Lip fillers have increased dramatically in appeal, with people seeking to achieve a more comprehensive and natural-looking smile without the need for invasive surgery.
Regardless of your goals, the aftercare that you give your lips is equally as important as the procedure itself. Careful post-filler management is needed to preserve the health and safety of the treated area and to produce the best potential aesthetic outcomes.
So, knowing what not to do after lip fillers is essential if you want to get gorgeous, long-lasting results. The recovery period is especially important because this is the time your body is adjusting to the new changes and the filler is settling down.
While it is important to adhere to the right aftercare recommendations from your practitioner, it is also critical to refrain from certain actions that could impede the healing process.
So, here’s everything you should and shouldn't do after getting lip fillers. This will help ensure your lips mend correctly and you receive the gorgeous, plump results you want.
Why Post-Filler Care is Crucial
Thorough post-filling maintenance is necessary to guarantee the treated area's health and safety as well as the best possible cosmetic result.
In a lip filler treatment, a substance most commonly composed of hyaluronic acid is injected into your lips to improve their quantity and form.
Hyaluronic acid works by attracting water molecules toward the treated area, giving the lips a fuller, plumper look. Though the procedure is quick and relatively easy, the period afterward is where the magic actually happens.
Your body takes some time to settle the filler, and the lips go through different stages of recovery. Your lips may swell, be tender, or even bruise, and this is one of those times when you need to handle them with care.
Now, knowing what not to do after getting lip fillers will help you avoid unwanted side effects, such as swelling, bruising, or sometimes even the migration of fillers, which definitely will make the lips heal beautifully and look great.
Still interested to know what not to do post lip filler treatment? Let’s have a look at the following:
What Not To Do After Lip Fillers
1. Don’t Touch or Massage Your Lips
After getting fillers, you may find it difficult to resist the urge to touch your lips, especially if they feel different. Nonetheless, refraining from touching, massaging, or pressing your lips right after lip filler treatment is among the most crucial things to do right.
Why? It takes time for the filler to completely settle into the tissue, and applying too much pressure too soon causes lumps under the skin or uneven distribution.
This may have unintended consequences, and you may need to see your practitioner again to resolve them. After treatment, give your lips at least 24 to 48 hours to heal naturally before touching them.
If you notice lumps or your lips appear uneven, don't try massaging them yourself. See your practitioner for guidance before taking any action. They may alter the filler if needed, but this operation should only be done by experts.
2. Don’t Engage in Strenuous Exercise
A lot of people incorporate exercise into their daily schedules, but after lip fillers, you should walk away from doing anything that is physically demanding for at least 48 hours.
Why? Exercise raises blood pressure and pulse rate, which makes the treated region more prone to bruising and swelling. Bruising may result from the tiny blood vessels close to the skin's surface rupturing more easily due to the increased blood flow and pressure.
Furthermore, if the treated area is squeezed or jostled during forceful movement, there is a greater chance that the filler will shift. Excessive exercise also raises your body temperature, which eventually intensifies inflammation.
These elements lengthen the time it takes for you to heal and perhaps change how your lip filler procedure turns out. During the first few days, limit your activities to light ones, like walking.
If you must exercise, choose a mild activity that won't cause your heart rate to rise too high. After the initial swelling goes down and you get the all-clear from your practitioner, you will gradually resume your regular exercise regimen.
3. Avoid Drinking Alcohol
While the exact relationship between alcohol use and the healing process after cosmetic procedures is unknown, avoiding alcohol is one of the most crucial things to do after lip fillers. Alcohol thins the blood, which increases the risk of bruises in the delicate area around the lips.
Additionally, drinking alcohol dehydrates the skin, which is the last thing you want when your lips are healing. If the area is dehydrated, it may be more prone to dryness and cracking which eventually results in a delayed healing process.
In order to reduce the likelihood of complications and ensure a smooth healing process, refrain from drinking for at least 24 hours before and after your lip filler procedure. If your skin is healthier and more hydrated, it will react better.
