If you frequently scroll through Tik Tok and its popular beauty trends, you’ve undoubtedly seen hyaluron pens, which are all the rage right now. The products offer a cheap, plumping effect that rivals professional lip injections or fillers, so the item is frequently tested and featured in many videos on social media. The words ‘hyaluron pen’ garner a whopping 94.4 million views one Tik Tok and this left us wondering, is this product too good to be true? We checked in with facial, plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Inessa Fishman, M.D., for answers and tips regarding the product that many other health professionals online deem ‘dangerous.’
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What Are The Dangers Of Using A Hyaluron Pen?
DIY hyaluron lip filler pens seem to help users obtain fuller lips without needles, but Fishman explains that just because this product is seen as non-invasive doesn’t make it safe to use. “A product which I advise against that has made waves on social media recently is the hyaluron pen, marketed as a needle-less injection for lip fillers,” she says.
“While advertised as very safe and often available for home use, the hyaluron pen often results in super lumpy hyaluronic acid bumps on the lips,” Fishman explains. This product, she notes, can also result in vascular occlusion, a rare but dangerous complication resulting in blockage of blood flow and tissue and skin death.
Additionally, as reported by Allure, hyaluron pens have been denounced and dubbed dangerous by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as written in a statement released on October 8, 2021. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning the public and health-care professionals not to use needle-free devices such as hyaluron pens for injection of hyaluronic acid (HA) or other lip and facial fillers, collectively and commonly referred to as dermal fillers or fillers,” the statement reads about the devices.
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The agency says that these pens use high pressure to force filler into the body. “The FDA is aware of serious injuries and in some cases, permanent harm to the skin, lips, or eyes with the use of needle-free devices for injection of lip and facial fillers.” Fishman agrees, and concludes, “I’ve had to dissolve multiple bumps from the hyaluron pen, and recommend patients stay away from this.” Overall, no matter what trendy videos you stumble upon with users praising the “instant effects” or “simple methods” of using hyaluronic pens, it seems they’re really not worth the hype (or risking your skin health!) at all.
