Side-Effect Odds on a Gangnam Dermatology Clinic Menu

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Cruz and colleagues, publishing in Oral Diseases, pooled 42 studies of three nonsurgical procedures: botulinum toxin (Botox) in the upper face, hyaluronic acid filler in the lower face and nasolabial folds, and absorbable thread lifts. Across all patients in the review, 34.8% reported at least one treatment-related event.

In the Cruz review, filler alone produced 67.3% of every event recorded. The table sets the three side by side.

The review counted expected reactions such as a puffy lip or a tender fold alongside rarer problems, and many source studies did not grade severity. The authors called on future work to report onset, recovery time, severity and the kind of provider who treated each patient.

So the 63% for filler in the Cruz review mostly reflects how often the face visibly reacts in the first days, not how often something goes wrong. It is a planning number rather than a warning sign, and the rarer serious events still need a separate conversation with the treating doctor.

Toxin side effects depend partly on where and how much is injected. A panel led by Carruthers, Fagien and Matarasso, published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in 2004, set out area-by-area guidance for glabellar lines, forehead lines, crow's feet, bunny lines on the nose, the area around the mouth, the dimpled chin and neck bands.

For each zone the panel described the anatomy, injection points, starting doses in total and per point, and how sex and muscle strength shift the plan. It also stressed individual assessment and planned retreatment rather than a fixed recipe, which is why two people asking for the same area may be quoted different unit counts.

A short set of questions lets you check that the plan in front of you matches what the evidence describes.

• Which areas are being treated, and how many units go into each one?
• Which product is it, and will I see the box or vial before injection?
• Which reactions should I expect tonight, and which ones in a week?
• How long does swelling usually last for this filler and this area?
• When is the result checked, and how do I reach the clinic after I leave?

Because filler and threads generate most of the visible reactions, booking them early in a stay leaves days for swelling and bruising to settle before sightseeing photos or a wedding. Toxin fits almost any day of the trip, though its result is usually judged about two weeks later, often after the flight home.

Combining all three in one sitting stacks their side effects in the same days. Splitting them across separate visits, or across trips, keeps each reaction easier to read.