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The Practitioner’s Guide to Avoiding Filler Migration

Social media has millions of examples of filler gone wrong. On TikTok alone, #lipfillermigration has over 2 million instances of educational and informational videos, words of advice, and horror stories. These videos, and the personal experiences they share, demonstrate that filler migration is a problem that is often encountered in the world of medical aesthetics. In this article, we discuss filler migration, what it is, how to fix it, and how to avoid it in your practice.

What is Filler Migration?

Filler migration is exactly what it sounds like: when filler migrates beyond the treatment injection area. Filler migration can be noticeable around two weeks after treatment when an accumulation forms visible bumps adjacent to the treatment area. Filler migration is often experienced with lip fillers; the filler migrates beyond the vermillion border into the skin or cutaneous portion of the lip. This can either create lumps on the lips, or create a shelf or plateau that is characteristic of the “duck lip” phenomenon.

Filler migration is not limited to the lips, it can occur anywhere filler is injected: in the cheeks, tear trough area, and hands.

What Causes Filler Migration?

Filler migration is typically caused by improper technique. One of the most common signs of filler migration is fullness adjacent to the injection site. This is characteristic of the injection procedure occurring too superficially or too quickly, or the injection unintentionally performed in the wrong layer of tissue, or into a blood or lymphatic vessel.

Using an inappropriate dermal filler can also affect filler migration. Different dermal fillers have different properties, and optimally function for different indications. For example, injecting a thick filler (such as a calcium hydroxylapatite filler) into the thin skin of the lip or tear trough area could have cosmetically disastrous effects.

Generally, it boils down to the experience and training of the practitioner. Inexperienced injectors may inject too much filler, inject the filler in the wrong area, they may demonstrate improper technique, or they may not space treatment sessions out appropriately. Each of these issues can lead to poor treatment outcomes, including filler migration.

How to Fix Filler Migration

Filler migration is typically resolved through dissolving the filler with hyaluronidase. This compound breaks down the hyaluronic acid in the filler, allowing the built-up filler to essentially dissolve, and be excreted with the body’s natural excretion process, causing minimal harm (if any) to the patient.

Fillers are designed to break down naturally over time, therefore with minimal harm in most cases, the patient can also wait until the filler dissolves on its own. However, this is typically not best-practice, given that every patient reacts differently to filler, and the time it takes to break down filler can vary between patients. Furthermore, the cosmetic effects of filler migration can be distressing to patients.

How to Avoid Filler Migration

Above all else, it is important to stay up-to-date on medical aesthetic education, particularly injection techniques. Having a solid understanding of knowledge and technique is the best way to ensure optimal results for your patients. The Canadian Association of Medical Aesthetics provides a variety of courses, delivered in both 1:1 and classroom training formats, for practitioners looking to learn or upgrade their medical aesthetic skills, including cosmetic injection skills. Click here to find out more.

