Will Bellafill ever go away on its own? (Photos)

We are specialists in the removal of Artefill from the face and body. Inflammatory mediators can wreak havoc on permanent fillers, causing swelling and pain. Early removal is key. I would use SwellX to reduce swelling, if possible. 
Best, Dr. KaramanoukianLos Angeles

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your pictures you appear to be a candidate for lower eyelid surgery also known as Blepharoplasty. You have lower eye bags that can be surgically removed for permanent correction to the area. In some patients injecting bellafill below the eyebag can help blend the area but not in all cases. Yes all procedures have risks that should be considered. Kenalog may help reduce any scar tissue that may have formed around the product but typically PMMA (20% of the bellafill product) is generally considered permanent and in some cases can be surgically removed. Based on your experience with Bellafill I would not recommend subsequent injections and if you are not interested in surgery, there are other temporary fillers that are very good. 

Your picture shows lower eyelid eyebags that usually are treated with lower eyelid surgery called blepharoplasty. The use of Bellafil if done properly with a cannula and deep below the orbicularis muscles can hide the bags to a certain degree. My advise would be to consult an experienced surgeon to consider the blepharoplasty that can correct your concerns in a definitive and permanent way. I do not think the Bellafil will disappear but I think that your problem is not that. 

Hello and thanks for posting.
If you have palpable and visible lumps under your eyes from Bellafill injections after 8 months it seems unlikely that they will go away on their own. The fact that you had significant post-injection swelling that required prednisone suggests that your immune system had an overly robust reaction to the Bellafill and may account for the lumps. If so, injections of Kenalog into the nodules is the accepted treatment to reduce the size and appearance of these nodules. In some refractory cases, the combination of Kenalog and 5FU may be used to reduce the size of nodules. Although the PMMA does not go away, these agents reduce the inflammatory matrix of white blood cells and collagen that surround the PMMA microspheres.

Since you still have volume loss in the under eye region you would benefit from injection of an HA filler like Restylane. Alternatively, you could have lower blepharoplasty surgery.

Good luck!  

 

Bellafill is not my first choice for fillers around the eyes. I don't think that the Bellafill caused much difference but I can see the issue you are wanting to correct. The mid cheek volume wasn't addressed with the Bellafill. If concerned about the Bellafill, I would do an HA product in the medial cheek area and tear trough. Consider a blepharoplasty too, but you do need volume in this area. All procedures have risks. I use cannulas to minimize the risks in this area. Seek out a couple opinions before proceeding forward.

I am sorry the you had the swelling after your injections but if a needle was used to perform the injections, it is not uncommon to get a lit of swelling due to the trauma that a needle causes.  When Bellafill causes a problem, it is almost always a firm lump that can be either felt or seen.  This is simply scar tissue and does not need to be treated unless it can be seen as the long term studies show that these lumps almost always go away on their own.  If you do have firm lumps, Kenalog 10 injected in small amounts ever month for 3 to 5 months should settle them down nicely without any complications.From what can be seen in you photos, it appears that you are actually under filled  and adding more Bellafill would be a good solution for you.  I know that is not the answer you were expecting, but in the right hands, it appears that you would get a great result.  Remember that a syringe of filler is like a paint brush, you can get some very nice results if the brush in in the right hands.I hope that helps.Best regards.