Lip Filler: What to Expect, Start to Finish

Lips are the treatment people are most nervous about, and the reason is always the same. Everyone has seen lips that look done.

That look comes from too much product, or product in the wrong place. It doesn't come from lip filler itself. Here is what a visit is actually like, and what the days after look like.

It starts with a conversation

Before anything else, we talk about what you want. More shape, more definition at the border, a little more fullness, better balance between top and bottom. Those are different plans.

I'll look at your lips at rest and when you smile and talk, and at how they sit with the rest of your face. I'll also ask about your health history, your medications, any cold sores, and any filler you've had before, wherever you had it.

Sometimes the plan is less than you had in mind. Lips can be built gradually. They are hard to un-build in a hurry.

The appointment

I start with a topical numbing cream so you're comfortable before anything else. If lip filler is right for you, treatment can happen the same day as your consultation.

You'll see your lips before you leave. They won't look like the final result yet.

The first few days

Lips swell. That is ordinary, and it is the part people are least prepared for. They can look bigger and feel firmer than you expected at first, and one side can swell more than the other. A bruise is also common.

You can use ice for up to 24 hours to ease swelling and discomfort. Arnica, as a cream and as oral tablets, can be started the day of your visit and continued for several days after, and may help with bruising. Swelling and bruising typically last about a week and can last up to two weeks. Everyone is different.

Don't judge the result in the first days. What you see then is swelling.

When they settle

Give lips time. Plan on four to six weeks before an event you care about, so swelling and any bruising are well behind you and the result has settled.

That is also when we know whether you have what you wanted or would like a little more.

It can be dissolved

Hyaluronic acid filler can be dissolved with an enzyme called hyaluronidase. It is the main treatment practitioners use when hyaluronic acid filler causes a problem. It is one of the reasons this kind of filler is used in lips.

When to call right away

Most of what happens after lip filler is swelling and bruising. A few things are not ordinary. Call us, or go to an emergency room, if you have:

• Skin near the injection that turns white, gray or blue

• Pain that is unusual or severe

• A change in your vision

• Trouble speaking, a drooping face, or weakness on one side

Don't wait to see if it passes.

Lip filler in Covington, TN

Sunshine Spa & Aesthetics is a patient-centered medical aesthetics and wellness practice at 201 W Liberty Ave in Covington, Tennessee. Patients come to us from Covington, Munford, Atoka, Brighton and Millington, and from Ripley, Halls and Henning in Lauderdale County. Medical oversight is provided by Dr. Noah Ehinger, MD, Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon. If you'd like to talk through whether lip filler is right for you, you can book a consultation online or call (901) 296-8006.

Results vary. Individual treatment plans are based on anatomy, goals, and medical history. Consultation required.

Sources

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dermal Fillers (Soft Tissue Fillers). 2023.

• Nayfeh T, Shah S, Malandris K, et al. A systematic review supporting the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery guidelines on the prevention and treatment of adverse events of injectable fillers. Dermatol Surg. 2021;47(2):227-234.