Filler Safety

A fair figure for filler sits next to an honest look at the risks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises you work with a licensed health care provider who is experienced in injecting dermal fillers, knowledgeable about fillers, anatomy, managing complications, and most importantly, tells you about the risks and benefits before receiving treatment. That advice applies before price enters the conversation.

The risk behind many of the questions

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also says the most concerning risk associated with the use of dermal fillers is unintentional injection into a blood vessel, leading to blocked blood vessels and poor blood supply to tissues. The questions below follow from that.

For practical reading, the FDA's page on dermal filler dos and don'ts covers wrinkles, lips and more. A clinical paper on hyaluronic acid fillers and the tear trough describes a practice approach.

Safety questions, from where it happens to what to do

• Where on the face is vascular occlusion most common?
• Is livedo reticularis a warning sign after filler?
• Can filler cause blindness or stroke?
• Which filler side effects need urgent care?
• How do I report a filler problem to the FDA?

Before you ask for a price

Write down the questions you want the injector to answer about risks, and ask how complications are handled. Then ask for the figure, and whether it is an estimate or a quote.