Wrinkle-removing cosmetic procedures can lead to permanent blindness, a new study warns. Injecting fillers into people’s foreheads can, in rare cases, cause irreversible damage to the eye, the researchers say. The U.S. scientists say that injecting fat or collagen into the skin to smooth out wrinkles is usually safe. However, they warn that the Food and Drug Administration only supports the use of fillers in the middle part of the face – such as around the mouth – Live Science reports. While these substances are not officially approved for use near the eyes, they are commonly used to remove wrinkles around the eye, Dr Michelle Carle from Retina Vitreous Associates Medical Group in Los Angeles, said. In a study published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, she reports that three people have been blinded by the procedure. They say this can occur if the filler accidentally seeps into blood vessels and finds its way into the eye’s artery. If this happens, they say, the blood supply to the eye can be blocked. Dr Carle told Live Science: ‘While this complication is very rare, it is very significant. A bruise will go away, but vision loss is permanent.’ The fillers can cause blindness if they get into the blood vessels and block the eye's artery As a result, she says all doctors should explain the risk to their patients before carrying out the procedure. Dr Carle and her team studied three patients who had experienced vision loss after the treatment. One of the people, a woman in her 40s, was given a collagen injection to smooth out wrinkles in her forehead. After the procedure, she found she was unable to see out of her right eye. A man in his 30s had a similar experience after the procedure. He lost some of the sight in his left eye which medics discovered was due to the blood supply to some of his retina being compromised. The final patient the researchers studied was a woman in her 60s. She suffered severe vision loss after having filler injected near her hairline. While these procedures do not normally cause side-effects other than temporary bruising and swelling, the researchers say there are also reports of patients suffering a stroke, and even dying, after the treatment. They told Live Science: ‘We recommend that blindness or significant visual loss be added as a risk when discussing these procedures with patients, because these are devastating consequences.’ Source
