Los hyaluronic acid fillers are increasingly popular: to hydrate or give volume to the lips, to give greater prominence to the cheekbones, as an alternative to surgical rhinoplasty, to emphasize the chin or outline the jaw, to fill in nasogenian wrinkles or dark circles, and even to give a “rejuvenated” appearance to the vaginal lips or increase the buttocks.
Enter the abundant advertisements of these treatments little is said about the potential contingencies. Some are known: swelling after the puncture, bruises or, in worse scenarios, infections, nodules or migration of the product.
But there is one thing that many patients are not aware of: the possible adverse reaction to vaccines. In times of pandemic, with a widespread immunization campaign, this knowledge is essential.
The recorded experiences are meager and the consequences are usually not serious. But, for those who go through them, they generate anguish. It is the case of Mariela. A young woman who, shortly after going through a clinic to “highlight her mouth”, took a dose of Moderna and woke up —in her own words— “misshapen, like an Instagram filter gone wrong”.
The young woman went to the guard, where everything was explained to her. And, by the way, they gave him corticosteroids and calm. “The surgeon had not told me that this could happen And on top of that, I couldn’t contact him.”
Hyaluronic acid lip fillers: an increasingly popular treatment.
–
Health professionals, dthe field of aesthetics, they spoke with Clarion about this theme. Experts in dermatology and infectology also added their testimony.
Collateral damage
“With the arrival of Covid and the subsequent global vaccination against the virus, several associated side effects have been recorded. Among them, reactions of hypersensitivity delays related to the history of filler application. Especially, hyaluronic acid, used above all to increase or reposition soft tissues”, he explains. Cristina Pascuttomember of the Argentine Society of Dermatology.
Specialist in dermatoesthetics, he says that the scientific literature on this matter is scarce. “Although it is already known that these reactions can occur with the injection of any type of filler and can also be triggered from other vaccinessuch as those that act against influenza and Herpes Zoster”, he adds.
According to the publication of Journal Cosmetic Dermatology May of this year, which compiles 106 articles on the matter, the complications occurred mostly in middle aged womenNo history of allergies.
The doctor specifies that, according to the authors, “the symptoms consisted mainly of redness, edema and noduleswhich appeared during the first ten days after the first or second dose of the vaccine”.
In times of covid, the most important needle is the one that inoculates against the virus. Photo: Xinhua
–
Although he emphasizes that these events are rare, he notes that they must be correctly diagnosedto avoid unnecessary treatments.
“The doctor must be attentive, carry out a exhaustive and complete interrogation. And that the patient knows that he should avoid any type of filler if there is a history of vaccination two weeks before. In the same way, she will have to wait fifteen days before being vaccinated after being filled”, he concludes.
The scientific explanation
Martin Hojman works at the Hospital General de Agudos Bernardino Rivadavia and is part of the Argentine Society of Infectology. Like his colleague, he confirms that while adverse reactions to vaccination in people with fillers they are very rare, they have been reported.
What is happening? Vaccines stimulate the immune system. In combination with hyaluronic acid, a hyper immune reaction can be produced. “This is also associated with infections of different types and various vaccines. Perhaps the issue of Covid draws attention, due to its topicality, ”clarifies the specialist.
Vaccines raise general and particular antibodies. In the process, it is possible that they act, in a certain way, “against” the hyaluronic acid injectionsidentifying them as strange bodies.
Hyaluronic acid, like other injectables, act as “foreign bodies”.
–
The doctor is convinced that cosmetic surgeons should tell patients that, if they are going to undergo treatment of this kind, wait to get vaccinated.
Unlike Dr. Pascutto, Hojman says he would be comfortable “allowing three months to pass between one thing and another,” since that is the time for the development of the immune response. Of course, this is not regulated, so no indication is absolute.. In fact, each doctor consulted for this note expresses his own vision.
The word of the surgeons
“These materials are full-bodied and come in gel or solution form. Once injected, remain in the tissue for a while. They act like a foreign body and the body recognizes them as such. Normally, they go through a slow process of dissolution and reabsorption. When you give a vaccine, what you do is stimulate the immune system. Therefore, it can respond to substances injected some time ago and generate nodules or temporary inflammations”, details a renowned plastic surgeon, in line with what Hojman raised.
“Es the same thing that can trigger a bad cold, a respiratory virus or angina: the immune system sees that there is something there and launches itself against it, so to speak. It is not serious, but you have to know it ”, he complements.
He is also aware of reactions to the botox, in remote cases, attributed to the proximity between injection and vaccination. For him —whose identity he prefers to keep confidential—, a period longer than two weeks returns safely to the procedure.
Complete information and good communication between the doctor and the patient: two pillars of aesthetic medicine. Photo: Shutterstock
–
Guillermo Vazquez headmaster the Argentine Association of Aesthetic Surgery. Like its predecessors, it emphasizes that the negative interactions between hyaluronic acid and vaccines for Covid are isolated. “But there have been cases in which there is a induration (granuloma) with inflammationwhich becomes a aesthetic inconvenience for patients.”
In your experience, this can happen in two situations:
1) If the person had the infection and goes to hyaluronic acid in a window period of two to three months. In this case, the inflammation is capable of manifesting itself after two or four weeks, and even “a long time later”.
2) If the person has applied fillers and, a while later, he suffers from Covid. After the disease, the inflammatory reaction may appear.
According to the surgeon, scientific research points to aspects genetic predisposing and to the incidence of diverse factors, among them, the “ethnic” ones.
The vaccination campaign advances. Among the less mentioned effects is the possible negative interaction with hyaluronic acid injections. Photo: Gabriel Bulacio.
–
Vázquez develops that the mishap is usually resolved with the indication of antibiotics, hyaluronidase (which dissolves the HA), corticosteroids in another medicationdepending on the case. “The important thing is to consult the certified doctor who made the application.”
The surgeon expands the alterations that can occur with the Botulinum toxin after going through a coronavirus box. “The Dqa10102 and Dqb10604 genes, which are activated in some patients after having suffered from Covid, can take away the potency of Botox,” he closes.
needle issue
“I tell you the truth, I wouldn’t stop doing my regular touch-ups. But it is like everything in life… clear accounts”. The words of Mariela They synthesize the thoughts of many patients (women and men of various ages) who come to the aesthetic office for different reasons.
His case was unusual, but not impossible. He would have liked to “understand the whole package”. Dr. Vázquez, precisely, is clear with each person who comes to him for treatments (not just fillers).
Like his colleague, Dr. Carlos Sandovalwhich is dedicated to aesthetic gynecology, Facial and body aesthetic medicine, and laser. He saw first-hand episodes like the ones mentioned above: the last one happened during the last week.
Although the majority of patients are women, more and more men are turning to trendy aesthetic “touch-ups”. Photo: Lucia Merle.
–
“In the facial part, at the level of the lips, two inflammatory reactions to a first-rate hyaluronic, with which I worked exclusively four years ago, caught my attention,” he says.
A genital level also found a unilateral reaction in one patient, mediated by antibodies. The three women ended up with a gradual and ambulatory improvement, some requiring analgesics or corticosteroids.
Sandoval expresses that it is a debate that arises in the medical forums. Limited and mild cases are still reported. “In any case, I find it very interesting that people talk and write about this, since there are many things that are not said or hiddenwhen it shouldn’t have to be that way.”
PS
