New Beauty posted “Why That ‘Needle-Free Filler’ You’re Seeing on Instagram Might be a Bad Idea” featuring Dr. Purvisha Patel and Visha Skincare .
The article includes Dr. Patel‘s expert commentary on the needle free filler, Hyaluron Pen, and the risks that comes with using it.
It’s called a Hyaluron Pen and it’s making big waves on social media. The trending “needle-free filler” treatment is prevalent in medspas and salons and is blowing up on Instagram—but what kind of filler is it, and is it safe?
What It Is
Using a round-tip pen with a circular opening, the hyaluronic filler pen treatment uses pressure to deliver hyaluronic acid into the skin. “Hyaluronic acid is a water binding molecule, so this temporarily ‘fills’ the skin instead of injecting under the skin as with traditional HA injections,” explains Germantown, TN dermatologist Purvisha Patel, MD. “They are popular in spa settings, as the administrator does not have to be a medical professional. The pen uses needles to penetrate the skin, so there are risks involved, especially if there is bleeding. Safety is in the hands of the injector, and it should be done in a medical or a medispa setting with a board-certified medical director. Risks include bleeding, bruising, infection—bacterial or cold sore activation—and asymmetric results.”
According to marketing materials used in salons and beauty bars, the ingredients are supposed to rejuvenate and lift the skin by “providing hydration and stimulating collagen production, leaving lips plump and wrinkles filled in.” Although advertisements boast results can last from four to 12 months like traditional filler, doctors say that claim seems rather unbelievable.