Treatment safety

Bruising and swelling may occur after treatment. These are usually moderate, and typically resolve over days.

To minimise bruising and swelling, you must strictly follow all preparation and aftercare instructions.

Dimpling after thread lifting is a phenomenon that occurs due to the bunching of your skin when it is repositioned with lifting threads. It is most visible immediately after your appointment, and generally settles over 2 weeks.

A sensation of tightness, shooting pain, and clicking can occur after thread lifting, especially when they’re are used around your jawline.

These side effects usually resolve on their own as the inflammation around the inserted threads settles.

To avoid infections, treatments are performed using an aseptic technique. You skin will be thoroughly cleaned, and the clinician will follow strict hand hygiene and infection control principles. You may also be given a short course of antibiotics to reduce the risk of an infection.

You must strictly follow all aftercare instructions to avoid an infection.

Infections are usually treated with antibiotics, but if severe may require surgical removal of the infected tissue.

Nodules are small lumps of scar tissue, often the size of a grain of rice or small pea. They are not painful, rarely visible, and usually noticed incidentally when washing your face or applying makeup.

Nodules are not generally harmful and do not routinely need treatment.

However, if they become inflamed (red, sore, swollen), medical attention is required.

Extrusion occurs when the end of the thread protrudes through the skin. Should this occur, the protruding section can be cut short.

A vascular occlusion is a very rare side effect from filler. It occurs when filler is injected inside an artery of vein, blocking blood flow. This deprives the tissue (skin, muscle, fat, cartilage) of oxygen, and if not identified and treated promptly, may result in permanent tissue damage requiring surgery.

There are a number of ways to reduce the risk of a vascular occlusion:

1. We adhere to safe injection practices: we inject filler in very small aliquots using low pressure needles.
2. Anatomical knowledge: an intimate knowledge of vascular anatomy helps us to avoid injecting in areas where blood vessels are know to be located.
3. Examination: before your treatment we look and feel for any blood vessels in the planned treatment area.
4. Ultrasound mapping: for higher-risk areas, we may use an ultrasound to visualise blood vessels in the planned treatment area.

You must always tell us about any trauma or surgery you’ve had in the planned treatment area, and if you’ve had any side effects from previous injectables, as this helps us to plan a safe treatment.

If a vascular occlusion occurs, it is usually visible immediately. The affected skin is often pale, and then may become dark red, or blotchy and mottled. Over the next 24 hours, the affected area will develop blisters and pustules.

It’s imperative to keep an eye areas treated with fillers, and any nearby skin for the first 24-48 hours. If you notice any skin discolouration, you should immediately contact your treating clinic and send through photos for advice.

A vascular occlusion is treated using dermal filler dissolver. Other adjuvant treatments may also be used on a case by case basis. If treated promptly and effectively, then there will be no lasting tissue injury.

Visual impairment of one or both eyes is an extremely remote risk of dermal filler injections. It generally occurs during the procedure, and is more commonly seen when inexperienced injectors use high-risk technique on complex areas such as your nose and forehead.

There are countless ways we minimise the risk of blindness after fillers. The best way for you to minimise the risk is to ensure your treatment is done by a reputable doctor-led cosmetic clinic with strict quality control policies and standards, and who have a culture for education and safety amongst their staff.