Lip fillers are a popular cosmetic procedure used to enhance the appearance of the lips. While they can provide a temporary boost in volume and definition, it's important to be aware of the potential long-term effects of getting lip fillers. In addition to tightening the skin, overuse of fillers can lead to lip wrinkles, impaired attachment of facial fat pads, and some degree of skin irregularity and aging. The most common short-term side effects of lip surgery are minor bruising and swelling.
You may also experience redness near and around the mouth where the doctor injected the dermal fillers. This should subside in a few days, but if you experience prolonged severe redness, swelling, or bruising, it's important to call your healthcare provider right away. Injectable lip augmentation techniques can be performed quickly in your doctor's office with little or no downtime. It's best to wait to eat until the injection of the topical anesthetic or nerve block has disappeared so as not to accidentally bite your lips or alter the filling.
In rare cases, lip fillers can cause more serious side effects. For example, one patient developed multiple “sterile abscesses” after injecting Restylane into her lips and nasolabial folds. If you're left with loose lips as a result of regular overinflation, the only remedy is lip reduction surgery, which can leave significant scars. Fat injection is an exception, as it requires a small area of liposuction to remove fat from another part of the body before the injection can be given.
When it comes to obtaining dermal fillers to enhance the lips, it's important to be aware of both mild and more serious side effects. These include minor bruising and swelling, redness near and around the mouth, and in rare cases, sterile abscesses or loose lips. If you have a BLT allergy, your healthcare provider may give you a nerve block injection to numb your lips before injections. Keeping ice on the lips before injections also helps numb the area and potentially helps with bruising and swelling.
