Can Dermal Fillers Be Applied to Animals?

It might sound unbelievable, but here we go: in 2018, twelve animals were disqualified from the annual camel beauty contest in Saudi Arabia because of cosmetic enhancements (namely, dermal filler injections) they had undergone. Frankly speaking, this scandal has aroused many questions, starting from the humaneness of this act in regard to animal creatures and ending with its safety.

In this article, we are going to search for an answer to the question of whether dermal fillers can be applied to animal creatures. To do so, we will take a closer look at the notion of dermal fillers and define whether their application to animals carries any risks. So, let’s delve into the world of (animal) aesthetic beauty right away!

P.S. The primary indication of dermal fillers and other cosmetic injectables is to treat signs of aging in people, not animal creatures.

About Dermal Fillers from A to Z

Definition and Main Types

Dermal fillers belong to widely spread cosmetic injectables. While being primarily used for aesthetic reasons, they are applied to profoundly rejuvenate and enhance a patient’s overall appearance.

Depending on the nature of their main active ingredients, dermal fillers might be divided into two groups:

• Natural fillers;
• Synthetic fillers.

While natural fillers are based on such ingredients as hyaluronic acid, calcium hydroxylapatite, or any other substance that might be found naturally in the human body, synthetic ones include man-made components like poly-L-lactic acid, PMMA, or anything else.

The most beloved by both beauticians and their patients’ brands of dermal fillers are:

• Hyaluronic acid-based: Juvederm, Restylane, Belotero, Saypha, Stylage, HYAcorp, etc.;
• Calcium hydroxylapatite-based: Radiesse;
• Poly-L-lactic acid-based: Sculptra;
• PMMA-based: Bellafill.

P.S. Hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers are probably the most beloved preparations by both health care practitioners and their patients. They tend to provide an extremely natural-looking correction of age-related skin imperfections (such as wrinkles or lost volume) and play an active role in the acceleration of collagen and elastin production. However, they usually last for a shorter time period if compared to other types of dermal fillers.

Each type and brand of dermal fillers has its own pros and cons. For instance, while natural fillers are considered to be absolutely biodegradable, synthetic ones might last longer. Therefore, it is the task of certified health care professionals to define what dermal filler will suit a patient’s needs best.

P.S. Injections of dermal fillers cannot provide a patient with a permanent result. Still, they might serve as a solid and minimally-invasive substitution of plastic surgery.

Functions and Results

The main function of dermal fillers is the rejuvenation and enhancement of a patient’s appearance. It is achieved by their capability to:

• Volumize (create volume in the certain face and body parts);
• Define (contour facial features and make them more defined);
• Treat skin imperfections (fill in folds, wrinkles, and fine lines; reduce the appearance of acne scars and pigmentation);
• Nourish (moisturize skin tissue and accelerate natural collagen & elastin production).

Among the standard areas that might be involved in the procedure of dermal filler injections are:

• Lower face area (chin, lips, marionette lines, nasolabial folds);
• Middle face area (cheeks, cheekbones, nose);
• Upper face area (forehead wrinkles, crow’s feet, lines between eyebrows).

As well, some dermal fillers (for instance, Radiesse) might also be applied to treat hands.

Therefore, dermal fillers function as “rejuvenators” and “enhancers” of different face and body areas. Their initial results are visible immediately and might provide a patient with:

• Volumized and well-contoured lips;
• Well-defined facial features (including chin, cheeks, and cheekbones);
• Smooth skin with luminous tone;
• Hydrated and elastic skin tissue.

P.S. Another cosmetic injectable that is also widely used to rejuvenate and enhance a patient’s overall appearance is Botox. However, it has an absolutely different working principle. Instead of filling in skin imperfections (such as nasolabial folds, for instance), Botox temporarily relaxes muscles in the nasolabial area and, as a result, smoothes wrinkled skin.

