Will fillers such as Juvederm or Perlane exacerbate cystic acne prone skin?

Propery placed tissue fillers are placed under the dermis, below the level where a cyst would occur.  If a cyst occurs, itis probably coincidental.  You should know about a new treatment that can clear even cystic acne without medication: Isolaz, by Aesthera.  It can treat cystic acne occurring even over fillers.

I would not typically expect the use of soft tisse fillers, such as Juvederm, to promote or exacerbate acne.  If you do have cystic acne, ask your physician about a medically based skin care program to help control and reduce outbreaks.

I have not seen cystic acne exacerbated by the use of fillers.  If a cystic acne cyst develops, treat it as you do other acne cysts.  Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

If you’ve had a skin filler (e.g., Juvederm, Restylane, Perlane) injected in an area that’s prone to acne, there’s a chance of acne worsening in that area for a few weeks. This is because inflammation is one of four main causes of acne. The other main causes of acne are increased oil production, increased acne bacteria, and increased skin cell turnover, which results in blocked pores.

Think about the filler process: a needle goes into the skin, a skin filler is injected through the needle, the filler absorbs water, and then the area may be pressed on to mold the filler. All these actions can cause inflammation. This inflammation can be enough of a stress to your skin to cause an acne breakout.

By the way, many treatments can act as acne “stressors”, and make acne worse. I always tell my acne patients that even their new acne skin care regimens can temporarily make acne worse before it gets better. This is why it’s important not to give up after only a week or two of trying a new acne treatment plan.

Talk with your doctor about treatment for skin cysts. Sometimes, a cyst may need to be drained. Sometimes, it’s best just to let the area heal. Again, a good acne treatment plan can help decrease the occurrence of acne with time.

If there’s a lot of active acne in an area you’d like to have injected with skin fillers, it’s often a good idea to wait until the area is less irritated. Injections when there’s a lot of acne can increase risk of skin infection.

Remember - It’s Your Face! For best results, consult a Medical Doctor with expertise in treating acne patients and who injects skin fillers him- or herself.