Hyaluronic acid injections

Hyaluronic acid injections fill a hollow or a wrinkle and restore volume without an operation, and the product can usually be broken down by hyaluronidase if needed. The limits: the product is absorbed over time and later sessions may be needed; an under-correction, an over-correction, an asymmetry or an irregularity can persist despite a suitable technique. An unsatisfactory result may lead to monitoring, treatment, dissolution with hyaluronidase or, exceptionally, a surgical procedure.

Before a hyaluronic acid injection, Dr Manon Belhoste needs to know your medical history and treatments. An allergy to a component of the product, a previous reaction to a filler or to hyaluronidase, an autoimmune disease, a weakened immune system, a clotting disorder, or treatment with anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs are assessed case by case. Any product previously injected must be reported, with its location and, if possible, its type, including any permanent product. An infection, inflammation, skin lesion or herpes outbreak on the area to be treated, recent or planned dental work, an ENT or dental infection, a recent vaccination or an inflammatory episode should also be reported. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, aesthetic injections are usually postponed as a precaution.

After a hyaluronic acid injection, the injected areas should not be massaged, pressed or handled for 24 to 48 hours, unless Dr Manon Belhoste specifically asks for a massage. During these 24 to 48 hours, intense exercise, strong heat, saunas, hammams and alcohol should be limited, and it is best not to press on the injected area on the first night. Make-up can be reapplied once the injection points have closed and are clean, without rubbing the skin. Sun protection should be applied every day, particularly while redness or bruising persists.

The duration varies with the area, the product, the amount injected, your metabolism and movement in the area. The product is gradually absorbed, and later sessions may be needed.

After a hyaluronic acid injection, part of the result is visible straight away. The initial oedema (swelling) changes how it looks for several days. Depending on the area and the extent of the oedema, several days to a few weeks may be needed before the result can be accurately judged. An under-correction, an over-correction, an asymmetry or an irregularity can persist despite a suitable technique.

Hyaluronic acid can usually be broken down by hyaluronidase, particularly in the case of a vascular complication or to treat certain over-corrections or irregularities. Hyaluronidase does not guarantee that every complication can be reversed, and it can itself cause unwanted reactions, including allergic ones.