Increased complications due to illegal filler injections of unknown origin

A 25-year-old patient met a girl who was studying beauty at a spa in the area. Because she wanted to beautify her boyfriend herself, the girl injected filler into her boyfriend, leading to him being permanently blind in one eye because the filler injection clogged the eye's capillaries. Another case is Ms. NT (20 years old, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City) who had filler injections in her nose and cheeks at a cosmetic facility in Ho Chi Minh City. Through examination, the patient did not know what type of filler he had been injected with or what its origin was, so treatment was difficult.

According to Dr. Tran Nguyen Anh Tu - Head of the Department of Skin Aesthetics, Ho Chi Minh City Dermatology Hospital, for these patients, after successful treatment, there are still many cosmetic consequences, because at this time the fibrous tissue underneath have hardened and deformed blood vessels that are no longer normal, so it is very difficult for these patients to recover to their original state. Filler injection techniques must clearly understand the product characteristics and the injection area, because fillers have many different properties suitable for the needs of each different skin area. For example, the eye area needs a softer filler, the mouth area needs just right.

As for Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Hieu Liem - Head of the Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery at Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine and Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, said filler is a scientific invention worth using. many substances, the most common being hyaluronic acid. However, it is also a substance that can cause great harm, because many people take advantage of fillers of unknown origin, containing substances that are not safe for injection. In Vietnam today, the problem of filler injection by people without formal education or expertise is emerging, leading to many cases of complications when filler is injected directly into the artery causing retinal embolism, causing blindness. eye.

"This is a downside. In essence, filler is a good substance, but in the hands of those who do not know how to use it, it becomes dangerous," Dr. Hieu Liem expressed his opinion.

At tertiary hospitals, it is not uncommon to see filler complications. Most patients suffer from abscesses and necrosis at the injection site due to unprofessional beauty spa facilities and practitioners. As a result, many cases of permanent blindness result.

“Another common fact in Vietnam is that on e-commerce platforms, social network groups can easily buy these types of fillers. Since it's easy to buy, injections are also easy to do because the price is cheap, on average from a few hundred thousand to over a million dong per injection. When experiencing complications, most patients who come to the hospital do not share any information about the place of work or the name of the filler product. From our perspective, we still have to try to treat patients according to the filler treatment regimen," Dr. Hieu Liem added.