Can I get Bellafill injections in acne scars previously treated by silicone?

Question

I had silicone injections for my acne scars 1-3 years ago with a highly skilled practitioner using the micro droplet technique. I got a few bumps that are everlasting from silicone and would not want anymore. However I’m still looking to further correct my boxcar scars and the silicone injections were the only thing that resulted in noticeable improvement. Do you recommend bellafill injections in sites previously treated by silicone? Thank you!

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS · Answer

Bellafill and Artefill are known to cause granulomas. Although used for soft tissue augmentation, they can, and are known to cause permanent nodules and swelling. This is not the case for everyone. 
My office specializes in the removal of Bellafill and Artefill injections, in addition to silicone biopolymers, from the face and body. Initially, treatments are non-surgical with corticosteroids and immune modulators. If unable to be corrected, we can also perform surgery in some cases. 
Lastly, our office is conducting ongoing studies of plasma-assisted corticosteroid application, which allows for diffusion of the treatment medication in superficial tissue without causing atrophy. 
Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian 
Realself100 Surgeon

Nelson Castillo, MD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your excellent question. Theoretically you could add Bellafil to the previously treated silicone areas but I tend to avoid doing so due to the issues that can accompany silicone - hyper/hypopigmentation, lumps, bumps, contour irregularities. You may wish to consider TCA cross, micro needling and other topical skin options to improve the scars' appearance.

Steven F. Weiner, MD · Answer

Silicon is very unpredictable and can form a very aggressive inflammatory response even after 10-15 years. Any type of injection in the face, even if not even close to the original area can elicit this problem. In addition to injections, laser, microneedling, and RF can do this as well. It is hard to advise you to the best treatment because almost anything recommended has the potential to cause the silicon reaction. Once this problem occurs, it is extremely difficult to control. Silicon tends to spread, probably more than any other filler. This has been noted with recent advances in facial ultrasound. In general, boxcar scars are not treated best with filler but rather with TCA Cross, laser, and RFM.

Todd Kerner, MD · Answer

Bellafill and Juvederm are two different types of medication that work in two different types of ways to correct scarring.  They should NOT interact with each other.  I would never inject them both in the same day  since if a person had an allergic reaction, we would not know which agent caused it.  However, it should be safe to inject Bellafill after about 1 week later after getting Juvederm, so yes, you are safe to get the Bellafill now.  As always, consult with a medical professional first as they will know your full history.

Can I get Bellafill injections in acne scars previously treated by silicone?

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Answer: Bellafill for Acne Scars

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Can I get Bellafill injections in acne scars previously treated by silicone?

Answers (4)

Answer: Bellafill for Acne Scars

Answer: Bellafill for Acne Scars

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Everything you need to know about Bellafill

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