How safe are dermal fillers?

Naturally, patients who are unfamiliar with dermal fillers have questions about their safety.  Fillers are medically-derived products which can be used to fill areas of the face.  Depending on how they are used, they are great for reducing wrinkles, providing youthful volume to the cheeks and lips, or even helping get rid of those pesky dark circles under your eyes.

The most commonly used fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, which is naturally produced in the human body. It is found in many different tissues in the body, including the skin, joints, and eyes. Because hyaluronic acid is already in your own tissues, there is a very minimal risk of reaction to a dermal filler injection. These products are very safe

The body naturally breaks down hyaluronic acid with an enzyme called hyaluronidase. While this enzyme also works on the injected dermal fillers, these fillers are produced in a tighty-bound and protected structure to resist breakdown.  This gives the dermal fillers their lasting effect.

So to answer the original question: Dermal fillers are very safe because the product is made of a material already found in your body. Risk of any reaction or allergy to the product is very minimal (The FDA does not require any allergy testing before use, due to this minuscule risk). The filler is broken down naturally in your body over a long period of time.

Dermal fillers can be used for a wide variety of purposes to help refresh and rejuvenate the face with the advantage of being very safe. Come to our office to visit with me and discuss which options will best work for you!

Here's to the beautiful human face,
-Dr. Yamamoto