Managing Nodules After Juvelook Treatment: The Double-Edged Sword of Corticosteroids
劉達儒醫師 · 7/27/2026
After receiving Juvelook injections, she developed lumps in six areas of her face. One of these areas had been treated with steroids. The outcome for this specific area turned out to be drastically different from the other five.
(This is a real-life case study of a patient who developed lumps after receiving Juvelook injections at another clinic.)
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Within four months, she received six vials of Juvelook in three separate sessions. The injection sites included the tear troughs, apple cheeks, nasolabial folds, and both cheeks. Subsequently, multiple lumps began to appear on her face, each roughly the size of a thumb. The original clinic suggested she receive steroid injections, even recommending full-face treatment. She did not fully agree. Having researched the matter herself, she understood that steroids could lead to tissue atrophy. At the time, she stated, "Let's just try it on one area first." This was not an easy decision to make. In that moment, she had to challenge professional advice.
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First, let’s look at what happened to the area treated with steroids. The entire area became depressed. The skin became extremely thin, to the point where underlying dilated and proliferated blood vessels were visible. The entire area appeared dull, resembling a persistent bruise. However, the lump itself remained completely intact—a solid, hard mass buried deep within the tissue, showing no signs of shrinking.
Steroids did not eliminate the lump. What they eliminated was the healthy tissue surrounding the lump.
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Later, she sought my assistance. For the areas that had not been treated with steroids, the lumps were removed, and after a period of swelling, the skin returned to a smooth, flat state. The recovery process was very smooth. However, the area treated with steroids was completely different. The steroids had destroyed the structural support of the tissue in that region. The lump remained, but the surrounding healthy tissue had atrophied. Even more challenging was the fact that this lump was actually enveloping a nerve.
Ultrasound-guided imaging allowed me to clearly see the nerve's position and avoid it as much as possible. However, it was unavoidable that the lump was "growing on the nerve." After dissection, the nerve function in that area was temporarily affected, leading to facial asymmetry for a period of time. As the swelling gradually subsided, the symptoms are currently improving slowly, and we are continuing to monitor her progress. As of now, the situation continues to trend in a positive direction.
Most lumps are not like this. Under ultrasound guidance, most lumps can be treated layer by layer, just like her other five areas. What truly significantly increased the difficulty of the procedure was that single steroid injection. I am sharing this case not to scare anyone, but because the true turning point of this entire ordeal occurred on the day she received that steroid injection.
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The same patient, the same filler material, and possibly even the same physician. There was only one difference: that specific area had been treated with steroids. The five areas without steroid injections were all resolved smoothly and evenly. The area treated with steroids, however, paid an additional price. Her initial decision to "just try it on one area first" saved more than just her appearance.
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Therefore, if someone suggests you receive steroid injections for a filler-related lump, I hope you will consider this case first. Steroids might make a lump appear less noticeable temporarily. But at the same time, they are reducing the healthy tissue in that area. What they are destroying may be the very tissue that is indispensable when you eventually need to address the lump properly. It doesn't just cause facial depression. It makes subsequent treatment significantly more difficult.