Read this if you get filler injections

I’ll be honest… I was initially skeptical about the COVID vaccine for a variety of reasons. I am by no means an anti-vaxxer, and I’m actually a pro-vaxxer (despite my son’s irrational fear of shots and the anxiety I experience whenever I have to take him for one). But once I used the New York Times’ “Find Your Place in the Vaccine Line” tool—and realized that there are 268.7 million people in the United States who are eligible for the vaccine before me, I figured that I have plenty of time for any kinks (or potential risks) to get sorted out.

But just as soon as I got excited to (eventually) roll up my sleeve and put all of this madness behind me, a report came out that the Moderna vaccine may cause facial swelling in those who have had hyaluronic acid-based filler injections within the last six months.

The good news (for me): I haven’t gotten filler injections since November 2019. The bad news (for me and everyone else): We may want to put off any Restylane or Juvéderm appointments until after we get vaccinated. 

Let’s break it down: In Moderna’s Phase 3 COVID trial, three people developed facial or lip swelling after receiving the vaccine. Two of those patients got filler injections in their cheeks within six months of their vaccination. The other patient got their lips injected two days after getting the vaccine. (For the record, this patient reported experiencing similar swelling after getting a flu vaccine in the past.) Moderna’s Phase 3 COVID trial included about 30,000 people. However, there’s no way to know how many of these 30,000 people had filler injections within the last six months. (Believe me, I searched and searched to no avail.) 

But (of course) I got my hands on Moderna’s official 61-page Emergency Use Authorization Review Memorandum and the facial swelling reactions in these subjects were non-fatal, deemed resolved, and based on the numbers this report says, “the small number of cases does not suggest a causal relationship.”

According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Naana Boakye of Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, “Unanticipated side effects of new drugs are common, but it’s important to look at the bigger picture, especially when it comes to COVID vaccines. Hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers have been linked to occasional delayed-onset inflammatory reactions well before these vaccine trials—however the incidence is rare.” Dr. Boakye also adds that the jury is still out about the potential for reactions related to other types of fillers, such as Sculptra and Radiesse.

So as with every aspect of how you have been dealing with COVID and 2020 as a whole, you do you! The chances of experiencing facial swelling if you get injectable fillers before getting the vaccine are very slim—and in the event that it does occur, you totally have the excuse to stay close to home until your face gets back to normal. On the bright side, the mask you should be wearing can camouflage this rare reaction if you have to venture out, but how much running around town and “going out” are we really doing until the majority of the population is vaccinated? (In my world, virtually none, which is just another reason to put off filler injections for a while.)