COVID-19 Vaccine & Facial Filler

 Dr. Alexandra Schmidt, a board-certified plastic surgeon at Blue Water Plastic Surgery and Blue Water Spa addresses the news surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine and facial fillers.

The COVID vaccine may cause facial swelling in people with a recent history of dermal fillers. This complication appears to be rare, localized, and temporary without any long-term consequences. Out of 74,000 people treated in the Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials, 3 individuals reported swelling associated with facial filler that was performed within the last 6 months. 

At Blue Water Spa, we treat a large number of medical providers including MDs and RNs, many of whom have been vaccinated for COVID. Thus far, none of our patients has reported any facial swelling after vaccination.

Should you get the COVID vaccine if you recently had a dermal filler treatment?
The answer is absolutely, YES, you should. If you have an opportunity to receive the COVID vaccine, the potential benefits significantly outweigh the risk of facial swelling.

How long after receiving the COVID vaccine do you need to wait for a filler treatment?
At Blue Water Spa, we recommend waiting at least 1 week after the second dose of the vaccine to receive your filler treatment. While we don’t yet know the ideal timeframe for delaying filler treatment after the vaccine, it is probably best to wait until after the immune response has subsided to consider filler.

We urge any patient with symptoms to return immediately to the medical practice where the filler was placed to be evaluated and treated. Your physician, Nurse Practitioner or PA will mostly likely start antihistamine and/or steroid treatment. With proper treatment, the swelling is expected to resolve quickly.

Lastly, Dr. Schmidt offers some alternatives to facial fillers such as PRF treatments if patients are looking for an alternative to fillers.

Our primary goal is our patients safety. We will continue providing updates as we learn more. Please don’t hesitate to text us at 919-739-3910 with questions regarding your appointment, treatments, scheduling a consultation, and more.