Due to the development of sagging skin and worry lines, many people choose to get facial injections to help smooth out their skin.
There are a number of different types of injectables available to target whatever problems you have.
However, several dermal fillers are composed of substances that can give you allergic reactions.
An allergic reaction occurs as your body's response to an invader.
Your white blood cells produce antibodies to protect itself against invasion.
These antibodies then promote the creation of hormones and chemicals called mediators, including histamine.
If the production of these mediators is too severe, you show the signs of an allergic reactions.
Sometimes, it can be so strong that you can go into anaphylaxis.
Sometimes, your body may not recognize the substance that you inject into your face to help with your wrinkles.
This can cause an adverse allergic reaction, which might appear as redness, itching, and swelling at the site of the injection.
If the reaction is too strong, you can go into anaphylactic shock, which can lead to death if not treated correctly.
Additionally, non-allergy related but still negative side effects include bruising, tenderness, nodule formation, cold sore or arthritis flare-ups, infection, and numbness.
The main thing that determines whether or not you are at risk for an allergic reaction to a facial filler depends on its origin.
Originally, most facial fillers were made of non-human or lab components.
This greatly increases your chance for having an adverse response to the injection because your body does not recognize the substance, and it attacks accordingly.
Three popular animal sources of facial fillers are poultry, pigs, and cows.
For example, one of the most popular and historically useful injectable is bovine-based collagen.
It is made from purified cow skin.
Other examples of an injection that uses bovine products is ArteFill, Zyplast, Zyderm, and Amphadase.
Porcine-based fillers include Evolence and other collagen replacements.
Hylaform is a poultry-derived injectable.
If you are planning on getting any of these animal-based products injected into your skin, your doctor should perform a skin test about four weeks before your scheduled procedure so that you can test for an allergic reaction against the substance.
If you do have a reaction, you should reconsider your choice of injection.
Thankfully, there are several types of injectables that typically do not put you at risk for allergic reactions.
Normally, people do not have adverse reactions from laboratory-produced cosmetics or human-derived products.
Things like fat graphs and collagen transfers rely on your own body's products to help fill out your wrinkles, so you will not have a bad response to something that your body already recognizes.
If you are thinking of getting a facial injection, you should consult a board-certified plastic surgeon to help you find an injectable that does not cause you to have an adverse response.
For more information regarding the right dermal filler for you, check out the cosmetic plastic surgeon Dr.
Apostolakis today.