The Difference Between Botox and Dysport

One of the earliest and most apparent signs of aging is the development of wrinkles on the face and body. Due to sun exposure, age, smoking, and sometimes even genetics, the skin loses elasticity and moisture. The skin also loses its ability to create and replenish collagen and elastin. These factors can contribute to the development of wrinkles on the face, particularly on the forehead, around the eyes, and mouth. Botox and Dysport are two of the most popular treatments to treat the formation of dynamic wrinkles, including those caused by expressions such as squinting, smiling, and frowning. But what’s the difference between Botox and Dysport, and which of these treatments are better for your patients? BotoxPerhaps the most popular and well-known cosmetic injectable treatment in the entire world, Botox is the original and most popular injectable neuromodulator. It is produced from the bacterium clostridium botulinum. Botox works by preventing the brain from sending signals to the target muscle that causes the facial wrinkle or fold. This prevents that specific muscle from moving. The lack of movement stops the overlying skin from forming that wrinkle or fold. One of the key advantages of Botox is how specific it is. It is targeted to only work on the muscle that it is injected into, without affecting surrounding muscles. That is why Botox is incredibly popular for treating wrinkles that cause facial expressions, such as forehead lines, the “11” lines in between your eyes, the wrinkles created by raising your eyebrows, squinting, smiling, frowning, or pursing your lips.DysportLike Botox, Dysport is also produced from the clostridium botulinum bacterium, and works in a very similar manner–by preventing signals to the muscle from the brain. This prevents muscle (and overlying skin) from contracting, which keeps the skin smooth and wrinkle-free. What’s the difference between Botox and Dysport?Since both of these treatments feature the same ingredient and mechanism of action, it may seem like there’s no difference between Botox and Dysport–but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Trained specialists know that Botox and Dysport are very different from each other, and each treatment has their advantages.The first major difference between Botox and Dysport is its formulation: Dysport is far more diluted than Botox. Dysport also has a different molecular behaviour. These two factors cause Dysport to spread faster over a large surface area. These critical differences mean that even though both treatments are well-suited for the treatment of wrinkles, each treatment is best-suited for different applications.For example, Dysport works really well for larger surface areas, such as treating wrinkles on the forehead. It is well-suited for 11 lines and other forehead wrinkles. Botox, on the other hand, because it is slower-moving, is far better suited for more precise treatments for smaller surface areas, such as lip lines, crow’s feet, and other finer wrinkles. It also comes down to who is administering the treatment. In the right hands, Botox and Dysport can produce outstanding results. However, when mis-used, these treatments can not only not produce the desired results, but could severely harm the patient.This is why it is critical that cosmetic injectors have the right skillset, knowledge, expertise and competency to safely and effectively administer different neuromodulators. CAMA specializes in training healthcare professionals–including physicians, surgeons, nurses, and nurse practitioners–to give them practical hands-on skills and experience to deliver world-class medical and aesthetic cosmetic injection services to their patients. Our neuromodulator focused course teaches participants a variety of skills and techniques to administer the most popular neuromodulators on the market, including Botox and Dysport. Click here to find out more.

The Benefits of Becoming a Certified Aesthetic Nurse or Physician: Why Invest in Your Career?

The field of medical aesthetics is one that is rapidly growing–by 2025, it is expected to be worth over 22 billion globally. For those who love to help patients look and feel their best, medical aesthetics can be a very rewarding career path. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of being a cosmetic injector, and why it can be an incredible investment in your career as a nurse or a physician. Before we begin, what does a cosmetic injector do? Cosmetic injectors, also known as aesthetic injectors, are professionally-trained and professionally-licensed skin care specialists that can administer medical cosmetic injection procedures to patients. They are qualified health care practitioners that can help patients with skin conditions, skin traumas, and aging skin to restore and rejuvenate the appearance of the skin through medical cosmetic injection treatments. Some examples of the injection treatments that certified aesthetic nurses and physicians, including cosmetic injectors, can administer include: Botulinum toxin such as DysportDermal Fillers such as RestylaneCollagen Stimulating Devices such as Sculptra Most cosmetic injectors work in private clinics–including plastic surgery or dermatology clinics–or medical spas. These facilities tend to provide luxury dermatology, cosmetic treatments, and other wellness services to patients. With  an increase in these services also being offered by health, beauty, and fitness establishments, some cosmetic injectors work in these sectors as well. Does being a cosmetic injector sound like a career that you might be interested in pursuing? Here are some reasons why this may be a very lucrative career change for you. One of the Most In-Demand Fields As we mentioned above, by 2025, the medical aesthetics sector is expected to be worth over 22 billion globally. This is due to a growing demand for high-quality skincare and cosmetic treatments. As people grow older, they desire to maintain their looks–looking great is critical to feeling great, and doing great. Typically, this is the population that also has the most disposable income. If you are looking for a career that will help your patients look and feel their best, and with excellent job security prospects, a transition to the medical esthetics field could be ideal for you.Not Your Typical 9-5Many doctors and nurses are looking for rewarding meaningful work, but are burnt out by the highly demanding nature of hospital care. While medical aesthetics is a stimulating field, it does not come with the same level of stress and demand as other fields. By working in the medical aesthetics sector, practitioners report a better work-life balance, and rarely feel burdened or overwhelmed by work. Many practitioners are very comfortable with part-time or casual hours. If you are looking for an incredibly rewarding job, without the stress, becoming a cosmetic injector could be the best choice for you.An Ideal Career Path If You Wish To Start Your Own Business We’ve already discussed how the field of medical aesthetics is rapidly growing, but this field would also be a lucrative one in which to pursue your own business. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, and you dream of owning and running your own private practice, the field of medical aesthetics may be the perfect choice for you.Expand Your Knowledge and SkillsCosmetic injector training can give you a solid knowledge base with which you can expand your skills. The Canadian Association of Medical Aesthetics can help you receive the cosmetic injectable training you need to be an effective cosmetic injector. We offer courses for physicians, nurses, and nurse practitioners across the GTA to expand their skills in medical aesthetics as a trained cosmetic injector. Our 100% hands-on training courses cover topics such as cosmetic injection for dermal fillers, neuromodulators, collagen stimulating devices, microneedling, mesotherapy, and other specialty areas. Click here to find out more.

