What are Dermal Fillers?

When you are perfectly happy to proceed, Dr Cooney will offer you application of a local anaesthetic cream over the areas to be injected.
This will need to stay on the skin for 20 to 30 minutes to be effective and you may decide to decline this option. There is a local anaesthetic in the product being applied. When ready to proceed Dr Cooney will mark the areas to be treated. The filler will be applied using a pre-packed syringe containing the product and a very fine needle. Most people will find this mildly uncomfortable but easily tolerated. Once the treatment is applied the skin will be gently cleansed.

One of the advantages of this procedure is that you may return to your normal activities straight after treatment. There are, however, a few things to be aware of.

• Avoid alcohol for 12 hours after the treatment.
• Avoid excessive exposure to the sun and elements for two weeks.
• Avoid strenuous exercise for 72 hours.
• Avoid rubbing the area treated for 72 hours.
• Avoid extreme facial expression for 12 hours.
• Make up may be applied gently without undue rubbing in and some may prefer light mineral cosmetics after this treatment.
• There may be swelling and bruising after this procedure and you may apply a small ice pack to treated areas gently if needed.
• The effect of the treatment is immediate or within a few days once any swelling and bruising is settled.

Dr Cooney will offer to review you after two weeks to assess your treatment and ensure your satisfaction. This appointment is free of charge. At this appointment, you will have the opportunity to discuss any concerns. If there is any significant asymmetry in the treated areas you may have further product applied to correct without charge.

If you are pleased with the result and would like further areas treated this can be done at the usual charge rate.

Side effects are uncommon and usually only mild in nature and short-lived, usually resolving in a few days. The most common side effects are around the injections site areas. You may have:

• Local bruising.
• Redness.
• Pain/tenderness.
• Swelling
• Some bleeding.
• Irritation.

Rare side effects include allergic reactions, skin discolouration, necrosis, infection and lump formation over the injection area, which can occur some months later but very rare.

Dermal fillers are now generally very safe. However, there are a few important conditions when they may not be used, for example if you:

• Have a tendency to bruise or bleed easily.
• Have a known allergy to the product or to lignocaine.
• Have any infection near the treatment area.
• Have herpes simplex (active cold sore).
• Take certain medications such as steroids, aspirin or anticoagulants.
• Have immunosuppression (for example, if you are on steroids).