Dermal fillers have been approved by the FDA for injection into several areas of the face. For the most part, dermal fillers are very safe as long as a trained medical professional is administering them, the dermal filler being injected is FDA approved, and after-care instructions are followed.

The most common side effects are bruising and swelling. In very rare cases dermal fillers can block a blood vessel which requires immediate medical attention to correct. Although this is extremely rare, it can happen. The doctor or nurse injecting dermal fillers is trained to recognize signs of this occurrence and how to correct it using an injection of the enzyme hyaluronidase.