Side effects after hyaluronic acid facial injection in adults during COVID ‐19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: Different causes may be responsible for delayed inflammatory reactions after hyaluronic acid injections, among them several mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2. AIMS: The study's objective was to assess the percentage of adverse reactions after hyaluronic acid injections in a cohort of adult patients with a test for SARS-CoV-2 or vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic. PATIENTS/METHODS: An observational, retrospective, comparative, multi-center, non-interventional in a real-life setting study was carried out with patients treated with facial injections of hyaluronic acid from May to September 2021, with a test to discard SARS-COV 2 or that had been vaccinated. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were included. Seven (11.1%) were vaccinated patients without a test for SaRS-CoV-2 and 56 (88.9%) with antigenic or PCR screening tests (18 [32.1%] negative and 39 [69.6%] positives for COVID-19). The mean age was 51.3 (SD 12.71; range 23-70), and 57 (90.5%) were female. Twenty-three patients (36.5%) had a history of adverse events with hyaluronic acid injections. During the study, 15 adverse events were reported; 11 patients (73.3%) had a history (p = 0.0018); two patients (13.3%) had been vaccinated; 13 (86.7%) had performed a SARS-CoV2 test (six [46.2%] negatives, and seven [53.8%] with a positive result; p = 0.5969). All adverse study events were resolved, and none had sequelae. CONCLUSION: Adverse events after hyaluronic acid facial injections were higher among patients with a history but not among those diagnosed with COVID-19. The new scenario related to COVID-19 infections or vaccinations would require readapting criteria for applying hyaluronic acid injections.