For information only. Not meant as advice in any form. Please consult your medical professional.
Lumps are not a particularly uncommon side effect of injectable cosmetic fillers. Since the treatment is intended to add volume, the injection of the filler material will result in mild swelling and a feeling of fullness which typically resolves within a few days. However, there are also rare cases where a delayed onset nodule or foreign body granuloma will develop and this will likely need antibiotic medications as a first-line remedy.
So how can doxycycline help with inflammatory nodules from dermal fillers? Doxycycline is an antibiotic that’s commonly used to treat bacterial infections and skin conditions like rosacea. If a nodule is seen to be caused by a bacterial infection upon diagnosis, this medication can help stop the infectious process and reduce inflammatory reactions. Most studies recommend that doxycycline be taken for at least 2 weeks to achieve desired symptom improvement.
Injectable cosmetic fillers are one of the top performed procedures today for good reasons—they’re a minimally invasive, low-risk, and effective option to achieve facial rejuvenation without plastic surgery. However, it’s not uncommon to experience some side effects before a patient can fully enjoy the results of their treatment.
A delayed inflammatory reaction is a possible complication of fillers that may arise from poor injection technique, insufficient skin preparation, depth of placement, amount of volume, and composition of the soft tissue injectable. Unlike normal lumps that are visible immediately after the treatment, most inflammatory nodules appear within several months from the injections.
The treatment of a granulomatous reaction may vary depending on the degree and cause of the inflammation. Typically, oral antibiotics are given as a first-line treatment if there’s visible swelling, tenderness, redness, skin thickening or induration, and warmth in the affected area. Doxycycline is among the possible medications that may be prescribed to patients with nodules.
Oral doxycycline belongs to a class of antibiotic medications that are used to treat a wide variety of infections caused by different organisms. It’s synthetically derived from oxytetracycline and helps stop the growth and spread of bacteria by binding to a specific ribosomal subunit, preventing bacterial protein synthesis.
This medication also has potent anti-inflammatory actions due to its ability to inhibit the proliferation of cytokines and chemokines during inflammation. Doxycycline can be taken as a capsule, tablet, delayed-release tablet, and suspension liquid by mouth. They’re usually taken at least twice a day for treating most conditions.
The prescribed dosage of doxycycline can vary depending on the symptoms and medical condition that is being treated. Since it’s a broad-spectrum antibiotic, its common applications range from bacterial infections to sexually transmitted diseases and skin disorders. Here’s a list of the diseases that doxycycline can help with:
Oral antibiotics can be prescribed as an early treatment for inflammatory nodules caused by an infectious process. To determine if a nodule or granuloma is caused by a bacterial infection, there should be signs of growth of biofilms. A biofilm is produced when microorganisms, such as bacteria, gather and stick to a slimy or wet surface.
They often develop when the filler material becomes contaminated during the administration of the injection. Infection from a biofilm can lead to delayed persistent nodules with redness, edema, induration, and tenderness on the affected site. If any of the symptoms are present with the inflammatory nodules, antibiotic therapy with doxycycline may be recommended to the patient.
Most patients start with a standard doxycycline dose of 100mg twice a day for at least 2 weeks. If the inflammatory nodules aren’t improving after the first cycle of medications, they can continue taking them for another 2 weeks until the symptoms have resolved.
In some cases, a persistent nodule or granulomatous reaction may also require taking dual antibiotic therapy. Some combination medications that may be recommended are:
Doxycycline is a strong antibiotic so it should only be taken as prescribed. If the nodules have subsided, a patient can stop taking the medications and proceed with another course of treatment to further improve the affected area. Just like any medicine, taking doxycycline may also cause some side effects:
This antibiotic may also cause allergic reactions such as hives, trouble breathing, sore throat, or facial swelling. Adverse events from doxycycline drugs are rare, but if they happen, make sure to advise the patient to seek immediate medical help to get proper treatment. Other side effects to watch out for are stomach pain, chest pain, throat irritation, loss of appetite, irregular heart rate, unusual bleeding or bruising, and low white blood cell counts.
