Sadly, this month we have had to turn patients away because of a shortage of hyaluronidase.
Wow, what is this popular product you may be thinking, and how do I go on a waiting list for it?
The answer is that you probably don’t want to. Hyaluronidase or Hyalase, as its more often referred to, is used to dissolve hyaluronic acid dermal fillers when something has gone awry.
So why have we been turning patients away? Because there is a limited supply of Hyalase in New Zealand at present. This means that we can only use it for emergency purposes and not for elective procedures.
Each time you visit your cosmetic practitioner they discuss the risks and benefits of dermal fillers (HA or not), and remind you of the potential side effects, including occlusion (blockage of a vessel or artery). If this happens, Hyalase is used to break apart the blockage to hopefully prevent serious tissue damage, and, worst-case scenario, blindness.
Yes, blindness can occur if an occlusion or blockage starves the eye of blood. These outcomes are exactly what are being reported overseas, where non-healthcare professionals are being allowed to inject.
Here in New Zealand, it’s more often a case of having to clean up after inexperienced practitioners who don’t understand the nuances of the products they are working with or have overfilled (and overcharged) their patients.
Lumpy, bumpy faces, where the wrong techniques or the wrong choice of product have been used, can result in the product being visible under the skin and giving the patient a distorted result.
And still the most common issue… overfill jelly roll lips that have begun to creep upwards turning the peri-oral region into something resembling a muzzle!
So why have we been turning patients away? Because there is a limited supply of Hyalase in New Zealand at present. This means that we can only use it for emergency purposes and not for elective procedures.
While small experimentation between you and your practitioner, e.g. lip shape/techniques, can be Hyalased out, in general this is something you want to avoid as the Hyalase procedure stings and can be quite uncomfortable. Not to mention how embarrassing it can be when your goal was just to enhance your natural beauty and you end up with something blatantly artificial looking.
The team at Clinic 42 take calls from patients every week who are looking to resolve their dermal filler issues. Firstly, they are encouraged to return to the original clinic that treated them. If they are not comfortable with doing this (or the work was carried out overseas which is often the case), our experienced doctors will conduct a consultation to assess the situation and advise the best course of action.
If Hyalase is recommended, follow up appointments using dermal filler to reinstate the beautiful, natural results the patient was originally looking for may also be arranged.
Hyalase is not a targeted treatment and typically removes surrounding HA filler as well as the body’s own natural HA. It is therefore important to work closely with your practitioner and to be patient when it comes to the recommended timeline. For best results, it’s essential to let the face settle back to normal, so you have a baseline to work from after each cosmetic treatment.
Corrective Hyalase is an effective treatment if you are unhappy with the outcome of your dermal filler. We are expecting supply to be back to normal from late August, so please contact the team at Clinic 42 to discuss this, or if you have any questions regarding other treatments. clinic42.co.nz, 09 6384242 or reception@clinic42.co.nz
Restylane®, Medical Device Class III to smooth facial wrinkles and enhance lips by restoring volume and fullness. Restylane® has risk and benefits Ask your doctor if Restylane is right for you. For product information check with your doctor or from product details with the supplier. Click for further details. Stabilised Hyaluronic Acid 20mg/Ml. Galderma, Australia, Sydney or distributor Healthcare Logistics, Auckland.
