ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Facial filling based on hyaluronic acid (HA) is an esthetic procedure that is widely performed worldwide. METHODOLOGY: Fifty patients underwent facial filling based on HA, and 10 board-certified dermatologists evaluated clinical photographs before and after the procedure and completed a questionnaire to provide information about the procedure. RESULTS: All doctors and 96% of patients were agreed about the pre- and postprocedural photographs. Physicians were more aware of the possibility of frequent pain and erythema. Both groups showed agreement in their responses on the following topics: the possibility of hematoma and edema, a lack of secretion, improvement in patients' self-confidence, recognition of the procedure by third parties, and knowledge of the procedure by the dermatologists themselves. However, physicians tend to overestimate the possibility of erythema, pain, and edema; they also tend to minimize the duration and discomfort of postprocedural edema and the risk of third parties noticing patients' HA filling and how much it bothers patients when third parties do notice. CONCLUSION: Doctors and patients disagree on some questions about what actually happens and what is supposed to happen in facial filling procedures based on HA.
