Cosmetic facial fillers have side effects

Cosmetic facial fillers using polyalkylimide may cause moderate to severe side effects, months after injection. Cosmetic polyalkylimide injections have increasingly been used for reconstruction of the face and body, including treatment of facial lines and folds, lip augmentation, depressed scars, enhancement of cheekbones and jaw line, replacement of facial volume lost due to age, lipoatrophy and so forth. In earlier studies and reports on polyalkylimide implant injections for cosmetic purposes, there were no significant signs of bioincompatibility, rejection of or reaction to the foreign material. To evaluate the clinical complaints, laboratory data, treatment and follow-up of patients with delayed adverse effects related to polyalkylimide implants, American researchers studied 25 patients with severe and/or persistent delayed adverse effects after polyalkylimide injection. These side effects included swelling, hardening and swollen or tender skin lesions near the injection site, as well as severe effects such as fever, arthritis and dry eyes or mouth. The patients underwent clinical follow-up, a battery of blood tests, biopsy and chest radiography. The average latency period for onset of symptoms was found to be thirteen months. Eight patients were previously injected with another implant. Tender inflammatory nodules were seen in 24 patients and distant manifestations appeared in 6 cases. Laboratory abnormalities were found in 20 cases. After 21 months of follow-up, 11 patients appeared to be free of adverse effects, and 10 still had recurrent bouts. Though the frequency of occurrence of these delayed side effects is still unclear, people should be cautious of the intermediate or delayed adverse effects of cosmetic fillers.