The Med Spa Owner’s Guide to Helping You Protect Your and Your Employees’ Mental Health

Running your own business can be incredibly challenging. Many small business owners—including Med Spa owners—work around the clock, well beyond the standard 40-hour workweek. Often, burnout can creep in, before you know it. As an owner, it is your responsibility to develop a strategy to prevent burnout, and to be able to effectively deal with burnout when it happens. Not only is it critical for you to be able to deal with personal burnout, but it is also your responsibility to employ preventative strategies to ensure that your employees also do not buckle under pressure, as well. In this blogpost, we discuss a few helpful tips on how to prevent professional burnout in the Med Spa space, for you and your employees. Take care of yourself, and encourage your employees to take care of themselvesPhysical well-being is incredibly important because it enables everything else. This means eating and sleeping well, staying hydrated, engaging in a good exercise routine, and generally engaging in good lifestyle habits while consciously abstaining from poor choices. By prioritizing your health (and encouraging your employees to do the same) you ensure that everyone is functioning at their best capacity. Here are some ways you can encourage your employees to focus on their physical health:Create a workplace health or fitness challenge Schedule a well-being day or workplace retreatFor team lunches, dinners and events, ensure that you select healthy food options Promote mental health at the workplaceMental health is just as important as physical health, and prioritizing your and your employees’ mental health will further ensure that everyone is performing at their best. Your employees should feel that their mental health matters to you, as their employer. You can demonstrate this by ensuring that a culture of wellness is promoted in your Med Spa.Here are some ideas on how you can promote mental health at your Med Spa, for your employees:Schedule mental health training sessions or workshops at your workplaceLook for ways to encourage mental health and wellness development for your employees (for example: offering workplace yoga classes, offering a workplace retreat, or providing resources for them to seek counselling if needed)Be on the lookout for signs of burnout in your employees and be accommodative of their needsSeek employee feedbackOne of the best ways to find out if your clinic is facing burnout issues is to simply ask your employees. Find out about their workload, how are they managing it, if there are any inefficiencies or issues with workload management. Showing your employees that you care can really boost workplace morale.If you find that your employees are struggling with workload management, here are a few ways you can help reduce their stress:Encourage your employees to take off any accrued vacation daysReduce staff shortages/inefficiencies by tracking employee schedulingHire temporary staff to share the workloadIt is really important to make use of these strategies before burnout settles in. As a Med Spa owner, ensuring that you care about your employees and their physical and mental health can dramatically improve workplace morale, as well as productivity. 

The Practitioner’s Guide to Avoiding Filler Migration

Related Posts

The Difference Between Botox and Dysport

The Benefits of Becoming a Certified Aesthetic Nurse or Physician: Why Invest in Your Career?

The Med Spa Owner’s Guide to Helping You Protect Your and Your Employees’ Mental Health