Aesthetic practitioner Dr MJ Rowland-Warmann has recorded a hypersensitivity reaction to hyaluronic acid dermal filler following contraction of COVID-19.
Her case report published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology describes a 22-year-old woman who experienced a delayed reaction after hyaluronic acid dermal filler treatment on her nose. The patient subsequently contracted a moderate case of COVID-19.
According to the report, three weeks after her successful filler treatment the patient found that her nose was red, swollen, hardened, tender, and the skin felt tight. There was no other reason why her nose should have become inflamed, and she had no other symptoms, according to Dr Rowland-Warmann.
Dr Rowland-Warmann explains that she offered the young woman oral steroids to treat the inflammation, but the patient declined this and over the next week, the swelling and other symptoms subsided without the need for medical intervention. However, the hump on her nose, which had been completely masked by the HA filler immediately after treatment, appeared prominently once again when the swelling went down.
Although this case resolved without the need for intervention, Dr Rowland-Warmann advises that clinicians should be aware of the risk of a hypersensitivity reaction to hyaluronic acid dermal filler in light of the pandemic. She also advises that patients should wait for a few weeks after contracting COVID-19 to have an HA filler treatment.
More advice on COVID-19 and dermal fillers can be
found here.
