free to reach out here and my team can set you up with a virtual or in-person consultation.
I wish you luck in your search for treatment!
Dr. Nik

Hello, thank you for your question. I am having to do more and more of these debulking procedures before patients can have a BBL. The type of removal depends on the type of substance, the amount of surface area involved, and the patient desires. The material is removed in the first stage. It is rare that over 50% of the material can be removed. Because the material is typically laden with bacteria means that you run the risk of injection and recurrence of granulomas. A period of 3 months or so is observed. Reconstructive surgery can be performed later to improve the appearance. To help allay fears and eliminate worries of patients who made the previous poor decision to have these substances injected, I recommend that they consult with a board certified PS who has experience in removing silicone.

The pachyderm skin or cutaneous thickening is a very frequent finding after the administration of illegal injections ( biopolymers or silicone injections), this is one of the most difficult aspects to manage but after the removal with open technique there are complementary treatments to improve the quality of the skin