Migrating Filler??? What’s it all about!?

You may have seen the term “migrated filler” used a lot on social media and even more so as people are chasing extreme looks and perhaps visiting less professional and in experienced practitioners.

Many times it’s used when people are describing their horror stories with their filler experience, however, it doesn’t have to be so scary. In this post, we’ll explain exactly what filler migration is and what can be done to prevent and treat it. Remember, it doesn’t always mean there has been a mistake.. let me explain..

Filler Migration is defined as the process of dermal filler moving, spreading or “migrating” to another area beyond the site of injection. Whilst migration is mainly spoken about in terms of lip fillers, migration can also happen anywhere that filler is injected.

If you believe that your filler has migrated, then don’t panic, as it can be treated and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of and the great thing about the dermal fillers we use today is that they are semi-permanent, so over time your body will naturally break down and metabolise the substance- although research now tells us that some dermal filler products can remain for up to 8 years.. worth considering this before people ask for more!

Why does filler migrate? Well there is no black and white answer, could be product, could be technique, could be overfilling.. but it happens, but what is important is we can address it!

The best advise I give to my patients is to not keep continually filling the lips or face with more product to smooth out the migrated filler Or hide it! The migration will not be removed this way, so therefore the option in this case is just to start over. Filler within the lips or other areas can be dissolved using a product called Hyalase- a product we hear about most in relation to emergency dissolving - but can be used also electively.

Hyalase is made up of the chemical Hyaluronidase, which is a soluble protein enzyme and is a prescription only medicine- It works by breaking up the bonds that hold the Hyaluronic Acid molecules (the filler) together. Once the filler has been dissolved, we would recommend waiting around two weeks until the filler has all been removed and then the lips can be re-filled - moving forward I always usher my patients to learn from the experience and think before they refill Xxx

To schedule a consultation to discuss migration, contact the clinic today or book online 💻

Thanks for reading,

Kate xx