In the last couple weeks, social media has exploded with the post of an MRI showing how long facial fillers last and how far they migrate. If you haven't seen it, head here, because it really does look cool.
If you're not about looking at MRIs, that's ok. I'll explain it here. The MRI is of a 33 year old woman who had 12 units of hyaluronic acid filler injections about 5 years ago. The MRI shows that they have expanded to about 28 units worth of filler and have migrated around her face, up through to her orbital bone and down all the way to her jawline.
This is what leads to the symptoms known on the street as "pillow face", which results in a puffy look to the face.
Why does this happen?
First off, hyaluronic acid is something your body naturally creates. What is injected is a synthetic version of this. Hyaluronic acid (which I'm going to refer to as HA for the rest of the blog because its way shorter to type) is what helps keeps our skin cushy and our joints flexible. It's used as an injection because it adds volume to the face. And more volume means that your skin won't show wrinkles as much. It can also be used as a way to change the shape of your face, such as larger lips or bigger cheeks.
HA binds to water molecules. It can absorb up to 1000 times its own weight in water. Think of a bubble the keeps drawing air into it and getting bigger and bigger.
And that's where some of the trouble arises. It will continue to expand over time, absorbing more and more water.
Injectors have been taught that HA injections last from 6-18 months in which time the body breaks it all down and gets rid of it, but the research shows that's not the case. In a study conducted of 33 patients who had previous filler injections but none within at least 2 years (21 of them between 2-5 years ago, 12 between 8-15 years ago), every single one showed detectable amounts under their skin.
For some of them, it had been 15 YEARS since they last received injections, so this is clearly not something that the body is able to breakdown easily, effectively, and completely.
What does this all mean for your body?
HA injections block the lymphatic system.
They grow in size as your body draws them through the lymphatic tubes trying to break them down.
Let's take a look at the lymphatic system itself.
What does the lymphatic system do? It's part of your body's cleaning mechanisms and nutrient supply.
The lymph tubes in your body take away toxins, pathogens, and infection. It regulates the lymph fluid in your body, flushing it out so you don't have swelling.
Your interstitium, which some say is part of your lymphatic system and some say is it's own thing, is the fluid which sits in between your organs and tissues. It helps bring nutrients to your cells and takes away toxins. It drains into your lymphatic system.
A study was conducted to track the lymphatic system's ability to move fluid when fillers had been used. A special dye was injected into the faces of 50 women who had had filler injections. A special camera was then used to watch how the lymphatic system was able to move that fluid through and clean it out of the body. A normal response time of the body is to completely breakdown almost immediately. The lymphatic system carries more fluid than your circulatory system. It should turn over about 4-5 liters of fluid a day, which is 25 milliliters per hour. However these women had the dye pooling under the eyes and cheeks and could still be detected by the camera a week later.
This means fillers have a serious impairment impact on how the lymphatic system can function, which impairs the immune system itself. The symptoms of this can include fluid retention, possible autoimmune reactions, and a higher frequency of infections.
So what can you do if you've had filler in the past?
Becoming educated in how your lymphatic system works (like you just did! You already completed step 1!) is an amazing place to start. Remember, it's not just taking away, it's also bringing nutrients back.
It's not a closed system with a pump, like the heart. It can't just power through and push harder. It's an open system made up of overlapping scales that flex and move, allowing fluid to flow in and out. That means it has to have movement to make the scales open and close and push the fluid through.
Here are my suggestions for helping to support your lymphatic system when you've had facial fillers.
Stay hydrated. Your lymph tubes already have extra pressure on them from the fillers. They need all the fluid the can get to stay flowing. Water, herbal teas, unsweetened coconut water, and infused waters are all excellent ways of staying hydrated.
Add herbs that support the lymph system. Nettle, calendula, red clover, cleavers, echinacea, dandelion, ginger, and burdock are all herbs you can use in your cooking, make into teas, or find in supplements. Here's one of my favorite teas with calendula, red clover, and nettle.
Enjoy facial massage daily. Gua sha massage, facial cupping, manual lymph drainage, and jade rolling can all help move fluid around. Here's a link to my online store for massage tools you can use at home.
In the treatment room, microcurrent can help stimulate the lymphatic system as well, since it stimulates the muscles.
Long term effects of HA filler are obviously still being examined. What we previously thought about them, that the body will break them all down and we just go back in to get them refilled, is showing to simply not be true.
If you have had them, now is the time to start really supporting your lymphatic system. If you'd like guidance on how to address your skin specifically, hop onto my schedule for a Radiant Roots Skin Audit.
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