Does lip filler hurt?

Let’s be clear , it’s not going to be the best hour of your life! However the procedure is very tolerable and most people wonder why they were worried at all! Here at Liz Wood Aesthetics the treatment procedure involves applying an anaesthetic numbing cream (unless allergic) for around 20 minutes prior to the injections of filler using either a fine needle or cannula. The hyaluronic acid filler gel contains the lidocaine anaesthetic as well so as the treatment progresses it becomes more comfortable. Following treatment in the hours/ day after you may take paracetamol if the lips feel tender. Avoid aspirin and ibuprofen. As the saying goes…”no pain, no gain!” Beautiful lips are well worth it!

Is there any downtime?

Lip filler can cause a bit of bleeding and bruising during and after the procedure. The lips will also be quite swollen in the initial days post procedure. This is expected and quite normal. The end, settled result can take a good couple of weeks or so before bruising and swelling subsides fully. Therefore it’s advisable to plan your lip treatment around any occasions or holidays you may have coming up. Allow at least a couple of weeks prior to any event……ideally a month! Liz will be happy to advise on individual circumstances. Application of an ice cold pack may help in the hours after to relieve the swelling. 

What are the risks and side effects?

As mentioned there is the possibility that lip fillers can cause pain, bruising and swelling? This is to be expected and not significantly worrying. Rarer side effects and complications may be the development of lumps or nodules either immediately following treatment or further down the line. There may be many contributory factors to this including, poor product placement or an individual’s medical history or previous treatments. If you suffer with cold-sores, there is the possibility that lip filler may exacerbate an outbreak. It may be appropriate for a course of preventative medication prior to treatment if you suffer with cold sores often. A serious but very rare complication is a vascular occlusion where the hyaluronic acid gel is inadvertently injected into a vessel and occludes blood flow. Liz is trained and experienced in complications management and will individually assess and inform patients about suitability for treatment.