Facial Overfilled Syndrome: What is it & How to treat

Dermal filler injections are an ever-increasing popular treatment for both men and women across the UK and with that comes an increase in the number of practitioners offering the treatment. However, despite the UK introducing a new licencing scheme for anti-wrinkle injections and fillers this year to better regulate who can offer treatments, there are still many doing so in an unsafe, unregulated manner. Hyaluronic acid injectables are designed to give you natural, subtle anti-ageing results. But where Facial Overfilled Syndrome (or FOS) is concerned, we’re looking at the patients who have essentially been overdosed with the level of filler used.

Let’s explore Facial Overfilled Syndrome more closely…

“Overfilled” faces are commonly seen among patients who have undergone multiple filler treatments too close together, or using too much dermal filler. The result is an unnatural look with potentially unsafe and problematic side effects. Common names such as “plastic face” and “balloon lips” are common terms used for people with Facial Overfilled Syndrome. The face will often appear swollen, unnaturally distorted and as though it may be ready to pop. Whilst fillers are felt to last only 6-18 months, overfilled cases continue to look distorted many years after the treatment was done. Where filler continues to exist in the skin, they add more weight to the mobile soft tissues of the face (think jawline) leading to further sagging and distortion over time. Whilst FOS can cause an aesthetically unpleasing result, it can also cause a number of medical complications, such as:

Psychological distress from the treatment results
Contribute to lumps/nodules/scarring in the soft tissues of the face
Irreversibly damage skin tissue

There are many causes of Facial Overfilled Syndrome, including:

The incorrect placement of the filler due to an inaccurate assessment or practitioner lacking in technique.
The use of a poor quality injectable can result in it not integrating properly into the skin’s tissue.
Overzealous attempts by the injector and overly enthusiastic clients not having their expectations safely managed by the injector.
Filler-only treatment plans can make the face more prone to being overfilled, rather than being complimented by alternative treatments alongside it.

So, what can we do to help patients who have suffered with Facial Overfilled Syndrome to reverse the effects?

Meet Clarius Ultrasound.

Clarius Ultrasound technology allows us to perform visually guided filler dissolving treatments. The system allows us to identify where existing filler remains within the soft tissues, to directly enter a dissolvent into the area, injecting safely and accurately. It is a very quick and simple treatment, and you can feel confident that you are in the safe hands of Dr Sabrina or Dr Janine supported visually by Ultrasound technology to ensure results. It will take around 1- 2 days for the filler to dissolve completely, and some patients need a second dissolving session a few weeks later. As the skin can look wrinkled and If you’ve not been happy with the results of your previous injector, then Clarius Ultrasound guided filler dissolving treatments are a fantastic way to ensure a clean, healthy and natural blank canvas. Book a consultation with us to find out if you could be experiencing Facial Overfilled Syndrome and how we can help.