Lip fillers are a popular cosmetic procedure that can help you achieve fuller, plumper lips. But before you jump into the trend, it's important to understand the potential long-term effects of lip fillers. In addition to tightening the skin, overuse of fillers can result in longer-term damage, including lip wrinkles and impaired attachment of facial fat pads and some degree of skin irregularity and aging. Rashes and bumps may occur on the skin after lip enhancement, as well as itching, which can be a sign of an allergic reaction.
Skin damage and scarring near the injection area are also possible side effects. One of the most serious is vascular occlusion, which occurs when there is blockage of blood vessels and can cause blood clots and dead tissue. It's important to note that the effects of lip fillers wear off gradually, over approximately four to six months. To maintain your results, you should be prepared to commit to touch-up treatments, ensuring that the lips maintain a consistent and even volume with the right amounts of filler administered each time.
Keeping ice on the lips before injections also helps numb the area and potentially helps with bruising and swelling. If you have a BLT allergy, your healthcare provider may give you a nerve block injection to numb your lips. After carefully marking the areas to be injected, very fine needles are used to inject the substance into the lips. Fat injection is the exception, as the procedure requires a small area of liposuction to remove fat from another part of the body before the injection can be given.
Enhanced lips can make your lips thicker and fuller, but it will still be you when you leave the doctor's office. It is 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. With lip filler, inexperienced or uncertified physicians may incorrectly advise patients on how much filler should be injected or how often they should return to receive treatments. However, people choose to get their lips done without fully understanding the side effects of lip fillers. Learning about these potential risks is not meant to scare you, but simply educate you on what might happen next.
