Swelling after lip augmentation is a natural defensive reaction, because during the procedure the skin and soft tissues are injured and filler is injected. In this case, the problem persists for 4-7 days. But it can also be caused by errors when performing contouring, using an excessive amount of the drug, allergies to it, inflammation and infection due to an unsterile needle, or violation of rehabilitation rules.
Applying cold in the first 1-2 days and taking Suprastin tablets helps reduce swelling. Then they use the drugs Troxevasin, Traumeel S, Lyoton, creams with badyaga, Bepanten. You can make lukewarm compresses with decoctions of chamomile, calendula, and green tea. But if swelling does not subside after 10 days, despite efforts, you should consult a doctor.
Why does swelling occur after lip augmentation?
A small but noticeable swelling after lip augmentation appears for natural reasons, because the procedure involves tissue injury, that is, damage to the skin and capillaries. And they are very sensitive in this area, there are many small vessels.
The administration of the drug itself also causes slight inflammation. Tissues need to adapt to the new volume of fluid and the presence of a foreign, albeit biocompatible, agent.
More severe swelling occurs with fragile capillaries or a tendency to edema, which occurs with heart and kidney diseases. But there are other causes of the problem that could have been avoided:
- Too superficial administration of the drug. This happens when the technique is incorrect. After this, the lips look unnaturally large and lumpy.
- Using excessive amounts of filler. This happens due to the fault of the doctor when he cannot calculate the volume for a particular patient.
- Damage to a large vessel when inserting a needle. This is manifested by severe pain during the procedure, if anesthesia was performed using a cream, as well as bruising.
- Penetration of infection through punctures due to violation of sterility during the procedure. It should be like in an operating room, that is, the skin is first disinfected with an antiseptic, and the syringe is unsealed immediately before use.
- Improper lip care can also lead to infection. This happens if you often touch them for no reason, and even with insufficiently clean hands.
- Violation by the patient of the general rules of the rehabilitation period. These may be prohibitions on hard foods, alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, sauna, etc.
- Mechanical injuries in the area undergoing the procedure. Sometimes a massage is prescribed to better distribute the filler, but it is performed incorrectly.
- Allergy to the drug. To avoid this, a good specialist will do a test before the procedure.
- Exacerbation of herpesvirus infection caused by decreased immunity. This is possible if you do the procedure soon after suffering from a cold, if you feel unwell, or if you do not take care after it.
How much do they decrease when it goes away?
On average, lips become 30-60% smaller when swelling goes down. So there is no need to be afraid that they will still look like “dumplings” if the procedure was performed by a good doctor.
How much the lips shrink after swelling depends on many circumstances:
- volume of the administered drug;
- the severity of the problem itself;
- individual reaction to the filler (how it “settles” in the tissues, how much it activates the process of producing its own hyaluronic acid).
Swelling after lip augmentation also goes away differently for everyone:
- in the absence of complications, you will have to wait 3-5 days for them to acquire a normal appearance;
- if a person’s tissues are, in principle, slowly restored, the norm is 7-10 days;
- if large vessels are damaged during the procedure and there are bruises, excess swelling lasts up to 1-2 weeks;
- with an inflammatory process in this area – up to 7-14 days;
- if herpes worsens, the problem persists for 5-10 days;
- If there is an excess of injected filler, swelling after lip augmentation lasts up to several months.
If you are allergic to the product, the duration of its presence varies from person to person – from 2-3 hours to weeks.
How to reduce swelling after lip augmentation
Help to reduce swelling after lip augmentation:
- cold compresses on the first day after the procedure;
- warm lotions with infusion of chamomile, green tea, mint;
- tonic blood vessels ointments and gels Troxerutin, Troxevasin, Traumeel S, Venoruton;
- the drug Suprastin, taken orally;
- Lyoton, which relieves excess fluid and bruises.
If you are concerned about severe swelling after lip augmentation, you can do the above procedures and supplement them with drinking parsley infusion with a drop of lemon juice. But if there is no effect within several days, you should seek advice from a doctor.
How to remove with ointment
You can relieve swelling with ointment if you start using it 1-2 days after the procedure. Can be applied to lips:
- Troxevasin,
- Troxerutin,
- Traumeel S,
- Venoruton.
Apply any of the products 2-3 times a day, after washing your hands well and treating the skin of your lips with an antiseptic. Gels and ointments tone blood vessels, promote natural fluid removal and have a mild analgesic effect.
Why is Suprastin prescribed?
Suprastin is an antihistamine that has a decongestant and weak antispasmodic effect. It is prescribed for angioedema, since the medicine has an effect on the skin, mucous membranes and subcutaneous fat.
