Are filler injections painful?

Filler can hurt at two moments: while the needle is in, and over the next few days. The days after are where triage matters, so most of this page sits there.

How much a filler injection hurts

How much it hurts during the injection varies, and the person injecting you can tell you how they handle discomfort. Ask them what you should feel in the chair and what you should feel at home. The question that matters later is which kind of pain is expected and which kind means picking up the phone.

Sorting filler soreness by urgency

1. Can wait: mild soreness or tenderness where the needle went in, which you were told to expect and which is not getting worse.
2. Call the same day: pain that builds instead of fading, or a change in the color or feel of the skin near the injection that nobody warned you about. Call the treating office or your physician.
3. Urgent: severe pain with skin that turns pale or dusky, a sudden change in vision, or trouble breathing. Call emergency services.

If you want the society view on filler safety

If you want an overview of the treatment first, read the American Society of Plastic Surgeons page on dermal fillers. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery page on injectables and soft tissue fillers and a systematic review of adverse events reported after hyaluronic acid filler injections to the face cover filler safety in writing. If a clinic offers you needle-free filler, read the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery's press release on the FDA safety communication about needle-less injector devices, then ask exactly what product is used and who is licensed to use it.

A comfort list for a Long Island City filler chair

Write your questions about comfort and aftercare on a card and take it to the visit. Once you are home, jot down what you feel and when it started.

Matching soreness to your aftercare sheet

Hold any pain up against the written aftercare your injector gave you. If the two do not match, call.