What are common filler side effects?

Before a filler appointment, the question is usually what will happen afterward. For readers in Mamaroneck, Larchmont and nearby Westchester, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives a plain starting point.

The direct answer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says: "Most side effects associated with dermal fillers, such as swelling and bruising, occur shortly after injection and many resolve in a few days to weeks."

Swelling and bruising are the two effects it names, and it puts them soon after the injection.

What else to read

One consumer update from the agency covers dermal filler dos and don'ts for wrinkles, lips and more. A published paper offers pretreatment and posttreatment consensus recommendations to minimise adverse outcomes for facial aesthetic injections. The agency also issued a warning about illegal use of injectable silicone for body contouring.

Ordinary and call-worthy

Swelling and bruising soon after injection are what the agency names as typical. Anything outside that, or an effect that is getting worse instead of settling, is a reason to call the clinic that treated you.

What you can do now

Ask your injector which dermal filler you had and what to expect for that product and area. Keep a note of the product name and the date.

What to leave alone

Do not treat the area with products or devices from home before you have talked to the clinic. Do not book a second visit to fix something you are unsure about without speaking to them first.

The question that comes next

Readers usually ask next who should be doing the injecting. That is a good question to settle before your visit.