Credits: Social Media
Video of face filler under MRI scanner is putting people off the cosmetic procedure
The popularity of facial fillers has skyrocketed in the past decade, but many are being put off the cosmetic procedure thanks to one video.
It’s gone viral on TikTok this month and shows what dermal fillers look like in the face under an MRI scanner after they’ve expanded.
Video of facial filler under MRI
In the clip shared by Beverly Hills-based plastic surgeon Kami Parsa, you can see a woman’s face with 12ml of filler injected into it.
“What you’re looking at here is an MRI image of a 33-year-old patient who had over 12 syringes of hyaluronic acid filler injected to her face over the past six years,” he said.
The dermal filler is shown in green and you can see that it covers the woman’s entire cheeks, chin and lips in one thick layer.
Injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) is�a type of temporary dermal filler used in the lips and face to plump and smooth the skin, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery explains.
Hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the body, attracting water and hydrating the skin. As we age, the fat, muscles, bone, and skin in our face begin to thin, which leads to a sunken or sagging appearance with lines, wrinkles, folds and thin lips.
The filler is designed to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and facial folds, while also adding structure, framework, and volume to the face and lips.
Woman’s dermal filler expands
However, what many don’t realise is that these hyaluronic acid fillers can expand in the skin, making it look like you got more filler than you did.
The plastic surgeon explained that when they measured the amount of filler now in the woman’s face, it was close to 28 syringes, which is more than twice the amount injected.
“What this shows us is that hyaluronic acid fillers are hydrophilic. That means they love water and they also cause tissue expansion,” he revealed.
This occurs when copious amounts of filler build up through repeated injections, creating a “microcystic expansion effect,” Dr. Ben Talei, a facial plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, told Allure.
“The filler penetrates as little gel particles, soaks into the various layers of the soft tissue, and [acts] like a million tiny water balloons, stretching it all out,” he continued.
This soft tissue expansion often results in a bulky look, and the consequences will become more dramatic as the face becomes more overfilled.
However, the plastic surgeon revealed that hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved using an enzyme called hyaluronidase.
It’s putting people off
The video of the MRI scanner is putting people off from getting facial fillers.
One person commented: “You cant tell me this is not causing some sort of damage (nerve, lymphatic etc).”
“When it first came out, all injectors said it would only last six months,” said another.
A third person added: “I got lip filler ONCE and Im never doing it again.”
The common side effects of hyaluronic acid fillers include swelling, bruising, bleeding, lumps and bumps and redness, the American Society for Dermatologic Society explains.
Other uncommon side effects include numbness, allergic reactions, infection, blisters and cysts, bluish discoloration, inflammatory reactions, migration to another site, vascular occlusion, scarring and blindness.
