I imagine that just like me, many of you are looking forward to the days we can throw our masks away and face the world. In anticipation of this I have been looking to have some “beauty maintenance” in order to look my best.
However, as I have heard some conflicting information about fillers and vaccinations I decided to ask my Doctor of several years, Dr Terence Tan from Halley Aesthetics, to clarify when it would be safe to get these procedures done as I am now due for my first Covid-19 vaccination and am rather anxious.
Dr. Tan calmly explains that “You are correct to ask questions as taking care of your health is important as are the facts! Recently, there were two trial participants out of 15,184 people who experienced dermal filler-related facial swelling after receiving at least one dose of Moderna’s mRNA-1273 vaccine.
This works out to only 0.013% of participants in that trial. Therefore, from data available to us at present, it still seems very safe to be treated with dermal fillers and patients with dermal fillers should not be discouraged from getting a COVID-19 vaccination.
Dermal Filler, like Hyaluronic Acid Fillers, have a long safety track record and in general, rarely cause side effects. Experts think that this rare reaction is due to a delayed hypersensitivity reaction caused by up-regulation of cell receptors which mediate inflammation, caused by vaccination. Swelling caused by COVID-19 vaccination tends to be transient and self-limiting, requiring symptomatic relief but certain medications which can reduce the reaction duration and intensity may be used if required.
There is currently no recommendation to delay dermal filler treatment If you are planning on getting your COVID-19 vaccination, but you may want to discuss this with your doctor so that your treatment can be timed and planned accordingly.
Now, if you are still concerned about potential reactions about dermal filler treatment, there are still lots of non-invasive anti-aging alternatives available:
Ultherapy – a non-surgical and non-invasive skin tightening treatment approved by the US FDA which uses focused ultrasound energy to stimulate the body into producing collagen to lift, tone and tighten sagging skin.
Picosure laser – a laser approved by the US FDA, which can be used for skin rejuvenation, improving skin texture and tone, treatment of skin pigmentation like melasma, freckles, sunspots and acne scars. Picosure is also often used in removing tattoos.
Fraxel Dual Laser – a 2-in-1, non-ablative, low downtime fractional laser which tightens sagging skin, reduces the appearance of fine lines to improve wrinkled and sun-damaged skin, improves pigmentation and lightens acne scars.
The most important thing is to talk to your doctor so that he can tailor something to your needs.”
Even though I feel a lot better armed with this information, I personally chose to err on the side of caution and booked a Hifu session (which is a lesser form of ultrasound like Ultherapy) and then my filler appointment for 2 weeks after my second Covid-19 vaccination.
Pleased with my decision, Dr Tan stated “The most important thing is to talk to your doctor so that he can tailor something to your particular needs.”
Eventually when my mask comes off, I’ll have a big smile on my face and look even better than I did before.