In the case of lip contouring, Suprastin facilitates the adaptation of tissues to artificial hyaluronic acid due to the blockade of histamine receptors. As a result, histamine is not released by the body, thereby reducing the permeability of cell membranes. This is the mechanism for eliminating edema.
The drug is taken 1 tablet 3 times a day. It belongs to the first generation of antihistamines, so it can be replaced by more modern drugs Loratadine or Zyrtec.
Will Badyaga help?
Badyaga has a resolving effect, so it is used for hematomas and swelling, but not during the rehabilitation period after lip contouring. This remedy, of course, provides a rush of blood to the damaged surface, which enhances regenerative processes in tissues. Badyaga also dilates and tones blood vessels.
But the skin on the lips is very delicate, and swelling increases its dryness. Badyaga causes a burning sensation, pain and also dries out the surface. Therefore, it is better to use not powder diluted with water, but ready-made gels containing it.
The product with badyaga can be applied on the 3-4th day after the procedure, when the punctures from the needle have healed. It is kept on the skin for 5-10 minutes. After rinsing off, you should use an anti-inflammatory agent on your lips.
Is Lyoton needed after correction, pumping?
Lyoton gel is also used after correction and lip pumping, since one of the indications for use is swelling of soft tissues. It should be applied 1 to 3 times a day at regular intervals. The product contains heparin, which:
- relieves inflammation;
- thins the blood;
- strengthens capillary walls;
- activates regeneration processes in tissues by accelerating cellular metabolism.
With the help of Lyoton-gel, hematomas also resolve faster.
How to get rid of compresses faster
You can get rid of the problem faster if you use a cold compress immediately after the procedure. In the first day after its implementation, this is the only means that can make you feel better. At this stage of rehabilitation, the punctures are still fresh, and infection cannot be allowed to get into them. It is also forbidden to heat the area damaged by the needle; heat will increase swelling.
Ice is applied to the lips, first wrapped in a sterile napkin. Instead, you can use a spoon chilled in the freezer in exactly the same way. The compress should not cause additional discomfort, so keep it for no longer than 15 minutes. The procedure can be repeated every hour.
1-2 days after lip augmentation, warm compresses will help eliminate swelling faster:
- With chamomile decoction. You need to brew 2 tbsp. l. flowers 250 ml of boiling water, keep covered for 15 minutes, filter. When the liquid has cooled to a warm state, soak gauze with it and apply to the lips for 20 minutes. The procedure is repeated 3 times a day.
Chamomile has antibacterial properties and helps injuries heal faster. Hence its effectiveness against swelling.
- With calendula infusion. We are not talking about alcohol, but water. You need to take 1 tsp. flowers and combine with 250 ml of cold liquid. The mixture is boiled for 15 minutes, removed from the stove and left for 1 hour. Then it is filtered and lotions are made.
- With green tea. It should be brewed as for drinking, that is, take 1 tsp. for 250 ml of boiling water cooled to 70-80 degrees. The components are kept covered for 3 minutes, the liquid is filtered and allowed to cool to a comfortable temperature. Then it is used in the same way as in the previous case.
You can add a little mint to green tea. It will soothe skin damaged by the needle. And tea contains antioxidants and tannins that promote healing and remove excess fluid.
How to remove in other ways
It is more likely to remove swelling if:
- It is good to prepare for the lip contouring procedure itself. 2-3 days before it is performed, you should give up canned food, salty, spicy foods, sausages of all types. Alcohol and carbonated drinks are prohibited. All this contributes to fluid retention in the body. And alcohol weakens blood vessels and makes bruising more likely. This means that swelling will be more noticeable because of this.
- After the manipulation, drink parsley infusion for several days. It is made from 1 tbsp. l. ground plant and 250 ml of boiling water. The components are placed in a thermos and kept for 10 hours. Then the infusion is filtered, you can add a little lemon juice to it. You should drink 1 tbsp. l. each hour. The course of use consists of 3 days. The product is a vitamin drink that strengthens blood vessels and removes excess fluid.
- Apply Bepanten or Panthenol creams starting from the 2nd day. These products have wound healing properties. The faster the punctures on the lips heal, the sooner the swelling will subside. Creams can be alternated with absorbable gels and compresses.
During rehabilitation, you should avoid decorative cosmetics for the lips and face (foundation, powder), scrubs, and peels.
If there is severe swelling after lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid, do you need to see a doctor?
