Do dermal fillers cause scar tissue in the long run?

Thank you for your question and I appreciate your concern. However, when dermal fillers are performed by a very experienced, qualified injector, scar tissue is not an issue. In fact, the advantage of fillers is that they can provide improvement without incisions or scarring. I have performed facelifts on many patients who had been getting fillers for some time and decided to move to surgery to achieve longer-lasting results without a problem.

Great question but not easy to answer as it really depends on the type of filler being used. There are fillers such as Sculptra and Bellafill that are potent biostimulants. By their nature they induce fibrosis and collagen production and can form scar tissue in the form of nodules. This usually occurs when the product is not diluted properly or injected into the wrong tissue plane. But scars are essentially a type of collagen that has a different structure than natural collagen. To answer your question simply, yes you can have a facelift even if you've been getting fillers for years and even if you've had some of the biostimulatory, longer lasting fillers. It's imperative that the surgeon be made aware of the types of fillers you've had. I hope this helps! Dr. Dima

Hi! Most fillers are absorbed by the body in about a year. However, they leave around 10 percent of their volume behind in the form of scar tissue, which translates into permanent fullness. However, it should not pose a problem for the surgery. Would recommend that you go for an in-person consultation with an experienced surgeon before making any decision.