Hi Doctor,
My name is Douglas and I have a question regarding fillers.
About a month ago I did Aquamid fillers on my cheek. However the doctor who did the procedure did not do a good job and I can still see the lines pretty clearly. When I went back to him, his explanation is simply he did not do it well and offer to do it again with another type of filler called Restylane. From what I read, Aquamid is a permanent filler and it should not be used with other type of fillers. The fact that I have only done the Aquamid filler only recently adds on to my concern. However my doctor insist that there are no problems involve.
I would like to know the following:
- Is what my doctor say true?
- Is it really ok to use other fillers (Restylane in this case) on those areas done with Aquamid?
- What is the effect in the long term?
- Will my face be distorted after a few years because of this mix?
I really hope to have a second opinion from other doctors who are experience in fillers. Hope you can help me with my queries.
I appreciate your time and hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you very much!
Answer:
Hi Douglas,
I hope you are not in the U.S.A., because Aquamid is illegal in the U.S. and it is not an FDA approved substance. Regardless, what is done is done. Aquamid is a permanent particulate filler. As such infection is possible even by itself. People can get infections of their skin with just a plain needle penetration. In such situations, antibiotics often clear up the infection quickly. When there is an implant (and a permanent filler is a kind of implant) then any bacteria can adhere to the material and sometimes its very difficult for antibiotics alone to clear up the infection.
So basically, Restylane on top of Aquamid in theory is fine. But it does SLIGHTLY increase the risk of infection. You have to make that final decision.
If you would like to send me some pictures through the “contact us” page then I may be able to give you other suggestions – perhaps. I would recommend you see a few other local docs and discuss options.
Supposedly Aquamid can be removed with dilution and aspiration although I have never seen that.
Good luck
