Myth vs Fact: The Truth About Dissolving Filler
March 11, 2024
Fillers have a huge fan base thanks to their ability to contour and rejuvenate the face.…
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Mabrie Facial Institute
166 Geary Street
Floor 1300
San Francisco, CA 94108
Phone: (415) 445-9513
Text/SMS: (866) 618-9459
Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Most patients at Mabrie Facial Institute are very happy with their filler treatments, and very few require correction. However, we do routinely treat individuals unhappy with filler results from outside injectors in the San Francisco Bay Area by dissolving fillers with hyaluronidase—especially filler in the lips and the under eye (tear trough) area. Our skilled Injectors are highly trained in corrective work, which often involves dissolving fillers with hyaluronidase (Hylenex) and re-treating the area. And keep in mind, dissolving filler isn’t always an all-or-nothing choice. In some cases, our Injectors can carefully dissolve a few millimeters of filler to make a huge difference in your results.
When it comes to filler, the lips can be one of the most commonly overdone or incorrectly treated areas of the face. This is why most of us are familiar with terms like “duck lips” and “trout pout.” It’s so common, in fact, that in some circles, the overdone look has almost become the norm.
At MFI, most of the patients we treat prefer a natural lip appearance, but even for patients that may want a more dramatic lip augmentation, there are some important parameters that must be observed when we inject lip filler.
It’s important for most of the filler to be in the red or vermillion portion of the lip. When filler is placed or migrates to the surrounding white portion of the lip, it can look unnatural and give the appearance of duck lips.
Fortunately, for cases where hyaluronic acid filler is used, if there is too much filler or placed in an unwanted portion of the lips, the results can be reversed by dissolving the filler using a substance called hyaluronidase (Hylenex).
The skin under the eyes is very thin, and thus filler under the eyes needs to be placed meticulously and conservatively—ideally over the course of at least two appointments. Patients come to us with complications from outside injectors, including:
We can dissolve hyaluronic acid fillers under the eyes using hyaluronidase injections. Fillers like Sculptra® or RADIESSE®, which are not made from hyaluronic acid, cannot be dissolved.
Cost for dissolving filler with hyaluronidase at MFI varies depending on how much product is needed. Visit our site’s dedicated pricing page for updated price information on all our procedures. Pricing for hyaluronidase injections does not include any additional filler used after dissolving your old filler.
Qualified borrowers may be eligible for 0% financing for 6 to 12 months through CareCredit and Alphaeon medical financing.
MFI focuses exclusively on injectables, and has set the bar in the art and science of fillers for more than 15 years. Dr. Mabrie, trained as a facial plastic surgeon, has dedicated thousands of hours to carefully selecting and training our talented Injectors in the most innovative, effective, and safe techniques for injectables. There is no other practice in the Bay Area with the level of experience, education, and passion for injectables you'll find at MFI.
Schedule MeUnfortunately, many providers try to do too much with fillers all at once. This can result in overfilling, and filler that spreads out or pools in the wrong areas. We have all seen people with that “puffed up” look that can happen when fillers aren’t carefully layered in stages.
At MFI, we take our time over the course of at least two appointments, carefully sculpting your contours and allowing plenty of time for swelling to subside in between treatments. This, combined with our extensive training and experience, enables us to create ideal contours, smooth transitions, and balanced results that look amazing but not obvious.
Corrective work, especially when dissolving filler, is a process that can involve dissolving over multiple appointments and re-treating, if desired. It’s important that patients be informed and prepared before deciding on treatment. A few things to consider:
Multiple Visits – Depending on the treatment area and extent of correction required, be prepared for a minimum of 2 to 3 visits.
Your results could look worse before looking better – Treatment areas could temporarily appear more sunken after dissolving filler.
Consider the timing – Since swelling is common after filler treatment, it’s best to wait at least 2 weeks before deciding whether you want your fillers dissolved.
Some individuals come to us specifically because they are interested in dissolving fillers received elsewhere. In other cases, our skilled Injectors observe poorly placed or problematic filler as part of our Illumination 360° process of examining your face from every angle in extremely bright light. In either case, we will carefully mark your face to indicate where to inject the Hylenex.
Dissolving the filler involves a quick injection into the offending filler, which will break down and subside right away. This involves a little discomfort, but we offer a variety of options to keep you comfortable. The appointment takes 30 to 60 minutes, and we typically schedule a second appointment to evaluate your results and re-treat with filler.
When trying to correct bad filler results and give you the results you originally sought, there are two steps involved:
Each of these steps can take up to two treatments, so you may require two, three, or four visits.
For the best experience, follow these tips in advance of your appointment:
You may experience redness, bruising, and swelling after your corrective injections. These should go away within a day or two. Other side effects may occur, and we’ll be sure to discuss these with you before your treatment.
Because we know you have questions about what you should and shouldn’t do after treatment, we created an entire page dedicated to injectables aftercare.
One of the reasons we have Hylenex at our disposal is as a safety precaution. One of the rare risks involved with dermal fillers is a complication called vascular occlusion. This is when an artery or vein is blocked by filler, restricting blood flow to the tissues in the area. This can quickly lead to tissue necrosis (death) if it isn’t recognized and treated quickly. This risk is somewhat higher in non surgical rhinoplasty, or when an injector is not extremely familiar with the vascular anatomy of the treatment area.
At Mabrie Facial Institute, we have the experience and training to generally avoid complications like vascular occlusion. However, that experience and training also enable us to look for and identify signs of vascular occlusion and immediately dissolve the filler with Hylenex if there is any risk.
The Hylenex injection turns the filler from a gel-like substance into a liquid-like substance immediately upon contact. The body may then take 1 to 2 hours to absorb the liquid. When dissolving filler, the average patient requires 1 to 2 treatments, and you should wait 1 to 2 days between treatments. We usually wait 1 to 3 weeks before adding more filler.
If you’re dissatisfied with your results, your original provider should make things right for you. However, if they are unwilling or untrained in revision/correction of dermal fillers, you’ll have to choose whether to wait it out or seek corrective treatment elsewhere.
If you’re ready to talk to an expert about correcting fillers from another injector, request a consultation online or call us at (415) 445-9513 to schedule your appointment. If you’ll be visiting us from outside the area, you’re in good company, and our Fly in for Your Procedure page was created just for you to help make planning your trip as smooth as possible.