Everything You Need to Know About Filler Migration

The hashtag #fillermigration is trending on TikTok in a big way. If you’ve had filler injections or are considering them, you may be wondering if filler migration is real. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time social media has triggered a wave of panic over a baseless claim. I can assure you it’s real, but it’s not nearly as common as it may look. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

What is filler migration?

Dermal fillers, or simply fillers, as they’re more widely known, are minimally invasive injections that can be made from different ingredients, including hyaluronic acid and calcium hydroxyapatite. They’re designed to plump the skin and minimize fine lines. The lips, cheeks, and tear troughs are common injection sites.

Filler migration describes an instance where a filler moves from the site where it’s injected and creates a visible distortion. All filler, in theory, is capable of migrating, and it can occur anywhere you get injected with it. Which is one reason why it’s so important the injections be administered by someone with extensive experience and a thorough knowledge of the anatomy, such as a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon. 

Prevention, as they say, is the best medicine.

Important as it is to heighten awareness about filler migration, doing so without context causes more problems than it solves. So, know, foremost, that it’s a very rare thing. Also, fullness adjacent to an injection site isn’t necessarily filler migration. It could be the result of improper injection technique (it was done too superficially and too quickly), which can cause the filler to go into the wrong area. A case like that is usually noticed immediately or within a few days of the injection.

Other times, the injection site can become swollen or distorted gradually, even years after the filler was placed. This occurs when the filler partially breaks down or migrates more superficially because of muscle contractions. This is seen most often around the lips and undereye area.

What are the signs filler has migrated?

The surest indication that your filler’s migrated is an unnatural fullness at or around the injection site. With lip filler, for example, a mound can develop in the skin above the upper lip. Migrated undereye filler will cause bumps to form in the lower eyelid and/or upper cheeks.

Neither instance, however, is automatically the result of filler migration. It could also be swelling caused by the type of product that was injected.

Some fillers, like hyaluronic acid, attract water. And as the particles in the filler break down, the filler can absorb more water, leading to more of a swelling effect than actual filler migration.

What can you do about filler migration?

Once a board-certified doctor has determined your swelling is the result of filler migration, hyaluronidase, an enzyme that occurs naturally in the body, can be injected into the filler, where it will absorb the hyaluronic acid in the filler. 

Again, it’s imperative that this be done by someone with ample experience because there can be long-term issues if the hyaluronidase is injected in the wrong area. If it’s not injected into the filler, it can create a deficit in your own, naturally occurring hyaluronic acid volume.

So, find a doctor who makes you feel comfortable with the treatment plan.