Why Can I Feel the Juvederm Thread Under my Skin?

Feeling the product is not too unusual for the first 48 hours. The injected area usually softens progressively and blends nicely. I would only be concerned if you see the "thread" which may indicate improper placement. If you and your injector agree that the product has left an undesirable effect, ask about having this resolved with hyaluronidase.

If you can feel the Juvederm beneath the skin, it may have been injected too superficially or close to the skin's surface.  Certain areas have very thin skin (under eyes) and the Juvederm product needs to be injected fairly deeply to avoid a visible bulge or a palpable bulge.  The bulge will eventually resolve as this product only lasts about 6-8 months. However if the bump/bulge troubles you, I would recommend you ask your injector to consider injecting Hyaluronidase, which is a chemical that can help dissolve the active ingredient in the Juvederm.

Best wishes,

Dr. Bruno

Juvederm if placed too superficially can result in a visible thread.  Most often this is temporary, however, this  can persist in some patients and may require an HA melter called Hyaluronidase to effectively melt it.  Observation and massage are the most appropriate first steps.

Occasionally juvederm and also the other hyaluronic acid filler restylane can be visible under the skin if it is injected superficially into shallow lines. Often this can be improved by simply massaging the area until it flattens out. Sometimes it may persist and if it does the visibility will diminish over time. I hope this information helps.

Bruising, swelling, sometimes discoloration, lumps and bumps are common with fillers. Please contact a qualified provider or a board-certified physician with extensive experience in these procedures.

It is quite common to feel a thread or lump of juvederm subsequent to a treatment.  It generally will go down over the next couple of days, and can go down faster with gentle massage. If this lump persists more than a week, call your injector and have him/her check you.

Feeling the filler in the skin is not too unusual for the first  several days and it should feel firm.  However, you should not be able to visualize the "thread".  I am not so much worried about whether a patient can feel a filler, as much as I am for a patient to actually see the filler.  If you are able to visualize the injection thread and If it does not resolve within about a week, I would revisit your injector.  This means it could have been injected to close to the surface.  If this is the case, it will disappear when the product disappears, or the injector can sometimes correct it.  I would be sure to massage the area to try to flatten out anything you can visualize.     

Juvederm and Restylane both can leave palpable threads or lumps. This is not a problem if over the next few days it melts away or softens with gentle massage. But if it is visible, and does not melt in, see your injector sooner rather than later for correction.

It is not unusual to be able to feel Juvederm under the skin if you go hunting for it, especially in the first few days after the treatment.  In these situations, it usually spontaneously resolves in short order. 

Since the point of Juvederm is to improve the way you look , you should evaluate the area for a visible lump or ridge.  If such a problem exists, you should work towards resolving it.  Gentle massage often is effective but you may need to visit your doctor in the event that it persists.  If it looks great and you can only feel a small lump, leave it alone and enjoy the way it looks.  Any manipulation you do to get rid of this invisible problem is likely to diminish the visible improvement.

It's normal--remember that Juvederm is actually a gel substance---this gel is injected into folds and wrinkles in order to replace volume which is lost over time.  So after an injection of the gel, it is not unususal to be able to feel the thread of gel immediately following and for a few weeks after the injection.  After awhile, as the Juvederm is slowly absorbed into the surrounding tissue, it is less "thready".  I f you see a blue bulge, however, you can return to your doctor for this to be removed.