20/12/2025
If you have had a dermal filler treatment and you don’t like it, can you just have it dissolved, wipe the slate clean and start again?
It’s not as simple as that. We know dermal fillers can last many more years than we previously thought. They can last a decade or more and that can be good if they’re well placed in subtle amounts, they’re giving you a result you like and we generally don’t dissolve these. However, if filler has been overdone, or looks unnatural, there is a prescription only injectable medicine called hyaluronidase which can help dissolve hyaluronic acid dermal filler. Not all injectables are hyaluronic acid and if it’s not hyaluronic acid this medicine won’t work. Some products are much easier to dissolve than others and some may take several sessions. If this dissolving treatment is used, you will lose the dermal filler, and some water that the filler has drawn to itself( which will have added some volume), time will have passed and you will have aged somewhat in the meantime, and there’s the original reason the treatment was done for, for example hollow under eyes or thin lips, which will return once the filler has been dissolved. The skin or soft tissues may have been stretched and may not bounce back fully. If somebody doesn’t have records of their treatment it may be very hard to know what type of filler material it is, or where the filler was placed; ultrasound can help but it won’t show all particles of filler and MRI can be helpful sometimes too. I am a fan of dermal fillers and they can give a positive result and can help restore lost volume and reduce some signs of aging.
My overriding advice is if you’re considering a dermal filler treatment, have it placed correctly and carefully in the first place by a medical professional who is highly experienced in aesthetic procedures such as an aesthetic doctor, dentist or nurse, have subtle, careful treatments, sit tight and go slowly and gently. Then dissolving shouldn’t be needed. Always ask to see the product being injected and take a photo or keep a copy for your own records. Eithne