Dermal filler in Korea is mostly cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel, and while the swelling from the visit itself fades within days, a small share of reactions only appear months later. A 2025 Japanese review of 673 treated cases found delayed inflammatory lumps in about 1%, starting on average 144 days after injection. For a visitor, the practical step is to arrange aftercare at home before the flight, not after a problem starts.
Clinics in Korea
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Guide
Why a reaction can surface months after the visit
Most of what people notice after hyaluronic acid gel happens early: puffiness, tenderness, a bruise and a firm feel that softens within one to two weeks. Late reactions are different. They appear as a tender, sometimes red lump in an area that looked settled for weeks, and are thought to involve the immune system reacting around the gel.
Sawaguchi and colleagues, writing in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 2025, reviewed six years of records from a rural Japanese hospital where nearly every patient returned to the same department. Across 673 cases the review found one acute allergic reaction and seven delayed nodules, an incidence of 1.07%, starting on average 144 days after treatment with no seasonal pattern.
That timing matters on a short stay: a lump months later will usually be seen by a doctor at home.
Guide
Who had a higher chance of a late lump
The same review found two patterns worth raising at a consultation. Three of the seven affected patients had allergies unrelated to filler, and one had an infection shortly before the nodule appeared. With so few cases, the authors treat these as possible risk factors, not firm rules.
Product type also differed: four of the seven nodules followed a soft gel designed for lips and fine lines. This does not make one gel unsafe. It means the product name is useful information later, and it is fair to ask how the planned gel has behaved in the clinic's own follow-up.
- Mention any allergy history, even to food or pollen.
- Mention a recent cold, dental work or facial infection.
- Ask which gel is planned for each area and why.
Guide
A records kit to pack before the flight home
When a late lump appears, the doctor at home needs to know what is in the tissue. Treatment in the Japanese series ranged from medicines to enzyme dissolving with hyaluronidase in four cases and surgery in one, and the choice depends on the product. Ask for this record in English on the day and photograph the stickers before leaving.
| Item | Why it helps later |
|---|---|
| Product name and lot sticker | Confirms the gel is hyaluronic acid and can be dissolved |
| Areas treated and amount per area | Tells a new doctor where gel is expected |
| Date of each injection | Links a late lump to the right session |
| Photos from the treatment day | Gives a baseline for comparison |
Guide
Placing gel against the bone of a small chin
Depth is one variable a doctor controls, and the chin shows why it matters. Kang and Chai, in a 2017 report in the Journal of Cosmetic Medicine, placed hyaluronic acid filler under the periosteum, the thin layer over the chin bone, in 14 adults aged 33 to 64, alongside toxin in the chin muscle. Shallower chin placement is linked with bumps, migration and a drooping chin.
In their small series the lower third of the face took a larger share of facial height, the lips sat closer together at rest, and the lower face looked more oval. The authors reported no significant rate of common complications, including chin droop. Without a control group, the study supports asking about depth rather than proving one plane suits every chin.
Guide
What to watch from the first night to six months
Early swelling is expected; a new tender lump after weeks of calm is not something to massage away at home.
| When | What is common | What needs a doctor |
|---|---|---|
| Day of treatment | Puffiness, needle marks, mild ache | Pale or mottled skin, rising pain |
| Days 2 to 14 | Bruising fades, gel softens | Spreading redness, fever, vision change |
| Weeks 3 to 8 | Shape looks settled | A hard lump that grows |
| Months 3 to 6 | Gradual softening of the result | A new red, tender nodule |
Evidence
Research behind this page
- Frequency and Characteristics of Delayed-Onset Inflammatory Nodules After Hyaluronic Acid Injections in JapanAesthetic Plastic Surgery · 2025 · doi:10.1007/s00266-025-05185-0
Across 673 hyaluronic acid cases over six years, delayed inflammatory nodules occurred in 1.07%, with onset averaging 144 days.
- Subperiosteal chin augmentation with hyaluronic acid filler in patients with a small chinJournal of Cosmetic Medicine · 2017 · doi:10.25056/jcm.2017.1.2.120
In 14 adults, gel placed under the chin periosteum changed lower-face proportions without a significant rate of common complications.
FAQ
Questions about Botox and fillers in Korea
Is a lump four months after injections normal?
A new tender lump months after a calm recovery is not part of normal settling and should be checked by a doctor. In the 2025 Japanese review by Sawaguchi and colleagues, delayed nodules began on average 144 days after treatment. Many respond to treatment, and hyaluronic acid can be dissolved, so early assessment usually keeps the problem small. Bring your product record to that appointment.
Is south korea dermal filler the kind that can be dissolved?
Most gels used for the face are hyaluronic acid, which an enzyme called hyaluronidase can break down if a problem appears. Collagen-stimulating products such as calcium hydroxylapatite or poly-L-lactic acid are not dissolved this way. Ask which type is planned for each area, and keep the sticker, because a doctor at home needs that detail before deciding how to treat a lump.
Should I tell the doctor about allergies before gel injections?
Yes, mention any allergy history, even one that has nothing to do with cosmetic treatment. Three of the seven patients with late nodules in the Japanese series had allergies unrelated to filler. That does not rule anyone out, but it helps the doctor choose the product, the amount and the follow-up plan, and it belongs in the written record you take home.
Does a cold or dental work after treatment raise the risk of a reaction?
It may, so avoid booking injections right before dental work and mention any recent infection. In the 2025 review, one patient with a delayed nodule had an infection shortly before it appeared. The evidence covers only a handful of cases, so treat this as a precaution rather than a proven trigger, and tell your dentist about recent facial injections too.
How long does korea dermal filler in the chin usually keep its shape?
Firm gels placed deep on the chin bone tend to hold their shape longer than soft gels near the surface, though results vary from person to person. The 2017 chin study by Kang and Chai followed patients for two to three weeks, so it does not answer long-term duration. Ask the clinic how long its chin patients usually go before a review, and photograph your profile at set intervals.
Who should hold off on facial gel injections for now?
People who are pregnant or breastfeeding, have an active skin infection or cold sore in the area, or have a planned dental or facial procedure soon should usually wait. A history of reactions to previous filler also calls for a careful talk first. A good consultation includes reasons not to treat today, and a later visit is often the sensible plan.