Severe swelling after lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid requires consultation with a specialist. Even if the alarm turns out to be false, it won’t hurt to see a doctor, because the reaction to the drug can be unpredictable. You should go to him when:
- the swelling lasts longer than 10 days and does not decrease in size;
- there are bruises, they spread beyond the affected area;
- there is pain, burning sensation;
- the shape of the lips is clearly asymmetrical;
- when palpated, lumps are found in them;
- the skin around the lips is red;
- there is general malaise, body temperature has increased.
How to speed up the healing process?
It’s an understandable question, but how to remove bruises after lip augmentation may arise if there is no time to wait for it to resolve on its own. This is important if public events are planned where attendance is required.
You can speed up the healing process, for example, with a piece of ice wrapped in a piece of thin cloth. Experts advise smearing your lips with the drug Traumeel S. It helps to resolve swelling and bruises after lip augmentation.
It is recommended to add foods that contain vitamin K to your food (broccoli, avocado, olive oil). Vitamin K maintains normal blood clotting and prevents calcium from accumulating around blood vessels. The calcification process interferes with the functioning of the circulatory system, and the vessels harden.
You can drink some anti-allergenic drug, as it has the additional property of stabilizing blood vessels.
Folk remedies that have been proven over the years will also not be superfluous. Each of them has its own use:
- viburnum berry mask;
- aloe leaf;
- potato starch compresses;
- wormwood decoction.
It is necessary to exclude physical activity. Then the bruises after lip augmentation will go away faster. After all, when playing sports, blood circulation increases, and this does not allow the fluid to completely dissolve in the soft tissues.
Important prohibitions after lip contouring and filler injection
The development of severe swelling after lip contouring and filler injection can be prevented if you adhere to the rules recommended by all cosmetologists: not smoking, doing massage. They relate to lifestyle during the recovery phase.
Watch the video about the consequences and side effects after lip augmentation:
Is smoking harmful?
You should quit your smoking habit for 2 weeks after the procedure for several reasons:
- a cigarette in the mouth has a mechanical effect on the lips, the muscles tense, causing pain;
- heat in the first 2 days provokes increased swelling;
- tobacco smoke and tar interfere with the healing of blood vessels and soft tissues.
It’s even better not to smoke 2 weeks before the procedure.
Lip massage
Kneading your lips after filler injection should only be done on the recommendation of a doctor. He will show you how it's done. Massage is useful not from the 1st day, but rather on the 3rd-4th, otherwise there is a risk of infection. And it will be painful.
About sports after the procedure
Training should be postponed for 2 weeks. Sport activates blood circulation, which will increase swelling. It also provokes sweating, and this is a provocateur of infection.
Tanning and solarium
Ultraviolet rays can cause burns to damaged skin. And later, when the tissues heal, they promote the breakdown of hyaluronic acid. And the effect of the procedure will last less than it could.
Is it possible to chew seeds?
Unpeeled seeds are another traumatic factor and dirt. You should also give up kernels for now. They are tough and require effort to chew, which means this is also an undesirable additional burden on the lips. The latter can lead to filler displacement. Food in the first days should be soft.
Is it possible to go to the pool
Swimming should also be avoided until the swelling disappears. Water can penetrate deep into the tissue through punctures and cause an inflammatory process. And physical activity stimulates blood circulation and increases unhealthy swelling.
When can I eat
The meal after the procedure is postponed for 4-6 hours. While the swelling lasts, you should eat food that is easy to chew. It should not be hot, spicy, smoked or too salty. Otherwise, the swelling will last longer, and eating will become painful.
Is alcohol allowed
Alcohol, even at a minimum level, is prohibited during the rehabilitation period. Alcohol dilates blood vessels, increasing the flow of blood to the tissues. It will make your injured lips swell even more. And the very touch of alcohol to the damaged surface is painful.
What to do about the habit of licking your lips
You should refrain from constantly licking your lips, because saliva contains many microorganisms. Their penetration deep into damaged tissues can cause inflammation. To make your lips dry less, you need to limit your facial expressions. A couple of days after the procedure, you can smear them with Bepanten.
How quickly do hematomas go away?
Bruises after lip contouring, if no complications arise, go away on their own in a few days or a week. On days 2–3 they lighten, then turn yellow and disappear. But it is worth considering that each organism is individual. Therefore, the intensity of bruises and the time they disappear may also be different. You can verify this if you read reviews on specialized forums and look at photos and videos of users who have undergone the procedure.
Ice compresses will help quickly get rid of small bruises. To do this, you can freeze a decoction of medicinal herbs with anti-inflammatory properties (chamomile, calendula). Cold promotes blood flow and reduces swelling. You can also use pharmaceutical products, but only on the recommendation of a doctor. Acupressure and other types of massage should also not be carried out independently, especially in the first days - you can move the fillers and ruin the created lip contour.
