Danger Zones of Dermal Filler Injection Sites on the Face

While having a wide range of benefits, dermal filler injections carry a lot of risks at the same time. On the one hand, they can profoundly rejuvenate and enhance your overall appearance. On the other hand, however, dermal fillers might be dangerous to your health unless properly injected by an experienced health care practitioner.

Therefore, it is of vital importance to know what danger zones of dermal filler injection sites are there on the face. Let’s figure it out together by means of going through this article!

Please note: Not only the knowledge of facial danger areas of dermal filler injection sites but also the quality of the injected preparation plays a crucial role when it comes to the safety of the procedure. Thus, make sure to use only original injectables.

Dermal Filler Injections from A to Z

Dermal filler injections belong to widely spread procedures of aesthetic medicine. They involve the administration of special preparations for a variety of cosmetic reasons.

Dermal fillers, in their turn, are injectable gel-like substances that might be based on different active components. Based on their main ingredients, they are divided into:

• Hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler preparations. This type of injectables is probably the most widely-spread one. It is based on a naturally occurring in the human body substance and therefore is perfectly absorbed by the human body. Among the most well-known hyaluronic acid fillers are Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero, and many other ones;
• Calcium hydroxylapatite-based dermal filler preparations. Similar to hyaluronic-based products, the calcium hydroxyapatite ones are also based on a naturally occurring substance that might be found in human bones. However, they usually have a thicker consistency and are therefore used to treat deeper facial imperfections. The most popular brand of calcium hydroxyapatite-based dermal fillers is Radiesse;
• Poly-L-lactic acid-based dermal filler preparations. Unlike both above-mentioned products, this dermal filler is based on a synthetic substance. However, it is absolutely biocompatible and biodegradable, and, therefore, safe. Furthermore, it provides patients with extremely durable results that may last up to two years. One representative of poly-L-lactic acid-based products is Sculptra.

Please note: Despite the fact that the above-mentioned types of dermal fillers are the main ones, there exists a number of other products on the aesthetic medicine market these days.

The main purpose of injections of dermal fillers is to rejuvenate and enhance a patient’s skin. It is oftentimes achieved by means of the following indications of facial fillers:

• Smoothing of wrinkles, fine lines, and folds;
• Restoring the lost volume;
• Lifting and tightening of certain facial parts;
• Defining the facial contour;
• Plumping lips;
• Etc.

Please note: Apart from the above-mentioned indications, dermal filler injections are also helpful when it comes to the stimulation of natural collagen production.

A Few Words on Facial Anatomy

The human face has very complex anatomy which is worth being shortly discussed before delving into the main facial danger areas of dermal filler injections.

A face is the anterior part of the head. It might be divided into three main parts:

• Upper face (including forehead and eye region);
• Middle face (that consists of nose, cheeks, and ears);
• Lower face (namely, lips, chin, and jaw).

Each above-mentioned facial part, in its turn, has its own complex structure that consists of:

• Muscles. There are forty-two muscles in the face of a human being, each of them being involved in numerous facial expressions or movements;
• Bones. The skeleton of a human face consists of fourteen bones, some of them being mobile, partially mobile, or immobile;
• Vessels. The central facial artery is connected to four main vessels coming across the face of a human being: the superior labial artery, the inferior labial artery, the angular artery, the lateral nasal branch;
• Nerves. There are twelve cranial nerves in the face of a human being.

As well, each part of a human face includes fat pads and is entirely covered by skin.

Thus, the anatomy of the face has an extremely elaborate structure that has to be taken into account when it comes to not only surgical procedures but also minimally invasive dermal filler injections.

Main Facial Danger Zones of Dermal Filler Injections

Please note: To ensure the safety of a facial filler injection and minimize the possibility of any severe side effects, it should be performed exclusively by a certified and experienced health care practitioner who will both have profound knowledge in complex facial anatomy and avoid using the wrong filler products.

The most dangerous facial zones of dermal filler injections are:

• Glabella (or the smooth part of the forehead right above the eyebrows and between them). The risk of a facial filler administration into this zone lies in the fact that two sets of vital arteries (namely, supratrochlear and supraorbital) with little collateral circulation are located here. The administration of a facial filler into one of them might cause an arterial occlusion which, in its turn, may lead to visual impairment or even blindness;
• Medial canthus (or the corner of the eye where upper and lower eyelids meet). The injection of injectable fillers into this facial zone might result in vascular occlusion of the internal carotid artery and, therefore, a block of the blood flow to the nose or eye area;
• Nasal cavity (or the internal nose space). Unless carefully performed, the nasal augmentation with the help of a dermal filler injection might result in nasal skin necrosis;
• Nasolabial fold (which includes the lines between the edge of the nose and the side of the mouth). A facial filler injection into this danger zone might block the blood flow in the facial artery;
• Infraorbital region (which is located right beneath the orbital area). The improper injecting technique within this area might have a negative impact upon the infraorbital artery, vein, or nerve. So, a health care practitioner should avoid direct deep injections in this region and use lateral injections instead of them;
• Temporal fossa (or shallow depression on the skull side). The injection of a facial filler into this area is dangerous mainly because it might lead to the obstruction of either a superficial temporal artery or a middle temporal vein;
• Oral commissure (or the area at the corner of the mouth where the upper lip meets the lower one). Again, the improper direct injection of a facial filler within this danger zone might block the facial artery and, therefore, spoil the normal blood movement.

The above-mentioned danger zones of facial filler injections are merely the main ones. However, you should also take caution when injecting preparations into other areas of the face, such as the anterior medial length of the ear, mandible, nasal tip, jawline, and many others in order to avoid:

• Skin infections;
• Necroses;
• Vascular injury cases (such as vascular compromise);
• Nerve damages (namely, nodular masses paraesthesias);
• Blood supply blockades (like a barrier within a dorsal nasal artery, transverse facial artery, or central retinal artery);
• And other dermal filler complications.

Thus, you have to be careful when injecting a facial filler into the face, especially when it comes to the numerous facial danger areas. Only this way you will be able to minimize the possibility of severe side effects or complications.

You can read about all the dangerous areas for Botox injections in our article How Many Units of Botox Are Needed for Forehead. Go and maybe it will help you in your next choice.

A Bottom Line

All in all, the complex anatomy of a human face includes a number of dangerous areas for facial filler injections. However, if you rely on a knowledgeable health care practitioner and qualitative preparations, you will be likely to benefit from a profoundly rejuvenated face without any complications after a facial filler injection.