Dr Bethany Rossington explores the evidence behind HA filler aftercare advice to mitigate risk of adverse events
According to the latest annual figures, there were more than 500,000 procedures carried out in 2023, with a significant proportion of these being injectable hyaluronic acid-based fillers.1,2 Dermal fillers are soft, gel-like substances that are classically injected at various depths and volumes to replace depleted facial volume, enhance definition and improve the appearance of lines.3,4
Due to the elective nature of aesthetic procedures, designing meaningful prospective clinical trials to assess complications and their prevention is challenging. While a few prospective trials exist, they are often neither randomised nor controlled.
As a result, most of our knowledge in this area comes from case reports or anecdotal evidence, or is extrapolated from studies carried out in surgical specialties. This gap leads to inconsistencies in advice being received by non-surgical patients.
This review considers the factors that should be borne in mind when advising patients of post-procedure behaviour when treating with soft-tissue fillers. By understanding the available research…