4. Stay Away from Hot Environments
Although it may be alluring to unwind in a hot tub or sauna following your procedure, avoiding heated areas is another crucial item on the list of what not to do after lip fillers.
Increased blood flow to your lips due to the expansion of blood vessels caused by heat can result in more swelling and bruises. Besides, excessive heat exposure to your lips may have an impact on the way the filler sets and how long your results last.
High temperatures from steam rooms, saunas, and even long, hot showers definitely impede your healing process, exacerbate inflammation, and cause needless suffering.
Using a cold compress assists to minimize puffiness and ease discomfort if you wish to control swellings. Just make sure to cover the ice with a cloth to prevent frostbite and additional irritation. Practitioners discourage applying the ice straight to your skin.
5. Don’t Apply Pressure While Sleeping
Believe it or not, the way you sleep may make all the difference in how well your lips are going to heal. That is why one of the most important considerations in the list of things not to do after lip fillers is sleeping in such a way as to put pressure on your face.
In order to facilitate drainage and lessen swelling, using an additional pillow will help your lips heal more quickly.
If you naturally sleep on your side or stomach, this may take some time to get accustomed to. But it's worth the work to safeguard your investment and obtain the best outcomes.
6. Avoid Makeup on the Lips
It's normal to want to flaunt your newly luscious lips with your favorite lipstick or gloss, but you must wait at least 24 hours after the procedure to wear makeup.
This is an important item on the list of what not to do after lip fillers because the skin surrounding your lips is delicate after the injections, and applying makeup too soon will raise the chance of infection or irritation.
Despite the fact that the majority of cosmetic products are made with sensitive skin in mind, they nevertheless have the potential to block pores or spread bacteria to newly treated areas.
This may cause swelling or impede the healing process. Use a mild, scent-free moisturizer or lip balm that has been recommended by your practitioner if your lips feel dry or irritated.
Encouraging your lips to recover naturally should take precedence over anything else. Once the first day has passed, you can gradually resume wearing makeup.
7. Don’t Expose Your Lips to the Sun
There are several ways that sun exposure damages your lips. This is just one more crucial thing to remember not to do after lip fillers because the skin around your lips is extremely sensitive and vulnerable to UV damage shortly after the procedure.
The UV rays shorten the duration of your results by increasing inflammation, causing swelling to worsen, and occasionally even breaking down the filler's composition earlier.
Make sure you take additional care to protect your lips if you plan to be outside. To further protect them from the sun, use an SPF lip balm and think about donning a wide-brimmed hat.
Apart from limiting your exposure to the sun, it's essential to stay hydrated and moisturized to preserve the health of your lips and extend the duration of your filler procedure.
8. Avoid Smoking
Smoking is detrimental not only to your general health but also to the healing process that follows lip filler injections. Smoking itself makes you pucker your lips, and this puts undue pressure on the area that has been treated and causes the filler to move.
Additionally, smoking is a perfect example of what not to do after lip fillers because the chemicals in cigarettes slow down the healing process and raise the risk of infection.
To ensure that your lips recover properly, we advise that you shun from smoking for at least 48 hours following your procedure. Indeed, it is ideal to give up smoking completely to maintain the health of your lips and avoid premature aging.
However, if this is not possible, you must stop smoking for a brief time following the treatment.
9. Stay Hydrated
Your body needs water to function correctly and aid in healing. The same holds true with lip fillers; nonetheless, you shouldn't avoid drinking water as it will help you heal. All your lips need is a little additional hydrating to stay silky and supple.
Keep your skin hydrated and ensure that the wound heals as quickly as possible by drinking lots of water. Lips that are easily chapped and flaky result from severe dehydration, which makes the healing process much more unpleasant.
Aside from drinking lots of water, a moisturizing lip balm or any other moisturizer prescribed by a physician is something you should think about.
10. Avoid Dental Work or Facials
You should wait two weeks after receiving lip fillers before getting any dental work done or getting a facial. The majority of treatments involve moving the jaws and mouth, which put pressure on the lips. Yet this impedes your healing process. For instance, opening the mouth wide for dental procedures requires stretching the skin around the lips, which can be uncomfortable or uneven.
