If you’re interested in cheek fillers, you may have heard stories about someone having their cheek filler drop. Maybe you’ve heard that cheek fillers can migrate, making you lose your desired look after just a few weeks.
Thankfully, there’s not a lot of truth to these claims. For most cheek fillers, once you get them injected, the chance of them moving is incredibly slim.
Still, there’s a chance that you may find your cheek filler isn’t where you expected it to be. To understand why — and how you can prevent it — we’ve written this article with everything you need to know about cheek fillers and how they move.
What are Cheek Fillers?
Typically, cheek fillers are injections that plump up the area around your cheekbones. This is done to make it appear as though one had greater definition in their cheekbones. It may also be done to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.
Usually, these are temporary. Similar to fillers for other areas, hyaluronic acid and polylactic acid are injected into the cheek and under eye area to fill them. Products using hyaluronic acid include Juvederm and Restylane, whereas polylactic acid is used by products like Sculptra.
There are also other materials that may be used off-label for cheek fillers.
Can Cheek Fillers Move?
It’s uncommon, but yes — cheek fillers can move. This usually happens when the technician doing the injection is inexperienced or performs the injection improperly.
How Will I Know if my Cheek Fillers Move?
Most of the time, cheek filler movement is barely noticeable. In fact, in the rare cases where cheek fillers move, they only tend to move a few millimeters — barely perceptible to the human eye.
There are some indications that your fillers may have moved, however. If you see raised skin or small lumps around the site of injection, for example, your fillers may have migrated from their original location.
If you’re simply experiencing swelling, don’t worry. This should calm itself down after about two weeks. If you experience significant swelling or bruising, however, it is advised to check in with your technician to ensure what you’re experiencing is what they expected.
Why Are My Cheek Fillers Moving?
While having a filler move is rare, there are a few things that make it more likely. If your fillers have already moved, one of these issues may be the culprit.
Bad Injection Technique: Having an untrained or inexperienced technician perform your injection may cause it to move. This is because they are more likely to place your fillers in the wrong location, or they may simply add your filler too quickly — both factors that can lead to filler movement. A technician may also inject your fillers too close together, leading to similar issues.
Too Much Filler: The skin in your face is sensitive. If you add too much filler, it may be too much for your skin to handle, and as a result, your fillers may migrate to a different part of your cheek or face.
Overhandling: Your technician may encourage you to massage your fillers after the procedure has been performed. This may be okay — but if you overdo it, you risk causing your fillers to migrate. As a baseline, it is recommended to not touch your fillers until at least 24 hours after the procedure.
Immune Response: In some cases, you may experience some swelling following your filler injection — and in even rarer cases, this may cause your filler to move. Cases like these are exceptionally uncommon, but it is still a possibility when getting fillers.
Wrong Filler Used: Your technician must make sure they are using the correct filler for your skin. If they use the wrong filler, it makes it more likely that your body will not agree with the filler, which in turn will make it more likely to move.
Can I Stop Fillers from Moving?
There are a few things you can do to prevent filler movement.
The first is to avoid touching the area of injection for as long as possible but at least 24 hours. Second, try to keep dramatic facial movements to a minimum until your fillers settle into place. Lastly, avoid exercise on the day your filler procedure is performed.
But, above all else, it’s important that your physician is trained and qualified. Make sure you do your research beforehand to ensure you’re getting top quality care, as poor treatment is one of the most common causes of filler movement.
Can I Fix a Moved Filler?
Yes, but it will take time. Some may be tempted to get more fillers to “even out” their face after a moved filler — but the smarter option is to simply wait for your current fillers to dissolve and start again.
If this is not possible for you, or you have other concerns, contact your technician. They will be able to address any issue you have.
