Could laser procedures break down the filler in my cheeks and nasolabial folds?

It could just be bad timing, but I feel like laser procedures like IPL, Fraxel, and even Clear and Brilliant break down the restylane in my cheeks and nasolabial folds. I've stopped getting them because I feel like I always need injectables about 1-2 weeks later. Am I just imagining this?

Let’s think about the science first, and then the common sense part. There’s really no science, that I know of, that would support this. Also, if you think about where the filler is placed in the skin and where the laser procedures go in the skin, it doesn’t make sense. The filler is being placed in the mid dermis, deep dermis or very often deeper. The laser is acting on the epidermis or the high to mid dermis, generally. Remember the parts of the skin:

  • the outer dead layer of skin is the stratum corneum
  • the outer barrier layer is the epidermis
  • and the deeper, thicker layer where all the collagen is and blood vessels, etc, is the dermis

The IPL acts on the epidermis and high dermis, as does the Clear and Brilliant. A deep Fraxel (the erbium which is the more popular one) treatment would go deeper – high to mid dermis – but most Fraxel Restores are done at more medium settings. You would have to have a very superficial filler placement coupled with quite a deep erbium for the filler to be affected.

I’m wondering if what you’re seeing isn’t  the mild swelling associated with these treatments, which goes down after 1-2 weeks. That could seem like a little less volume?    And, you always have the option of just scheduling your filler treatments always 1-2 weeks after a laser. You can read more in-depth on laser problems here, and filler problems here.

Hope this helps,  Dr. I

 

 

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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