However, facials and similar treatments frequently involve face massages, which may result in filler displacement. Plan your dental and cosmetic operations around your filler sessions for the best healing results, giving your lips enough time to heal completely.
11. Skip Drinking Through a Straw
You won't take anything as basic as drinking through a straw for granted because this simple action, post-lip fillers, can give way to complications. Pursing while drinking through a straw tightens your lips and hinders the settling of the filler.
If you are thinking about things to avoid doing after lip fillers, using a straw is automatically one of those surprisingly essential entries on the list. During the first week following treatment, drink directly from a glass or bottle to avoid extra pressure being exerted on the lips.
In that way, you're allowing the filler to naturally settle, which can minimize the possibilities of complications and make sure everything turns out as well as it can.
12. Don’t Panic Over Swelling and Bruising
It's comforting to know that while bruises and swelling are normal side effects of lip filler injections, they usually go away quickly. A lot of people are initially shocked by how their lips seem after the procedure.
If you have edema, the effects of lip filler injections may appear more significant than they actually are. But it's imperative that you remain patient and composed. Any bruises often disappear after a week, and the swelling goes down in a few days.
An ice pack assists in reducing pain if you're worried about severe bruises or swelling.However, if you notice that your symptoms are getting worse or last longer than you had anticipated, don't be reluctant to seek your practitioner for more advice.
They may offer you further guidance to ensure that your recovery proceeds according to schedule.
13. Don’t Expect Immediate Final Results
The idea that lip fillers instantly provide noticeable results is among the most widespread myths regarding the treatment. Your lips will look different right away, but it may take a few days or a week for the full effect to show.
Your lips will be puffy for the first 24 to 48 hours, which gives you a false impression of the finished look. So, during the early phases of rehabilitation, patience is essential.
Give your lips the space and trust they require to heal. You'll begin to see the full, stunning results in the next several days as the swelling goes down and the filler settles into place. This is one of what not to do after lip fillers.
14. Don’t Overdo It with Future Filler Appointments
It can be tempting to schedule regular touch-ups after receiving lip fillers to maintain volume or increase the size. It's important to wait for your lips to recover completely before deciding on any more treatments, though.
Too much lip filler used too soon might make the lips appear disproportionate or artificial. Give the filler time to settle in and heal on your lips.
Depending on the filler type and how your body reacts to it, most practitioners advise delaying booking another session for at least four to six months. This makes it more likely that your outcomes will look balanced and natural over time.
15. Avoid Exfoliating Your Lips
Immediately after receiving fillers, do not exfoliate your lips as this will irritate them and slow down the healing process. The skin surrounding the mouth is extremely sensitive right after injections, so unnecessary cleaning or exfoliating may make the area more uncomfortable.
Although moisturized, silky lips are wonderful, it's advisable to wait at least a week before using any exfoliating products.
When your lips are completely healed, you can use a mild scrub or an exfoliating product that has been recommended by your doctor to gently exfoliate them.
Final Thoughts
It takes more than just the actual operation to have beautiful, long-lasting effects from lip filler. You need to pay close attention to what happens thereafter. So, comprehend the healing process and know what to do—and what not to do.
Nevertheless, it is also imperative to remember that wonderful results do not come easily and require time. To achieve that new lip contour you’ve always dreamed of, carefully follow the instructions of your practitioner and do not engage in any activities that would hinder your healing process.
Remember, it is not a one-day business, so it requires a lot of patience and tact when doing the work. Rest assured, once the lips get well, the outcome will be worth the wait.
Protect Your New Lips with Hyaluronic Acid from Diaminy Aesthetics
Nothing nourishes and hydrates your lips like premium hyaluronic acid, and proper follow-up is crucial to keeping that perfect pout after the lip filler procedure. Diaminy Aesthetics offers high-quality injectable hyaluronic acid that will help you maintain full, smooth, and radiant lips.
Give your lips the attention they deserve by shopping at Diaminy Aesthetics today!