Not all facial fillers and injectables make you look like Kardashians! I am not getting into the rights and wrongs about the Kardashians’ decisions on fillers, but modern injectables don’t give (such) dramatic results, to say the least. Therefore, they are safe and come with minimum or no downtime to heal. However, it’s a pool of questions you dive into while contemplating a filler service and so, the apprehension around it is natural. First thing first, look for a trained cosmetic dermatologist for the service. A clinic down the lane or a regular dermatologist will not be able to do it right. “He should have a proper medical degree and the website should also talk about the training programs that the doctor has done to learn anatomy and injection techniques,” says Dr Jaishree Sharad, celebrity cosmetic dermatologist.

After deciding on the expert, the first session should be a consultation where you put the doctor through some burning questions! While you might have a list ready, we tell you the five most important questions to ask a cosmetic dermatologist before getting facial fillers done. 

Question 1 – How safe are facial fillers?

Honestly, the idea of injecting a foreign substance into the skin is scary. If it’s your first time with facial fillers, we suggest that checking on its safety and ensuring there are no side effects to deal with later is of utmost importance. “There are hyaluronic acid fillers which are extremely safe and if you don’t like the result, hyaluronidase can be injected which dissolves the entire filler within 24 hours,” explains Dr Jaishree. She further suggests going for facial fillers that are FDA approved. Make sure you check with the aesthetician about the authenticity of the brand.

Question 2 – How long will the results last?

When you’re investing the time, money, and trust in a service, the next obvious question is to check on the stay of its results. Ensuring this will help you make a better decision keeping in mind its worth and value for money. “ The results depend on the type of the filler used. An under-eye filler lasts for about a year whereas a chin and nose filler stays for a year and a half,” she says. However, a cheek lift, she explains, may only stay for about a year and lip fillers are the most short-lived, they last only for six to eight months. “If you do heavy workouts or smoke, these may vanish sooner,” she adds.

Question 3 – What is pre and post-treatment care?

This is crucial because a slight miss on the care procedure may interfere with the effects of the treatment. Dr Jaishree suggests not having anti-inflammatories like combiflam and enzoflam. “It’s also advisable to avoid taking glutathione, vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids, alcohol and green tea because these are blood thinners and they will increase the chances of the procedure not working as well,” she adds. The other care tips include not smoking for 24 hours, no dental treatment for two weeks, not washing for nine hours, and no cosmetic application – makeup and skincare – for 12 hrs.

Question 4 – How long before an important event should the treatment be taken?

It’s not a facial or a regular salon appointment that can be done a few days or hours before an important event. You need time with facial fillers considering the number of sessions required, time to heal and closely monitor results. “You need to schedule it at least a month before any important event because it takes that many days for the entire filler to settle down,” explains Dr Jaishree. Besides, if you bruise, it takes about a week or 10 days for it to heal. And if there’s swelling, you can anyway not attend any event unless it settles. “You can go to work and do your daily chores but don’t schedule it before any important event,” she adds. 

Question 5 – What are the side effects, if any, that I should be prepared for?

It’s common for the injection to hit a blood vessel which can cause bruising. “The most common side effect is bruising which settles in about 10 days. The patient needs to be told about swelling, especially around the under-eye and lip are, which settles in three days,” she says.