Dermal fillers are an increasingly popular procedure, not only for their anti-ageing benefits but also for their ability to enhance your natural beauty without requiring plastic surgery or time out for recovery. However, dermal fillers are only truly safe when carried out by a trained professional, and even then, as with all cosmetic treatments, they do carry an element of risk.
At Manchester Plastic Surgery, Mr Christopher Jones leads our dermal filler treatments. Before administering facial fillers, Mr Jones will arrange an initial consultation (at present via video call but then face-to-face before you go ahead with treatment). This is an opportunity for you to spend time discussing the areas you would like to target, your desired results, what’s involved in the treatment, and the potential risks. Although the risks are very low, it’s important to know there is a chance you can experience skin itching, bruising, swelling, or redness, all of which subside within a matter of days. Most patients who undergo facial fillers at Manchester Plastic Surgery do not experience these side-effects, but you need to be aware of them so that you can opt to go ahead with confidence.
The Risks of Self-Injecting Dermal Fillers
While there are common risks that occur with professionally administered fillers, these usually go away on their own or can be easily treated. However, some of the risks that come from self-injected fillers can be a lot more serious.
There have been reports of numerous health conditions arising from self-injecting materials purchased online or visiting uncertified practitioners either abroad or in the UK for their reduced prices. It’s surprising that practices offering dermal fillers here in the UK still do not need to be regulated, so practitioners can offer treatment without proper training.
Problems with Dermal Fillers Can Include:
- Severe allergic reactions.
- Granulomas (small nodules formed from a collection of immune cells when the body identifies foreign substances which it is unable to eliminate).
- Skin or blood infections.
- Embolisms (blockages in the arteries of veins).
- Skin necrosis (death of skin cells due to inadequate blood supply).
All these health, and sometimes, life-threatening conditions can be brought on from self-injecting dermal fillers or visiting unregulated clinics. This is because there are usually unidentifiable ingredients contained within the ‘fillers’ that are sold online. Even if ingredients are listed in the descriptions of these products, there is no way of guaranteeing that these substances are legally approved or safe for personal use, the likelihood is that any fillers bought online will arrive with no formal paperwork or authentication.
There have been numerous worrying reports of people injecting all types of substances into their faces such as unrecognised industrial chemicals, industrial silicone, paraffin, and even hair gel. And, unfortunately, once an unknown substance has been injected, it can be incredibly hard for doctors and medical professionals to address the complications.
Achieving Your Desired Results
Aside from the health concerns, without official medical training, you cannot guarantee that you are injecting the filler into the correct sites to achieve optimal results. Extensive training and medical knowledge are required to understand the facial anatomy and the exact site to place your fillers to ensure they perform correctly.
Well-trained professionals like Mr Jones can assess your skin in your consultation to determine exactly how much filler to inject, depending on your age and skin’s elasticity. The medical expertise required to understand how your filler will react, move, and dissolve is important for ensuring you receive smooth results that help to counter-act your signs of ageing, without causing any further skin concerns.
How Can We Help?
At Manchester Plastic Surgery, your dermal filler treatment will be relatively quick and straight-forward. It will involve a local anaesthetic and will usually last 30-40 minutes, depending on your desired results. The anti-ageing and re-shaping effects of dermal fillers are immediately visible, though they will be at their best after two to three days.
If you would like to arrange an online consultation with Mr Jones to explore dermal fillers and the results you can achieve, please contact us.
