Dubai // Dermatologists are asking customers to treat non-approved dermal fillers with caution as they could damage their skin.
Dermal fillers are injected into the skin to improve the appearance of wrinkles and to fill depressions in the skin or enhance the appearance of lips.
“Consumer awareness about the safety issues of fillers is important to ensure a satisfactory outcome,” said Dr Ashraf Reda, consultant dermatologist, Mediclinic Welcare Hospital.
“The procedure itself is safe, however side effects, such as infections or the development of irregular lumps at or near injection sites, may develop.
“Most patients who come to me with dermal filler complications have had the procedure done abroad. They complain about infections and lumps on the injection site, and are unaware of the filler that was used or if it were original or fake. The treatment of these cases is challenging and complications usually take a long time to resolve,” commented Dr Reda.
Dr Reda advises patients seeking treatments using dermal fillers to read about the procedure first and have realistic expectations about the results and the possible side effects.
The procedure must be performed by a licensed physician in a healthcare setting to ensure an infection-free environment; and approved fillers must be used. He advised patients to use short-term fillers; their side effects are rare and tend to clear faster. Patients are also being advised that they should keep a record of the name of the filler as side effects may develop several weeks or months after the injection and treatment, which differ according to the type of filler used.
newsdesk@thenational.ae