Before prescribing doxycycline, it’s important to assess the medical history and current health of the patient. There are some conditions that may not make it possible to take doxycycline such as:
You should also check if the patient is taking other medications prior to prescribing doxycycline for inflammatory nodules. This antibiotic may have unwanted reactions if it interacts with other drugs and supplements. Here’s a list of medicines that don’t go well with doxycycline:
Palpable lumps are one of the most common side effects of soft tissue fillers. This typically occurs in treatment areas where the skin is particularly thin, such as the lips, nasolabial fold, perioral lines, and tear troughs. This complication often appears as tender, spongy bumps on the skin and they’re usually non-inflammatory.
However, the appearance of a lump can sometimes be mistaken for an inflammatory nodule. To be able to recommend the best aftercare treatment, it’s important to know the differences between the two skin lesions. Here’s an overview of the unique characteristics of post-filler lumps and inflammatory nodules:
Lumps and bumps | Inflammatory nodules or granulomas | |
Appearance | Sometimes, lumps are not visible but they’re noticeable by its unique soft and rubbery consistency. | These may have a firm or hard consistency and will often feel tender and warm to the touch. It may also be accompanied by skin redness and pain, or contain pus. |
Onset | They show immediately within a few days after the dermal filler injection. | Nodules and granulomas typically appear within 4 to 6 months after the treatment. |
Cause | They’re a common reaction to the injection of a foreign substance into the skin. | It can be caused by a variety of factors such as foreign body reaction, delayed hypersensitivity reaction, or bacterial infection. |
Outlook | As the filler material settles, the lumps will gradually resolve. It usually takes 1 week for the lumps to subside. | It will require treatment depending on the known cause. Antibiotic therapy is usually the first-line treatment for inflammatory nodules. If it doesn’t get better within 2 to 4 weeks, it may need excision. |
According to a published article, delayed inflammatory nodules and granulomas from dermal fillers have about a 1% rate of incidence in every patient. If the nodules appear small, they’re usually asymptomatic and can resolve over time. However, if granulomatous reactions persist and are accompanied by general discomfort, they’ll need to be properly treated.
The manner of treatment will depend on the degree and cause of the inflammatory reactions. Generally, chronic inflammation and granulomas on the treated site may appear because of the following:
There are different factors that influence the formation of granulomatous inflammation and nodules. Here are some of the things that have been identified to affect the development of skin lesions after dermal fillers:
Before injecting fillers, it’s important to thoroughly prepare the treatment site. It’s a standard protocol to follow the aseptic technique when cleansing the skin where the fillers will be placed. If a patient is wearing makeup upon arriving for the procedure, make sure to remove them and cleanse the whole face with an antiseptic solution. You should also wear sterile gloves throughout the treatment to avoid infections.
Proper patient selection is also crucial for the safety of dermal filler treatments. During the initial consultation, ask patients about their medical history to determine if they have any conditions that may affect the fillers. Individuals with autoimmune diseases, atopic disorders, or known allergies to the filler materials are more prone to hypersensitivity reactions.
The choice of injectable filler can also affect the results and side effects of the treatment. The most common material, hyaluronic acid fillers have a relatively low incidence of inflammatory nodules. On the other hand, permanent filler materials, such as collagen, have an average incidence rate of 1.3% to 4.5% for nodule formation. Individual attributes of the fillers should be considered to determine the proper injection technique to avoid complications.
Injecting too many fillers may also lead to the development of inflammatory nodules. To prevent this, avoid placing excessive volumes at once and instead slowly administer small amounts of fillers during the session. If a patient requires more volume in the treatment area, you can use another syringe until they achieve their desired result.
Aside from doxycycline medication, there are other methods that can help manage nodules and granulomas from filler injections. These options may be taken after doing systemic therapy or if the nodules aren’t showing signs of improvement.
A foreign body granuloma or nodule is a rare but possible delayed adverse effect from dermal fillers. If this happens, oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline, are one of the best early treatments to manage its symptoms and reduce its size. As a provider, you should also practice safety protocols during the procedure to minimize the risks of delayed inflammatory reactions.
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