Hyaluronidase is a naturally occurring enzyme that’s used to break down hyaluronic acid–based fillers, including Luminera, Juvéderm, Restylane, and Belotero. 

 

The dermal filler (also known as hyaluronan or HA) that’s the key ingredient in many dermal fillers is a polysaccharide that occurs naturally in the body. In skin,

it resides in the extracellular matrix, alongside collagen, elastin, and connective tissue, to provide plumpness and structure—the very qualities you may desire when pursuing filler. However, if you’re unhappy with your HA filler results or are experiencing complications, the use of hyaluronidase can resolve the situation.

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Left alone, an HA filler is eventually broken down by your body’s own enzymes, but that process can take months or even years, depending on your metabolism, the type of filler used, and where it’s placed (fillers that were injected under the muscle or in areas without a lot of movement tend to last longer).

Hyaluronidase enables you to dramatically accelerate the breakdown process.

 

What does Hyaluronidase do?

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Typically, providers turn to hyaluronidase to reverse the results of filler injection results gone awry: overfilled lips or cheeks; the Tyndall effect (a blue cast in the tear troughs); lumps under the skin (aka granulomas or nodules); an uneven or asymmetrical result; or swelling around the eyes.

In very rare cases, it’s used to immediately reverse a serious complication of hyaluronic acid filler injections, such as an arterial blockage or blood clot behind the eye. If filler is accidentally injected into a blood vessel or presses against it, a complication called vascular occlusion, “this can cause pain and skin discoloration—either a bluish or pale-white tint—plus swelling and skin breakdown,”

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