TikTok users are figuring out that having cosmetic facial fillers can lead to some noticeable side effects after receiving Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last month that anyone with such fillers could experience swelling in the face after three individuals ran into the symptom during Moderna’s phase 3 trial.
Those affected included a 46-year-old woman who had dermal fillers injected six months prior, a 51-year-old woman who also had dermal fillers injected two weeks prior, and another individual who experienced swelling in the lips.
Some teens with fillers on TikTok apparently didn’t get the message and only discovered the issue once it happened to them.
One TikTok user, @jujusparx, reacted to the news with a swollen face.
“Got my vaccine two days ago and I woke up with my cheeks like this “i’ve had lip fillers in October),” @jujusparx wrote.
Another TikTok user, @paoloperfeccion, uploaded multiple pictures of their swollen lips.
“Swollen fillers is the side effect everyone should want,” @paoloperfeccion wrote.
The topic has even become a meme across social media, with users jokingly sharing unrelated footage of people with swollen faces.
Thankfully, such side effects are rare and easily treated with antihistamines and the steroid prednisone.
Speaking with ABC, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Shirley Chi explained why such reactions are unsurprising.
“Your immune system which causes inflammation is revved up when you get a vaccine, that’s how it’s supposed to work,” Chi said. “So it makes sense that you would see an immune response in certain areas where they see some substance that is not a naturally occurring substance in your body.”
Interestingly, no reports of swelling have been linked thus far to the Pfizer vaccine, despite both inoculations being nearly identical.
Similar reactions have been reported in the past by individuals with fillers who received flu vaccinations as well.