Research from a Northwestern University study published in JAMA Dermatology recently provides evidence of the safety of several popular minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. According to the study, these anti-aging procedures, including fillers, neurotoxins, and laser and energy device procedures, are exceedingly safe and have essentially no risk of serious adverse effects. This is one of the first large-scale study that prospectively analyzed the rate of adverse effects among more than 20,000 of cosmetic procedures done at eight centers around the U.S. by experienced dermatologists.
The study examined temporary side effects, as well as major adverse events in data input daily by the participating dermatologists. When side effects, such as bruising, redness, swelling, uneven texture, or skin darkening, occur, they are usually minor and go away on their own and occurred in fewer than 1 percent of patients, researchers report. "The message for patients is that if you are thinking of getting one of these procedures, you are not indulging in something drastic or high risk," says Murad Alam, M.D., professor of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital,. "The take home is that these procedures are very safe and can be mixed and matched to give the individual a significant cosmetic benefit, rather than getting one big cosmetic procedure that might be risky."