Can Dermal Filler Make You Go Blind?

Why It Is Important to Trust Experts with Injectables

Fillers are some of the safest cosmetic treatments you can get. Or at least, that’s how it’s supposed to be.

But apparently a few patients have experienced a serious complication from these dermal fillers: blindness.

So it’s worth examining more closely what risks a patient faces when getting a dermal filler. Can dermal fillers make you go blind?

Some Rare Cases in South Korea

In South Korea, 9 patients who received dermal fillers went blind. They were injected with hyaluronic acid–a common filler material which ended up blocking a blood vessel.

Because the blood vessel was blocked, oxygen and nutrition wasn’t able to make through the blood vessel and into the relevant tissue.

This can cause scarring on the skin. In even worse cases, such as the nine patients from South Korea, the patients went blind.

Should I Avoid Dermal Fillers?

It’s important to put these risks into perspective. Millions of people received dermal fillers last year, but there have been only a few cases of people becoming blind.

Even if your procedure has complications, typically you can report it to your doctor and even have the filler dissolved. Patients might experience sharp pains, find that their skin looks odd or pliable. These warning signs will typically allow them to rectify the situation.

Besides that, these patients may have seen complications due to having injections in high-risk areas. Around the eyebrows and the bridge of the nose–near the eyes, obviously–dermal fillers may be a poor choice.

For these areas, Botox and other neurotoxins may achieve the results the patient is looking for without the risks. Many doctors will not perform dermal fillers in high-risk areas, and any doctor who does should know how to check, at the moment of injection, whether they’ve placed the needle within a blood vessel.

Although fillers are an incredibly safe treatment, there is no such thing as a treatment completely without risk. To find out if you’re a good candidate, it’s important to consult with a trusted physician.

For more information on safe and effective dermal filler treatments with a trusted cosmetic medical professional, call Cosmetic Dermatology Center to schedule an appointment with Dr. Nicole Hayre.