Hyaluronic Acid (Dermal Filler) — Public-Safe Overview and Clinician Notes

A) What you can safely publish on a public website (Australia)

Allowed (safe, low‑risk wording)

Describe the service generically as a consultation for movement‑ or volume‑related facial concerns and explain that any treatment is prescription‑based or device‑based and follows a medical assessment. ¹
Keep language factual and balanced, outline the general process (assessment → consent → treatment → review), and include risks and alternatives without naming products. ¹
State that dermal fillers are regulated medical devices in Australia and that adverse events are reportable to the national regulator. ³
When showing photos, obtain specific consent and state that results vary; store images under the Australian Privacy Principles. ⁵

Do not publish (high‑risk or prohibited in ads)

Do not use testimonials, star‑ratings about outcomes for a regulated health service, or comparative claims that over‑promise results. ¹
Do not name brands or imply specific products on public pages, and avoid inducements like time‑limited discounts that could pressure decisions. ¹
Do not advertise prescription‑only medicines and avoid indirect wordplay or abbreviations that reveal such products. ⁴

Public‑safe description (copy you can use)

Dermal filler consultations focus on restoring or refining facial contours and softening static lines through carefully placed, gel‑like implants that blend with the skin’s natural support matrix. ⁶

Your clinician will assess your goals and facial anatomy, discuss suitability and risks, and plan a staged approach to achieve natural‑looking results with a focus on safety and recovery. ²

Outcomes are temporary and depend on the area treated, product characteristics, and your own biology, with follow‑up recommended for maintenance. ⁶

B) Scientific detail for consults and clinical governance (not for public advertising)

What hyaluronic acid (HA) is

Hyaluronic acid is a linear polysaccharide built from repeating disaccharides of D‑glucuronic acid and N‑acetyl‑D‑glucosamine, naturally present in skin, joints, and the vitreous. ⁸

Native HA has very high water affinity and contributes to tissue hydration and viscoelasticity through hydrogen bonding and entanglement within the extracellular matrix. ⁸

HA interacts with cell‑surface receptors such as CD44 and RHAMM, influencing cell adhesion and migration in wound healing and tissue homeostasis. ¹⁵

Mechanism in aesthetics (how HA fillers work)

Cross‑linking transforms native HA, which is rapidly degraded in vivo, into a longer‑lasting gel; cross‑links reduce enzymatic access and slow dispersal, extending persistence in tissue. ¹⁰

Injected HA gels integrate with the extracellular matrix, attract water, and provide immediate space‑filling support with viscoelastic resistance to deformation under load. ⁹

Rheology guides clinical use: storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″), tan‑delta, and cohesivity reflect lift capacity, flow, and tendency to spread or hold shape in dynamic areas. ⁹

Degradation occurs via endogenous hyaluronidases, free‑radical oxidation, and cellular turnover, with longevity modulated by cross‑link density, HA concentration, and anatomic motion. ¹⁰

Product families (non‑brand; what is in the syringe)

All HA fillers are sterile gels of cross‑linked hyaluronic acid in buffered water, often with lidocaine for comfort; most use BDDE as the cross‑linking agent with validated residual limits. ⁷

Formulations vary by HA concentration, average molecular weight distribution, degree of modification, particle size or homogeneity, cohesivity, and rheologic profile. ⁹

Homogeneous gels aim for smooth extrusion and integration, while particulate‑type gels comprise defined particles within a carrier, influencing lift and malleability. ⁹

Products without lidocaine exist for patients with specific sensitivities, and some ranges are optimised for superficial lines versus deep structural support. ⁷

What HA fillers create in tissue (functional outcomes)

Immediate effect results from space replacement and water binding, reducing shadowing and softening sulci and etched lines at rest. ⁶

In appropriate planes, HA gels can restore contour, support key ligaments and fat pads, and improve the appearance of perioral, periorbital, or mid‑face volume loss. ⁷

Any claim of neocollagenesis with HA fillers should be conservative; mechanical support may secondarily improve dermal function, but HA is not a biostimulatory filler in the same sense as calcium hydroxyapatite or poly‑L‑lactic acid. ⁷

How long results last (ranges, not promises)

Typical clinical persistence ranges from about 6–18 months depending on formulation, placement, motion, metabolism, and follow‑up plans; lips and perioral areas often turn over faster than mid‑face. ⁶

Reversibility

HA fillers can be reduced or dissolved with hyaluronidase, a prescription enzyme that cleaves HA; allergy history is reviewed and emergency preparedness is required before use. ¹³

Safety profile (early and delayed effects)

Expected short‑term effects include swelling, redness, tenderness, and bruising that settle with conservative care. ⁶

Technique‑related effects include contour irregularities, palpable lumps, and the Tyndall effect when gel is placed too superficially in thin skin. ¹⁴

Serious complications include vascular occlusion with pain, blanching, livedo, or vision symptoms; immediate recognition, cessation, and urgent management with hyaluronidase and escalation pathways are mandatory. ¹²

Delayed inflammatory nodules and presumed biofilm‑related reactions can present weeks to months later and require stepwise management and, where indicated, hyaluronidase and antimicrobial strategies per consensus guidance. ¹¹

Contraindications and precautions

Do not inject through active infection or dermatitis; defer after dental work or illness when appropriate, and avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding due to limited evidence. ²

Use heightened caution in autoimmune disease flares or in patients with prior hypersensitivity to filler components, and document allergy history including reactions to hyaluronidase. ¹¹

