Thinking about enhancing the appearance of your lips? Lip fillers have become popular, and one of the most sought after treatments to enhance, beautify, and augment the lip area.
However, it is better to plan your lip injection treatment well in advance as it can take some time to see full results. Planning in advance also allows enough time to heal, settle down the swelling or bruising, and recover. Also consider that while a lip filler procedure is non-surgical and non-invasive, the aftercare to maintain your plump pout is more important!
Lip Injection aftercare tips
Right after your lip filler treatment you can return to your daily activities while adhering to certain dos and don’ts for one to two weeks. Here’s what you can do as part of your lip injection aftercare.
DOs:
1. Drink plenty of water. Keeping yourself hydrated aids your body’s healing process. However, avoid using straws as it may apply pressure on the lips.
2. Apply ice to your lips after the treatment, at least during the first 48 hours, to ease swelling and bruising. Wrap the ice pack or put the ice cubes in a cloth before applying.
3. Keep your lips clean, especially for the first 24-48 hours after treatment, and wash your hands before touching them to avoid any infection.
4. You can engage in routine activity and do light exercises like walking. But avoid any form of strenuous exercises 24-48 hours after your lip injection treatment.
5. Eat healthy and sleep right! You can have plenty of fruits and vegetables, but avoid excess sodium as it may worsen the swelling. Also, do not sleep on your face. You can elevate your head with an extra pillow to reduce swelling.
6. Talk to your doctor about which painkillers you can take to ease your pain. However, avoid any blood-thinning medications.
DON’Ts:
1. Avoid putting lipstick or wearing any makeup on or near your lips for up to 24 hours after.
2. Refrain from kissing for the next 48 hours to avoid pressure on your lips.
3. Don’t expose yourself to high temperatures, as this may escalate your swelling. Avoid taking hot showers, saunas, steam, or heated exercise for at least 48 hours after treatment.
4. Do not massage or apply firm pressure on your lips, as this can increase the swelling and also disperse the freshly injected filler.
5. Smoking or drinking alcohol should be avoided for at least 48 hours after the treatment, as smoking can increase the risk of infection, and alcohol can cause inflammation and make swelling worse.
6. Wait for at least a week before air travel, as the air pressure in a plane can interfere with your fillers, and the air on the plane may dehydrate the skin on your lips.
7. Avoid any routine dental work or treatment for at least 2-3 weeks after lip injection treatment.
Things to keep in mind after Lip Injection treatment
After getting lip injections, your lips may look overfilled or puffy at first due to swelling, but don’t worry, this effect is temporary! Common short-term side effects after a lip injection that you can expect are swelling, bruising, pain or tenderness, itching, lumpiness, or numbness.
Applying an ice pack or ice cubes wrapped in a cloth gently on your lips can ease most of these side effects. However, if you have significant pain or abnormal or excessive bruising on your lip area, contact your doctor without further delay. Other effects that need immediate attention are allergic reaction, infection, irregular lumps, and stiffening of lips.
You should also consider that even though you can see the results of your lip injection treatment immediately, it will not be the same once the swelling subsides. Some of you might love the look of more swollen lips before the swelling goes, but in that case, you can talk to your doctor for a small touch-up session to give you the desired look!
