Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Articles

More than 2.5 million dermal filler procedures were performed in the United States last year, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, making it not only one of the most popular kinds of plastic surgery being done today but also one of the fastest-growing.

Dermal filler injections temporarily smooth out fine lines and wrinkles, restore youthful volume to the face, and enhance lip and cheek contours without a single incision or even really any downtime. But you probably already knew all that. What you’re more interested in knowing—what may be holding you back—is can you reverse dermal fillers?

The vast majority who receive such treatments from a board-certified plastic surgeon, licensed physician’s assistant or nurse injector that’s trained and experienced in administering them are thrilled with their results. But, admittedly, less-than-perfect outcomes, such as overfilling and asymmetry, do happen. In a small percentage of cases, a patient’s body may simply react poorly to the product for no apparent reason.

Most dermal fillers are by their very nature temporary. But, if you don’t love your results, a skilled plastic surgeon can, in many cases, make more immediate corrections or improve on your results. Here’s a look at some of those treatments. So the question remains, can you reverse dermal fillers?

Your next move

Many of the most common dermal fillers are hyaluronic acid-based—Juvéderm, Voluma and Volbella. They, along with Restylane products and Belotero, can be partially or completely removed with an enzyme called hyaluronidase. It’s injected into the affected areas and dissolves the hyaluronic acid particles.

In some instances, it may remove more than the desired amount of filler, which may prompt another filler treatment to achieve your original goals.

Hyaluronidase won’t help with non-hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Radiesse, Bellafill, and Sculptra. But a steroid injection can help reverse the effects to an extent. A skilled plastic surgeon may also be able to significantly improve your results with the strategic placement of another filler.

Cosmetic surgery is part science and art. While a solvent that dissolves the filler may seem logical enough, treating a poor outcome with another filler probably sounds counterintuitive. So it may help to think of it this way: An artist creates dimension and life not by erasing imperfections but by delicately developing shading.

Yep, there’s homework

Often, time is the best remedy for subpar results. Mild symptoms, like moderate lumpiness or slight asymmetry, can usually be improved by massaging the area.

Well before then, though, be thorough about researching and screening prospective surgeons. The more capable they are to discern the appropriate filler for you and inject it safely and precisely, the more likely you’ll be to achieve a beautiful result.

A new movement has been swelling within health care for a few years now. Doctors are still treating urgent needs, of course, but many have begun to adopt more of a long-term perspective with their routine care, anticipating the needs and potential challenges of their patients months and even years down the road.

A plastic surgeon has always kind of functioned in a similar way.

Consider your own cosmetic needs. They’re different now from when you were in your twenties, right? Our priorities also evolve as we mature. While maintaining a beach-ready body may have steered a lot of your lifestyle choices in your twenties and thirties, that energy can shift in your forties to shedding that bit of persistent fat that seems to follow you everywhere like a shadow, or reversing the effects of sun damage.

Focused as you may be on any of those issues in the moment, or others, like undoing the toll a couple of pregnancies have taken on your body, a board-certified plastic surgeon is always considering the bigger picture, including how one procedure may negate or encourage another in the near future.

The cascade of effects

Plastic surgery has advanced to the extent that a 20-minute, minimally-invasive procedure can wipe away years from your face. As a result, it’s perceived as being far more proficient than it actually is, kind of like how our phones do a million things other than call. But the human body hasn’t changed. It remains an incredibly intricate and fluid interplay of features and expressions. Alter one tiny aspect and dozens of others will shift.

Here’s an example of what I mean: I’m consulting a patient on a breast lift. She’s done having kids and she’d like to restore some youthfulness to her breasts after so many years of breastfeeding. Trouble is, that breast lift will never meet her expectations if that’s all I do, because her breasts are also naturally asymmetrical. One nipple is significantly lower than the other, and a breast lift is only going to draw more attention to it, a trait she never realized until I noted it.

So, a plastic surgeon should always be aware of the cascade of effects that can occur as a result of any given procedure.

An objective observer

They’re also positioned to be an objective observer. Say you’re interested in a tummy tuck, but you haven’t completely ruled out having another child. They’ll be able to explain why it may be in your best interest to hold off and explore some less-invasive alternatives in the meantime. Likewise, they should also be trusted to tell you whether you’ve been over-scrutinizing those faint wrinkles at the corners of your eyes, or if the time’s come to do something about them.

Approach your first consultation with an eye toward it potentially developing into a long-term relationship, because that’s how your plastic surgeon will be viewing it. That’s not to say that it will. You may decide that the one procedure is enough for you. But just in case it does, that’ll be your incentive to look deeper, beyond the impressive credentials and years of experience.

Ultimately, what should matter most is rapport, because the plastic surgeon you can talk openly and honestly to is the one who will come to learn and anticipate your needs.