Governance: documentation, reporting, privacy, advertising

Record device details, batch and expiry, anatomy, plane, volume, cannula or needle, adverse effects, aftercare and follow‑up; store photos and notes under the Australian Privacy Principles. ⁵

Adverse events and device problems can be reported through the TGA medical device incident system to support post‑market surveillance. ³

Keep public wording factual, brand‑neutral, and free of testimonials or inducements, and align clinic processes with Ahpra and Medical Board guidance for cosmetic procedures. ¹

Risk communication (how to speak about it)

Explain benefits and limits in the same breath, set realistic timelines, and describe common reactions and red‑flag symptoms requiring urgent contact; this aligns with Australian expectations for balanced health‑service advertising. ¹

Discuss area‑specific risk variability, particularly around the glabella, nose, and periorbital region, and confirm that hyaluronidase and escalation plans are in place before any treatment day. ¹²

Sources

Ahpra — Advertising a regulated health service: Guidelines (accuracy, balance, testimonials, inducements)., viewed 11 November 2025, https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Resources/Advertising-hub/Advertising-guidelines-and-other-guidance/Advertising-guidelines.aspx ↩
Medical Board of Australia (2023), Guidelines for registered medical practitioners who perform cosmetic medical and surgical procedures, viewed 11 November 2025, https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies/Cosmetic-medical-and-surgical-procedures-guidelines.aspx ↩
TGA (2025), Medical device adverse events — overview and incident reporting, viewed 11 November 2025, https://www.tga.gov.au/safety/adverse-events/medical-device-adverse-events ↩
TGA (2024), Advertising health services and cosmetic injections — frequently asked questions (service vs prescription-only products), viewed 11 November 2025, https://www.tga.gov.au/products/regulations-all-products/advertising/specialised-advertising-issues-and-topics/advertising-health-services-and-cosmetic-injections-frequently-asked-questions-and-answers ↩
OAIC — Australian Privacy Principles: health information and clinical photography., viewed 11 November 2025, https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/australian-privacy-principles ↩
American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) (n.d.), Fillers: Overview (patient info incl. duration ranges), viewed 11 November 2025, https://www.aad.org/public/cosmetic/wrinkles/fillers-overview ↩
StatPearls (2025), Hyaluronic Acid (mechanism, types, complications including dermal filler applications), viewed 11 November 2025, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482440/ ↩
Laurent T.C., Fraser J.R.E. (1997), Hyaluronan: its nature, distribution, functions and turnover, Journal of Internal Medicine, 242(1):27-33, viewed 11 November 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9260563/ ↩
H. Sundaram, S. Fagien, et al. (2016), Global Aesthetics Consensus: Hyaluronic Acid Fillers and Botulinum Toxin Type A—Recommendations for Combined Treatment…, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 137(5):1410–1423, viewed 11 November 2025, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5242215/ ↩
Flynn T.C., Sarazin D., Bezzola A., Terrani C., Micheels P. (2011), Comparative histology of intradermal implantation of mono and biphasic hyaluronic acid fillers, Dermatologic Surgery, 37(5):637-643, viewed 11 November 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21272119/ ↩
Urdiales-Gálvez F., et al. (2018), Treatment of Soft Tissue Filler Complications: Expert Consensus Recommendations, viewed 11 November 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29305643/ ↩
Beleznay K., Carruthers J., Humphrey S., et al. (2015), Avoiding and Treating Blindness From Fillers: A Review of the World Literature, viewed 11 November 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26356847/ ↩
Aesthetic Complications Expert Group (ACE) (2018), The Use of Hyaluronidase in Aesthetic Practice (v2.4), viewed 11 November 2025, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326017147_The_Use_of_Hyaluronidase_in_Aesthetic_Practice_v2_4 ↩
DermNet NZ (n.d.), Foreign body granuloma – dermal fillers and augmentation procedures (public-facing clinical resource), viewed 11 November 2025, https://dermnetnz.org/topics/foreign-body-granuloma ↩
Misra S., Hascall V.C., Markwald R.R. (2015), Interactions between hyaluronan and its receptors (CD44, RHAMM) regulate the activities of inflammation and cancer, viewed 11 November 2025, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25999946/ ↩

Disclaimer for Newcastle Cosmetic Doctor Policies & Procedures

The policies and procedures contained within this document are the exclusive property of Newcastle Cosmetic Doctor and are provided for internal clinical governance and educational purposes only. These materials represent the internal operational framework, safety standards, and evidence-based protocols developed and implemented by Dr. Bart John Scanlon and the Newcastle Cosmetic Doctor team. They are designed specifically for use within Newcastle Cosmetic Doctor and reflect our clinic’s own professional standards, risk assessments, and compliance obligations under Australian law and regulatory authorities. External individuals, practitioners, or organisations must not copy, reproduce, distribute, or rely upon these materials, in whole or in part, for their own clinical, commercial, or educational use without prior written consent from Newcastle Cosmetic Doctor. These materials do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice and are not intended to be adopted as official protocols or procedures by any other entity. Any external use or adaptation must be independently reviewed and modified to meet the relevant laws, guidelines, and standards applicable to the user’s own jurisdiction, scope of practice, and facility operations. Newcastle Cosmetic Doctor and Dr. Bart Scanlon accept no liability for any loss, injury, or damage arising from the unauthorised use, reliance upon, or misinterpretation of this material.