Face Fillers and the COVID Vaccine: Know the Facts
Medical Review By: Ted Schiff, MD
If you’ve had face fillers (also known as cosmetic fillers or dermal fillers) such as Juvedérm or Restylane, you may be wondering if it’s safe to get the vaccine for COVID-19. According to news reports, a few people experienced swelling at the site of their filler injections after getting vaccinated.
The short answer: Yes, it is safe. Here’s what we know right now.
Filler swelling as a side effect
Three participants in the clinical trial for Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine experienced swelling at the filler injection site. One of the patients had the filler injected two weeks before getting vaccinated, while another received filler injections six months prior. A third person, who had gotten more than one lip filler injection in the past, experienced swelling in the lips two days after getting the vaccine. That person had previously experienced a similar reaction to the flu vaccine.
Is it just the Moderna vaccine?
So far there have been no public reports of similar reactions to the other COVID vaccine currently being administered in the United States, made by Pfizer. But since vaccines ramp up the body’s efforts to fight foreign invaders, any vaccine could theoretically trigger a reaction to a foreign substance in the body, such as a dermal filler.
“Most dermatologists have seen similar immune reactions to other vaccines in the past, like the flu shot and the shingles vaccine,” said Ted Schiff, MD, Water’s Edge Dermatology founder and chief medical officer. “It’s likely a sign that the vaccine is doing what it’s supposed to do — heighten the body’s immune response.”
How big is the risk?
There’s no reason for serious concern. The possibility of filler swelling shouldn’t deter you from protecting yourself and those you love by getting vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as you can. First, this reaction occurred in only a small handful of patients — three out of more than 30,000 participants in the Moderna trial, or less than .01%. Second, all the reactions were mild, temporary, and easily treated with antihistamines or steroids. None required the use of an EpiPen or hospitalization.
“We want to reassure our patients that it is safe to get the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Dr. Schiff. “Reactions like this are typically both rare and minor.”
Dr. Schiff noted that the risk of contracting COVID-19 is far more serious than the risk of temporary, treatable inflammation.
“Water’s Edge Dermatology will continue to monitor the situation with both available vaccines, as well as with any future COVID-19 vaccines that are rolled out in the U.S.,” he added.
If you’ve had a reaction to a previous vaccine at the site of filler injections, tell the doctor or other medical provider when you are preparing to be vaccinated. If you have any questions or concerns about fillers or implants you’ve received, don’t hesitate to contact your Water’s Edge provider.
Article Written By: Gina Shaw, an award-winning writer based in New Jersey who has covered health and medicine topics for more than 20 years.
Skin Rashes and Purple Spots: Symptoms of the Coronavirus?
Fever, tiredness, dry cough and shortness of breath are common symptoms of the new coronavirus called COVID-19, but not everyone who develops the disease has the same symptoms. Some people may get a runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea or lose their sense of smell. Doctors are also seeing skin rashes on the body and purple spots on the feet, toes and (less commonly) the hands in some patients diagnosed with coronavirus. (These spots are being dubbed "COVID toes.") In some cases, the coronavirus skin rash or spots may be the first or even the only symptom of COVID-19.
“There have been an increasing number of reports of skin rashes and other skin manifestations, and this is something we’re watching very closely,“ said Ted Schiff, MD, founder and chief medical officer of Water’s Edge Dermatology.
Photo credit: International Federation of Podiatrists
Virus-induced rashes, like the coronavirus skin rash, are not uncommon. They can happen as a result of the immune system’s attempt to fight the invader. With COVID-19, doctors in several countries have reported seeing various types of skin changes, including:
| Exanthems, especially on the torso: widespread, patchy red rashes |
|
| Urticaria (hives): red or skin-colored bumps that appear suddenly |
|
| Purpura Petechiae: clusters of small round spots that may look like a rash and that result from broken blood vessels |
|
| Livedo reticularis: mottled skin, often on the legs, caused by obstructed small blood vessels near the skin |
|
| Foot and toe lesions: purple spots (aka "COVID toes"), similar to chilblains (lesions caused by blood-vessel narrowing upon exposure to cold air), that may be painful |
|
The purple spots appearing on toes, feet and sometimes hands, which may resemble a bruise, are thought to result from blockages or tiny clots in small blood vessels. For reasons not yet understood, the coronavirus rash appears to occur more often in children and adolescents with COVID-19 than in adults. Some doctors are reporting cases thought to be associated with COVID-19 in which the spots cover the entire tip of the toe. At least one case of scabbing has been reported. The spots heal on their own and don’t appear to dangerous.
Since children infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, often have no other symptoms of the disease — even though they can pass the virus on to others — purple spots can be helpful as possible signs of infection.
People with unusual skin changes should contact their healthcare provider. A virtual visit with a board-certified dermatologist, primary care physician or pediatrician is likely the best option in non-emergency cases. When a skin change is the primary symptom or the only symptom, a dermatologist may be best equipped to provide an accurate diagnosis.
If the doctor suspects COVID-19, he or she will recommend self-quarantine for 14 days and can help you determine if testing is needed and available.
Article Written By: Marianne Wait, an award-winning health and wellness writer based in New Jersey.
Medical Review By: Ted Schiff, MD