Dermal Fillers — Benefits and Risks

The CEO of Spectrum Dermatology, now part of Pinnacle Dermatology, since 2011, Rajan Bhatt fulfills patients’ medical and cosmetic dermatology needs. Rajan Bhatt and his colleagues provide services like full-body skin examinations, Botox, and dermal fillers.

Dermal fillers address visual signs of aging by filling in areas containing weakened collagen fibers connecting the epidermis and dermis. This weakness causes wrinkles and loss of fullness. Dermal fillers usually comprise the second step in skin rejuvenation, after injecting Botox. Botox smooths wrinkles by temporarily paralyzing facial muscles, whereas injected dermal fillers increase fullness of the relaxed area.

Most dermal fillers are made of substances that the patient’s body can break down safely over time, but improperly performed procedures present significant risks. Patients allergic to collagen may experience reactions like swelling and redness at the injection site, and similar reactions can occur if bacteria from the skin enter the injection site.

Using the wrong administration method can also cause grievous harm to patients, because consumer-grade, needle-free devices exert too much pressure on the administration site. These devices may cause side effects like bruising, bleeding, or even blood vessel blockage, if applied to the wrong place. These consequences are easy to avoid, however, because non-needle-based administration methods are not approved by the FDA, so properly trained dermatologists will not use them. Qualified dermatologists will also possess knowledge of each fillers’ side effects and locations of blood vessels, and will do everything possible to minimize adverse effects no matter the injection method.