Lip fillers are one of the most common types of facial fillers. This article discusses how long lips hurt after fillers, the benefits of lip fillers, lip filler complications and how to prevent those complications.
Lip fillers are substances injected into the lips’ tissues to make them plumper and add volume. People may get lip filler injections to make lips asymmetry look better, eliminate fine lines on lips and around the mouth, add volume and improve lips dimensions. Lip filler injection procedure does not require surgery; thus, patients find it convenient. If a qualified cosmetic practitioner does the procedure, the chances of experiencing pain are very low. Finding a competent cosmetic practitioner is one of the most important steps of preparation that positively affect the intended outcome.
How Long Do Lips Hurt After Filler?
To many patients, one of the questions that usually comes up is, do lip fillers hurt? Most patients are concerned about this because their lips are very soft, and therefore, they think the chances of feeling pain are very high. The Lip injections procedure is more or less pain-free. The cosmetic practitioner applies a topical cream on the lips to numb them, preventing pain that may be felt when the needle is injected. Suppose the cream does not work effectively, though chances of this happening are very rare; in that case, the cosmetic practitioner can offer a nerve block that stops communication between the brain and the injection area, thereby preventing pain. Some fillers contain lidocaine to increase comfort during injection. The patient can experience some pain at the point where the needle was injected, but this pain is not severe. This slight pain occurs after the lip’s loose numbness, but after 12 to 24 hours, the pain should go away. Swelling of lips should go away after 48 hours but may take for some patients.
How Do Lips Feel?
Individuals can understand the amount of pain by knowing how the injection makes the patient feel on the lips. Many Patients who have taken lip fillers describe the feeling as a slight pinch when the needle is injected into the lips. A cold sensation is felt as the filler spreads inside the lips after injection. The procedure may take 30 minutes though it may vary depending on how fast or experienced the aesthetic practitioner is. It should not take more than an hour. The injection is done 30 minutes after applying numbing cream on the lips. A very fine needle is used for hyaluronic acid fillers. Hyaluronic acid is not dense hence allowing the use of a thin needle that helps to minimize swelling, bruising and pain. Bigger needles were used in the past because collagen products had high viscosity, making them dense. Hyaluronic acid assists the body in producing collagen. Finding a qualified aesthetic practitioner should not be an option. Unqualified aesthetic practitioners may cause some complications in the injected area, causing prolonged pain.
Complications That May Occur as A Result of Bad Injection
Necrosis
Necrosis is rare but a serious injection complication. It occurs when the filler is directly injected into a blood vessel. This filler blocks blood flow to the area. According to Manafi et al. (2015), if this is not treated, it may cause tissue death because oxygen and blood fail to get into the area. King (2018) stated that necrosis occurred once in a million dermal filler injections.
Appearance of a Lump
A lump may be caused by bruising as a result of bad injection technic
Bruising
According to Funt& Pavicic (2013), bruising occurs when the needle injures blood vessels available in the lips. It is a result of a bad injection.If any of these complications are experienced after injection, one should seek medical help from a competent cosmetics doctor.
How to Make Lip Fillers Less Painful
Various ways can help avoid complications associated with lip filler injections. The most effective one is choosing a qualified cosmetic doctor. Qualified cosmetic doctors can use one of two filler injection methods: retrograde and anterograde. The retrograde method involves injecting the solution after the needle fully penetrates the lips. The anterograde method involves slightly pushing out the solution as the needle is penetrated. Anterograde causes less pain in comparison to the retrograde method. The other ways to avoid filler complications are:
- The patient should not take blood thinners.
- The patient should not take alcohol 24 hours from the day of injection.
- Cosmetic aestheticians should avoid the use of unapproved dermal fillers. Patients should ask the name of the lip filler the cosmetic doctor is about to use before the injection procedure starts.
- The cosmetic doctor should not inject excess filler into the lips. It can give a bad aesthetic result. It can also cause lumpiness.
- The cosmetic doctor should be aware of the injection depth to avoid the risk of occlusion of blood vessels.
- The patient should maintain a stable posture during the injection.
According to Paap&Silkiss (2020), Hyaluronidase is an enzyme injected into the lips where lip filler is injected to reverse the procedure if required. It makes the filler break faster and catalyzes the dissolving process that would take place over time.
Benefits of Lip Fillers
Lip Fillers Improve the Appearance of Lips
Lip fillers give a fuller appearance of lips, making the patient look younger.
Lip Filler Injections Can Be Done Gradually
Injections are done gradually until when the desired outcome is achieved. Also, gradual injections help to maintain the fullness of the lips.
Fast Recovery Time
One day after the injection, the patient can resume his work.
Minimal to No Side Effects
Since hyaluronic acid is available in the body, it rarely causes allergic reactions after injections.
Choosing a qualified cosmetic doctor prevents other possible side effects and complications.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lip Fillers
Can I Put Lip Balm on After Lip Fillers?
Lip swelling starts about 4 hours after injection. Avoid wearing lip balm, lipstick and other products on the lips for at least 24 hours.
Can I Brush My Teeth After Lip Fillers?
It is okay to brush your teeth after lip filler. Make sure to be very gentle while doing it.
Why Does Lip Filler Migrate Above Lip?
Injecting too much filler in one area can make it migrate. Injections can also cause filler migration placed close to each other.
Conclusion
When lip fillers are performed professionally by qualified cosmetic doctors, very positive outcomes are achieved. Normal lip filler injections rarely cause pain in the injected area. Experiencing pain might result from a complication, and therefore important to visit the cosmetic doctor for a check-up. Patients should follow the cosmetic doctor’s recommendations on what needs to be done during the recovery time to make the recovery process successful after injection. They should avoid doing vigorous exercise 24 to 48 hours after the procedure. Patients should familiarize themselves with all injection techniques by consulting their doctors, who should recommend the best option.
References
Funt, D., & Pavicic, T. (2013). Dermal fillers in aesthetics: an overview of adverse events and treatment approaches. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 6, 295.
King, M., Convery, C., & Davies, E. (2018). This month’s guideline: the use of Hyaluronidase in aesthetic practice (v2. 4). The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 11(6), E61.
Manafi, A., Barikbin, B., Manafi, A., Hamedi, Z. S., & Moghadam, S. A. (2015). Nasal alar necrosis following hyaluronic Acid injection into nasolabial folds: a case report. World Journal of Plastic Surgery, 4(1), 74.
Paap, M. K., &Silkiss, R. Z. (2020). The interaction between Hyaluronidase and hyaluronic acid gel fillers-a review of the literature and comparative analysis. Plastic and Aesthetic Research, 7, 36.
Ksenia Sobchak enjoys blogging on fashion, style, lifestyle, love and CBD areas. Prior to becoming a blogger, Ksenia worked for a renowned fashion brand. Ksenia is a contributing author to leading fashion, lifestyle and CBD magazines and blogs. You can bump into Ksenia at her favourite cafe in South Kensington where she has written most blogs. Ksenia is a staunch advocate of CBD and its benefits to people. Ksenia is also on the panel of CBD reviewers at CBD Life Mag and Chill Hempire. Her favourite form of CBD are CBD gummies and CBD tinctures. Ksenia is a regular contributor at leading fashion, lifestyle as well as CBD magazines and blogs.
- The Price of Beauty: Understanding Tear Trough Filler Costs - February 26, 2024
- Understanding Post-Filler Lip Pain: A Complete Guide - February 20, 2024
- Lip Fillers and Lipstick: Your Guide to the Perfect Pairing - February 20, 2024