LAM FACIAL PLASTICS

Hi Dr. Lam

I had juvederm injected in my tear trough/upper cheek area and I noticed a few unbalanced areas like a build up/clump of the filler in and around my tear trough making it look more volumous in certain areas then others. I have been massaging my tear trough area and I noticed the area is thinning out and decreasing in volume. The product seems to break down the more I massage it which sordive spreads out thinner and more desirous. I have heard that massaging can help and is good and I also have heard it is not so good. What is your opinion. I have been addicted to massaging the area because the more I do it, the more I am molding my eye area to give me the result I want because it seems to break up the filler when I massage. Is this true or am I just seeing things.

My eye skin is thin and I don't want to stretch it out or damage it by massaging it, is that possible, and should I stop or continue at it until I get to my desired result.

Hi Nancy,
When it comes to massage, I am always leery to recommend it or to tell you not to do it (especially if you are improving the area). In some cases, you can massage product that was intended for a certain area out of there, thereby diminishing your result or creating an unintended one. Conversely, massaging can help a lump or contour issue diminish by spreading it out. I also engage in massage to make sure things are even. Sometimes I massage into the area, that is corral the zone that I injected by massage everything more intensely from the periphery into the zone. Sometimes I massage the area down to smooth it out by pushing down in the center to move product to the periphery. To formally recommend or to disavow it for you would not be appropriate. You should seek consultation with your physician. However, if you are improving the area, then I see some merit there. If you are worried about ruining your skin, that really makes no sense to me. I think you should be fine regarding that.
Best,
SML

Thanks for the reply.

I just started massaging the product in my eye area yesterday for a few hours and that was the only time that I did it with more force to try and resolve the lumpiness and clumps of volume buildup around my eye. The good news is it seemed to work as it spread out better, but the bad news is that this morning I work up with tons of swelling around my eye and the orbital bone is tender to the touch. Because I massaged the product over the orbital bone to gain a grasp of it, it is now swelled. Did this result from the massage Dr. Lam as I am guessing it did, and can you tell me what about massaging could have caused the swelling. I mean massive swelling not just a little.

i don't know why you are swollen per se but the aggressive manipulation certainly could have caused it.