I suspect I was injected with fake Juvederm

Thank you for your question. It may be that you will require more hyaluronidase to dissolve the product. Perhaps consult with another board certified plastic surgeon to discuss your issue/ concern. Best, 

If you suspect that you received fake Juvederm or Juvederm made in another country you should contact Allergan at their customer service number.  They are investigating such cases to see how they can help you and will often help you find out what exactly you were injected with.  I am sorry for your trouble and I hope that it gets better.  Best, Dr. Green

So sorry you are experiencing problems after your procedure. I generally encourage patients to be sure they are going to a board certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon with experience in the product they are seeking.  Also, it is a good idea to make sure you see the package they are taking the syringe out of, and recognize it as a brand-name, sealed, sterile package in the  manufacturer's own packaging.   It is too easy for people to buy counterfeit products and a problem that we constantly face, with the poor consumer becoming the victim.  I recommend you obtain a second opinion in your area, and be careful to check what is being injected before the procedure is done in the future.

It seems most likely that you did not like the pattern and amount of the hyaluronic acid injected, and that Juvederm from another country was used, rather than that counterfeit product was used.  Unfortunately, there is no way for us, as physicians practicing in the USA, to know that a product is not adulterated if it is not approved for sale in the USA.It would not be at all unusual for you to need several rounds of hyaluronidase to dissolve what was injected, since you had two syringes injected.I wish you all the best and hope this is helpful to you. Please let me know if you have more questions.  It might help to ask to see the cartons and syringes before they are injected in the future.See my video below to learn how to know if Botox, Dysport, or Xeomin being injected is the real thing.

If the Juvederm is not purchased from the only USA approved source, Allergen, then it is a 'grey market' product.  This does not mean it is a counterfeit product but that remains a possibility.  Ordering these fillers from overseas distributors breaks the chain of ownership of the product and creates at least a possibility that is not genuine, or has been adulterated.  The purchaser really has no way of knowing what the syringe is filled with, despite likely being well intentioned.  If the product did not dissolve with one initial injection hyaluronidase, then another injection is indicated.  Juvederm may take more units to dissolve than other HA products with differing cross linking such as Restylane.  The hyaluronidase itself must be kept refrigerated to maintain potency and the physician can increase the units injected if indicated clinically if the first injection did not net enough change.

I am sorry to hear this.  I cannot tell you for sure whether counterfeit Juvederm was used for your injections, but unfortunately this is a problem that does exist.The most important thing is your safety.  Be on the lookout for unusual redness, swelling, pain, or signs of infection at the sites it was injected.If you are truly concerned and you are still unhappy with your results, my advice is to seek out a board certified Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist and have a consultation.  They will be able to help sort out your problem.  Best of luck!

I'm sorry your trust was violated. Sadly, it is easy (but illegal!) to import product from Canada, and other countries, where Juvederm is indeed labeled under number increments. This doesn't make it a "fake" product, but certainly not one that should be used or sold in the U.S. It's a "gray" market product meaning that it is indeed real Juvederm, but not the one for the U.S. Now, going back to your issue..... if you did indeed have two syringes of hyaluronic acid you may need more than one round of hyaluronidase to remove it. Hyaluronidase comes in very small vials and we don't use a lot of it - most physicians are very conservative with it. You may simply need more hyaluronidase to remove your product. Now, whether you want to return to your friend or not is up to you... but anyone who is familiar with fillers should be able to use hyaluronidase too. "This answer has been solicited without seeing this patient and
cannot be held as true medical advice, but only opinion. Seek in-person
treatment with a trained medical professional for appropriate care."