Permanent Facial Fillers: Addressing Complications and Advancing Solutions

Soft tissue augmentation with fillers has witnessed a surge in popularity for rejuvenating facial features, offering solutions for wrinkles, volume loss, and contour irregularities. Non-biodegradable fillers like silicone, polyacrylamide hydrogel, and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) have been introduced, promising enduring results. However, reports on silicone filler usage have highlighted a spectrum of adverse events, ranging from erythema and edema to more severe complications like infection, vascular occlusion, and inflammatory nodules. The adverse effects of non-resorbable facial fillers can manifest even years post-procedure, resulting in significant discomfort and dissatisfaction for patients. Consequently, the literature is focusing on potential treatments for these outcomes, including systemic antibiotics, corticosteroid injections, surgical drainage, and excision. Despite these options, consensus on optimal treatment modalities remains elusive. Surgical excision is the definitive method for removing permanent fillers, albeit with the risk of post-removal irregularities. Fat grafting has emerged as a viable solution, allowing for the correction of volume deficits and asymmetries. Utilizing the patient's own tissue, fat grafting reduces the risk of adverse reactions and rejection. It offers targeted volume enhancement, restoring facial symmetry and proportion, and promoting tissue healing and regeneration through the presence of stem cells. After permanent filler removal, further filler injections are not advisable. In such cases, fat grafting offers several advantages, including reduced risk and targeted enhancement. Facial fat grafting effectively restores facial volume and symmetry, with stem cells aiding in tissue regeneration for long-term skin health. In essence, while the demand for aesthetic procedures continues to rise, there's a shift toward absorbable fillers like hyaluronic acid-based ones, favored for their safer outcomes. Evidence-based practices and ongoing research are crucial for ensuring the safety and efficacy of aesthetic procedures, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and confidence. Level of Evidence V This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .