After getting lip fillers, how long does lip filler swelling last is one of the most common concerns.
On average, the swelling tends to last for about 10 to 15 days, though this varies. While most people can resume daily activities after about two weeks, the stages of lip filler healing come with ups and downs you’ll want to be ready for.
Unfortunately, social media glamorizes the final results of plump, well-defined lips, often skipping over the post-injection discomfort, bruising, and swelling that follow.
That’s why this guide explores how long does lip filler swelling last, what happens each day after lip injections, and how to reduce swelling after lip fillers safely.
The Lip Filler Swelling Stages
Before undergoing treatment, your injector will likely give you pre-treatment advice to help manage swelling and bruising after lip fillers.
For instance, you may be advised to take Arnica Montana and avoid alcohol, aspirin, fish oils, or vitamin E, all of which can thin the blood and worsen bruising.
1. Getting ready: How to keep swelling in check
When the practitioner injects fillers into lip tissue, it shifts and stretches slightly to create room for fillers.
While such tissue disruption is temporary, it triggers inflammation, resulting in swelling.
Also, the practitioner may accidentally puncture a blood vessel, releasing blood into the surrounding tissue. We call this bruising.
So, to prepare your body for the injection experience, the practitioner recommends Arnica Montana; a natural herb that helps reduce swelling or bruising.
Then, you are instructed to avoid blood thinners because they slow down the blood clotting process. This poses a risk of excessive bleeding in case of bruising because the platelets take time before clumping together to form clots.
As a rule of thumb, always adhere to pre-treatment instructions because they influence how comfortable the following stages will be.
2. Instant swelling stage (0 - 32 Hours)
At the time of lip filler application, your practitioner will use a topical numbing cream to reduce discomfort, especially because swelling begins immediately when they inject fillers.
Yes, swelling starts with the first injection.
According to reports by Very Well Health, Topical numbing cream minimizes the pricking pain or sensation by blocking nerve signals, allowing you to go through the whole injection session with little to no discomfort.
After 30 to 60 minutes, the anesthetic effect starts wearing off, and your lips feel tender, warm to touch, and firm. Some minor discomfort develops, too.
What you’ll observe
Upon viewing your lips in the mirror, you’ll notice they look 10-40% larger than expected, which is a common concern during the early lip filler healing phase. You may also observe small red dots or purple coloring around the injection site (signs of bruising).
The extra 10-40% volume increase after lip filler injections is what we refer to as lip filler swelling. It results from the injection trauma, especially when the practitioner uses needles.
To minimize swelling, your practitioner may use a microcannula. Rather than pricking through tissue, a microcannula glides through tissue, reducing discomfort, bruising, and swelling.
Besides injection trauma, your lips swell because the hyaluronic acid in lip fillers starts pulling more water into the lip tissue. This is because hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are hydrophilic (water-attracting).
Here’s how you manage swelling a day after lip injections.
Managing Swelling And Bruising After Lip Fillers In The Instant Swelling Phase
Post-lip filler injections, your practitioner will leave you with specific after-care instructions. If you're wondering, "How long does lip filler swelling last?" it typically follows this timeline. Among them, these should help manage lip filler swelling:
● Gently put a cold pack over the lips
Right after receiving lip fillers, the practitioner should provide you with a cold compress to manage the discomfort and swelling. A cold pack constricts blood vessels within lip tissue, significantly reducing pain and swelling.
When preparing a cold pack at home, ensure you wrap the ice pack in a clean and soft cloth. Applying ice directly to skin can cause frostbite or ice burns, damaging blood vessels or lip tissue.
- Sleep with your head raised
As highlighted, lip injection trauma is what leads to lip filler swelling. This is because your body responds to the injections as minor injuries, kicking off an inflammatory reaction.
The inflammatory reaction leads to increased blood flow and leakage of plasma into lip tissue, resulting in uneven fluid buildup (swelling).
So, to ease swelling, you are advised to elevate your head while asleep to slow down blood flow to the treated area. If you don’t have a wedge pillow, use two pillows to prop up your neck and head.
- Refrain from pressing or touching your lips
Touching your lips is more likely to worsen the swelling. First, there’s the possibility of filler movement or migration. Since hyaluronic acid fillers are gel-like, they easily move under pressure, leading to asymmetry or the formation of lumps.
Other than filler migration, touching your lips may introduce bacteria. This increases the risk of infections and other complications that may require the practitioner to dissolve the lip fillers to resolve the issue.
- Skip high-intensity workouts, alcohol, or hot conditions
While high-intensity workouts and hot conditions increase blood flow to the treated area, alcohol interferes with blood clotting. Both outcomes are negative as increased blood flow leads to further fluid buildup, intensifying swelling.
Inefficient blood clotting, on the other hand, leaves you vulnerable to more bleeding or bruising. Commit to avoiding alcohol and intense exercise for about a week.
These tips are also essential lip filler aftercare measures and help with swollen lip treatment, a day after lip injections.
3. Swelling climax phase (32 - 84 Hours)
If you're wondering, "How long does lip filler swelling last?" it typically follows this timeline. Following the instant swelling phase is the peak swelling phase. This phase kicks off around day 2, with dramatic changes.
Even though most of the changes in the appearance of your lips may be alarming, it is crucial that you stay calm. Your body will resolve the changes on its own.
What you’ll observe
First, your lips will feel tight, tender, or warm. Even talking or smiling may become slightly uncomfortable.
The size of the ridges or lumps on your lips also increases, making some parts of your lips look disproportionately ‘overdone’ or large.
The more fillers you receive, the more prominent the changes are. For some, the extra swelling obscures the top lip curve. Also, the discoloration as a result of bruising darkens to deep blue or purple.
These changes occur because the inflammatory reaction climaxes, a sign of your body repairing damaged tissue.
At this point, your lips will have a ‘plastic’ or ‘stiff’ look because hyaluronic acid is drawing in more water, and there’s more plasma leakage into the surrounding tissue.
Despite the unsettling nature of this phase, stay patient as it’s part of the process, and recovery is underway. Here’s how to make lip swelling go down in this phase:
Lip Filler Aftercare in the Climax Phase
Like the instant swelling phase, follow basic swollen lip treatment steps; gently apply a cold compress, avoid touching or pressing the lips, skip strenuous workouts and alcohol, and prop up your head while asleep.
You may have to increase the number of times you use a cold pack because inflammation is at its maximum.
Moreover, have more water to support the lymphatic system as it works on moving the drained fluid away from the lip tissue back into the bloodstream.
4. Receding phase (4 - 8 days)
By the third day of peak swelling, the major changes should have settled. The excessive swelling should have reduced significantly, making it easier for you to move your lips. And, the bruising discoloration should have faded or started changing color to green or yellow (this means they are healing).
What you’ll observe during the receding phase
As you get into the fourth and fifth day, your lips will feel less tense.
Your lips soften as filler material is now fusing with lip tissue and the body is gradually reabsorbing excess fluid. Both of these actions decrease inflammation, reducing swelling by about 40-60%.
As the swelling decreases, so does the lumpiness or unevenness. Plus, the natural contours of your lips become more defined or noticeable, especially the lip curve.
Due to the positive observations, some practitioners may recommend gently massaging the lip body to distribute filler uniformly. Rather than doing it by yourself, arrange a massage session with your practitioner.
Aside from massaging, here is how to make lip swelling go down:
Lip Filler Aftercare in the Receding Phase
At this stage, you don’t need to apply a cold compress as much because the swelling is minimal and the discomfort is gone. Nonetheless, you should still avoid alcohol, strenuous activities, and pressing or touching the lips.
Hydrate even more to supply hyaluronic acid fillers with the water needed to retain that fuller look. Bear in mind, that dehydration reduces the water-retention power of hyaluronic acid.
Not forgetting, keep your head raised when asleep to further lower fluid buildup, allowing the lymphatic system to clear what’s remaining from lip tissue.
5. Final outcome (8 - 15 days)
After a week, there should be no discomfort at all. Your lips should feel smooth and natural to touch.
By the time you reach the second week, the signs of trauma would have cleared. From the red dots to the bruising, your lips regain a balanced complexion.
Aside from complexion, lip fillers blend in with lip tissue, resulting in a plump, soft, even, and hydrated look. Lip volume matches your desired look and the lumpiness disappears completely.
Overall, as from day 8 onward, you are to start seeing the transformation, specifically lip shape and volume aligning with your aesthetic goals. Also, the management demands lighten:
Lip Filler Aftercare in the Final Phase
Like the receding phase, you rarely need a cold compress at this phase.
You can touch and massage your lips, but don’t be rough because filler material is yet to fully integrate with your lips. It may take about 3 more weeks after this phase for this to happen.
You can also slowly return to mild physical activity and having alcohol. And, to improve the functionality of hyaluronic acid lip fillers, keep up your fluid intake.
Lastly, this is the phase to plan follow-up appointments with your injector to assess results and schedule touch-ups if necessary.
Please note; each phase’s timespan does not apply to everyone.
Your lip filler healing process may take longer or shorter based on various factors including filler types, injection technique, and pre-treatment instructions. Keep exploring!
Can Lip Filler Swelling Last Less Than 15 Days?
The following factors play a key role in determining how long does lip filler swelling last, and whether it resolves in less than 15 days:
1. Abiding by pre-treatment instructions
As noted earlier, your practitioner must give you specific pre-treatment instructions before you undergo lip filler injections. If you ignore the instructions, your lips are likely to swell beyond the two-week mark. Why is this the case?
Following pre-procedure guidelines is essential for both safety and results. Many people don’t realize that drinking alcohol a week or two before lip injections can increase the risk of excessive bleeding and bruising, and even prolong swelling and the overall healing time.
In some cases, studies published in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery have documented recurrent swelling triggered by alcohol, sunlight, or intense exercise, lasting years after the procedure.
2. Injector’s mastery of aesthetic injections
Before proceeding with lip filler injections, assess the practitioner’s skill level.
Examine client feedback, review certifications, and inspect past clients’ lip fillers before and after photos. Aim for an injector with a solid track record because lip tissue is highly delicate.
An experienced or skilled injector customizes injection depth and filler amount to suit your lip shape. Moreover, they know what injection technique would minimize lip trauma (the main reason your lips swell after lip fillers).
3. Lip anatomy
The traits and structure of your lips also matter. If your lips have thin skin, less muscle mass, or low-fat distribution, the swelling period is going to last longer because it takes time for lip fillers to settle into the lip tissue.
Lip filler blends with lip tissue pretty fast when the tissue is thicker with more fat and muscle mass. Such a structure allows for precision injection techniques, cutting down on trauma and lowering the risk of injury or bruising.
4. Filler consistency or viscosity
The thicker the lip filler, the longer the swelling phase. This is because thicker lip filler formulations have stronger molecular bonds, requiring more time to settle and integrate with lip tissue.
Moreover, thicker lip fillers are generally more resistant to metabolic erosion, increasing the time taken to break them down. They also increase volume, putting additional pressure on surrounding tissue.
5. Metabolic rate
Metabolism, in this context, refers to how fast your body processes or breaks down lip fillers. Hormone levels, genetics, age, and physical activity all affect your metabolic rate.
Generally, the faster your metabolic rate, the quicker the recovery time. Slower metabolism results in filler staying within lip tissue longer, extending the inflammation or swelling period.
6. Adherence to post-treatment instructions
Not following after-procedure care instructions prolongs the lip filler swelling stages, at times leading to complications such as infections.
So, avoid touching or massaging your lips, avoid alcohol, and stop working out right after the lip procedure. These common mistakes can irritate the treated area and extend swelling, making you wonder how long does lip filler swelling last.
After lip filler injections, ensure you review the phases we’ve discussed to learn the dos and don’ts for each one. Then, follow them for optimal recovery and results.
FAQs
Can You Get Lip Filler While Pregnant?
You should not get lip filler while pregnant. There isn’t enough research to confirm it’s safe during pregnancy, and most providers avoid treatment to protect both mother and baby. It's best to wait until after childbirth and weaning.
How Long After Lip Filler Can I Use A Straw?
You should avoid using a straw for at least 72 hours after getting lip fillers, although it's best to wait for 10 days before using a straw. The suction motion can place unnecessary pressure on your lips, potentially interfering with healing or shifting the filler. During this time, when you're also wondering how long does lip filler swelling last, it's best to drink from a cup or glass to protect your results.
What Foods Should I Avoid After Lip Fillers?
After lip fillers, avoid salty, spicy, and very hot foods for 24 to 48 hours. These can worsen swelling or irritation during early healing. Stick to cool, soft foods until the tenderness goes down.
How Long Does Swelling Last From Lip Injections?
So how long does lip filler swelling last? Well, for many, the number lies between a week or two. Nonetheless, certain factors like not adhering to pre-care and post-care instructions may prolong the time.
Explore this piece to discover the lip filler swelling stages and how to manage each. I’ve also covered the factors determining the longevity of lip filler swelling.
Remember, only hyaluronic acid-based lip fillers are approved for lip injections. And, always entrust your lips to an experienced practitioner.
Your practitioner will guide you through the whole process and provide personalized instructions to promote proper healing.
Choose Trusted Products for Optimal Results
Healing from lip fillers takes time, but how the product is placed makes a world of difference—especially when clients wonder how long does lip filler swelling last.. That’s why professionals turn to the Diaminy Microcannula 27G.
It offers smoother product flow and less trauma than traditional needles, which means less swelling, less bruising, and happier clients.
Whether you’re focused on precision or patient comfort, this microcannula helps you deliver both. Elevate your filler technique with tools that work as hard as you do.
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