Uncontrollable Volume — Collagen Overgrowth

The overgrowth may eventually stabilize when the stimulating particles are fully absorbed (1-3 years), but the excess tissue that has already formed will NOT shrink or disappear on its own. Physical removal is needed to reduce the volume.

Timing and texture are the clues. Ordinary post-injection swelling peaks within days and settles over 1-2 weeks. Collagen overgrowth does the opposite — it appears or keeps growing months after injection, when you assumed everything had settled, and the tissue feels firm or hard rather than soft and puffy. If your face is still getting larger or denser well beyond the swelling window, it is most likely the stimulated tissue itself, not fluid. Ultrasound can confirm by showing fibrotic tissue and embedded particles.

Steroids can slow active tissue growth and calm inflammation, and they have a role in selected cases — but they come with trade-offs. They do not remove tissue that has already formed, and repeated steroid injections can cause fat atrophy and skin thinning, sometimes creating a new deformity (a depression) on top of the original problem. They are a way to buy time, not a definitive way to reduce established overgrowth; that requires removing the stimulating particles and excess tissue.

The goal is to remove only the excess — not to empty the face. Under ultrasound, overgrown fibrotic tissue and embedded particles can be distinguished from your normal fat and structure, so the dissection targets the surplus and the stimulation source while preserving healthy tissue. Because overgrowth means you have more volume than you started with, careful removal brings you back toward your natural contour rather than below it. Final shape settles over several weeks as the tissue contracts.