Leading dermatologists and facial plastic surgeons are sounding the alarm about a perilous social media trend: self-injections with unapproved soft tissue fillers.
Growing numbers of consumers are purchasing unapproved soft tissue fillers online and injecting their own lips, cheeks, and under-eye hollows. Many videos feature non-experts describing DIY injection techniques while glossing over or ignoring such risks as bruising, redness, swelling, skin and soft tissue infections, tissue death, and even blindness.
“There are injectable fillers available to purchase on the internet by anyone,” says Theda Kontis, MD, a facial plastic surgeon in Baltimore, MD, and the Immediate Past President of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS). “This is a serious trend that the public needs to be warned about.” (See video below.)
Dr. Kontis suggests making as much noise as possible about the issue to help save lives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA have launched an investigation into counterfeit Botox. The FDA put out a warning about DIY chemical peels, and it’s time to do the same for fillers.
She has written to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and encourages others to do the same to help save lives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA have launched an investigation into counterfeit Botox, and the FDA recently issued a warning about DIY chemical peels. “I was pleased to see that TikTok just recently put a block on searching for DIY injectables,” she adds.
The Danger is Real
A fellow in Dr. Kontis’ practice recently treated a middle-aged patient who bought filler online for $35 and injected her lips because it is less expensive. She noted immediate swelling of her lip during the injection and knew something was wrong. She had her own hyaluronidase to dissolve the product as well,” Dr. Kontis states. “She then went to the ER where our team evaluated her, diagnosed an acute vascular occlusion, and initiated emergent care to save the lip tissue.” (See photo below.)
Doris Day, MD, a dermatologist in New York City, has also seen devastating consequences from self-filler injections by amateurs, including a patient who injected a cement-like filler into her face. One side of the patient’s face collapsed, and after a series of failed treatments, she needed major surgery, says Dr. Day, a member of the TDD Editorial Advisory Board.
“Amateur injectors don’t know the anatomy or where blood vessels are,” she says. “All blood vessels lead back to the eyes. Even self-injection to the upper or lower lips can result in instant blindness.”
Skilled injectors have had patients develop a vascular occlusion, but they can dissolve the filler with hyaluronidase and minimize long-term damage.
Ticking Time Bombs
“There is no quality control when buying fillers online. These are ticking time bombs,” she says. “There is no way to know what the products contain, including unsterile ingredients that can cause an allergic reaction or severe infection, which can lead to tissue loss and scarring.”
In addition, there is the risk of distorted cosmetic results.
What to do? Dr. Day suggests asking patients about any previous filler use, including what type of fillers, what part of the face was injected, and, importantly, who did the injecting.