Safety

An injection of a dermal filler belongs to minimally invasive and safe procedures. The treatment rarely leads to any serious health complications. Still, the following side effects might occur after the treatment:

• Skin irritation around the treatment area (namely, redness, itching, or swelling);
• Bruising at the injection site;
• The feeling of pain or discomfort.

These symptoms tend to disappear on their own within a limited period of time after the treatment and do not require any medical supervision. However, if such side effects as granuloma formation or allergic reaction to any material of a dermal filler occur, a patient should contact a health care practitioner as soon as possible.

P.S. The safety of the dermal filler treatment strongly depends on the following factors: the main active substance and additional materials of the preparation; the injection technique of a health care practitioner; individual peculiarities of a patient (including age, skin type, health condition, and lifestyle). Dkdermal offers a wide range of dermal fillers to buy.

Can Dermal Filler Procedures Be Applied to Animals?

When looking for an answer to the question of whether dermal fillers can be applied to animal creatures, it is essential to distinguish between:

• Animal testing of dermal fillers;
• The application of dermal fillers in order to change the appearance of an animal.

Let’s take a closer look at both cases.

Animal Testing

So, are dermal fillers vegan? Well, there exists no definite answer to this question. While some dermal fillers are tested on animals, others are not.

P.S. Animal testing is a term that denotes manipulations that are performed on animal creatures in order to test anything. For instance, a great number of medicaments, cosmetics, or household products are tested on rabbits, dogs, or cats in order to ensure their safety for human beings. While some people consider it to be a normal practice for goodness sake, vegans organize protests against animal testing and encourage people to use only cruelty-free goods.

Still, most dermal filler manufacturers employ neither animal products nor animal testing while producing their preparations. The following brands of cosmetic injectables are absolutely vegan:

• Restylane (which is the first dermal filler gel based on non-animal hyaluronic acid);
• Juvederm;
• Radiesse;
• Sculptra;
• And many more.

Thus, a wide range of dermal fillers does not belong to animal products, is not tested on animal creatures, and is therefore suitable for vegans.

As well, there exist cases when certain brands of dermal fillers used to test their products on animals but have already stopped doing so. On such occasions, it remains rather unclear whether a manufacturer might be regarded as an absolutely cruelty-free one.

P.S. Non-animal hyaluronic acid is created by means of bacterial fermentation. Therefore, “not a single animal was harmed” during the process of its manufacturing.

Other Dermal Filler Applications on Animals

The application of dermal fillers in order to change the appearance of an animal is absolutely nonethical. And here are two main reasons why it is so:

• Firstly, a dermal filler injection is a cosmetic treatment. Due to the fact that it belongs to aesthetic medicine procedures, it has an impact on appearance, not health. While people might want to employ dermal fillers in the correction of wrinkles or augmentation of lips, there is no need to perform such manipulations on animal creatures. Therefore, it is not moral to inject a dermal filler into them;

P.S. Please note that the views expressed above (just like all the other theses of ethics and morality) cannot be regarded as a universal truth. Still, not only vegans but also people with different points of view should be familiar with the question of animal ethics.

• Secondly, dermal fillers are manufactured for human beings. While being designed to be injected into human tissues, they might lead to a whole bunch of complications in case of being administered into animals. The anatomy of a human body is not identical to the one of an animal. They both have their own peculiarities. For instance, the skin tissue of a human being differs from the one of an animal creature. Thus, what is safe for a human is not guaranteed to be safe for an animal.

Therefore, it is neither moral nor safe to apply dermal fillers to animals. Such injections won’t lead to any positive outcomes. Otherwise, they might carry a certain risk.

Final Words

All in all, a dermal filler injection is an efficient and safe cosmetic procedure with a long-lasting result. It can substantially rejuvenate and enhance the skin tissue of a human being.

However, the administration of a dermal filler gel is not suitable for animal creatures. Apart from being a merely aesthetic procedure, it might lead to serious complications of an animal’s health.

So, feel free to prolong your youthful appearance and reveal your beauty with the help of a dermal filler. However, remember that it should NOT be applied to animals, primarily from an ethical standpoint.