Swelling after lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid - how many days does it last?

Lip contouring

The term “contour plastic” refers to all types of injections using various gels that are used in cosmetology. Such fillers are called “fillers”.

Filler is a gel-like preparation that is used as a filler for cosmetic injections. With the help of fillers, you can eliminate wrinkles, smooth out the skin, and change the shape of the lips, cheekbones or nose.

To enlarge lips, cosmetologists mainly use gels based on collagen or hyaluronic acid. They do not cause rejection by the body, are well absorbed and practically do not injure the skin.

• Collagen fillers are made from animal connective tissue or synthesized human collagen. Fillers based on bovine collagen are often used. Such fillers often cause allergies because a foreign protein is used. Before use, an allergic reaction test is performed, the result of which becomes known only after a few weeks. The risk of allergic reactions and other side effects when injecting fillers based on human collagen is practically absent, so testing is not required. The results of using collagen fillers last up to a year.
• Hyaluronic acid fillers popular all over the world. Today they are the best, since this substance is found in almost all human tissues, which is why this method of lip augmentation is considered the safest. Hyaluronic acid is able to retain large amounts of liquid, causing lips to become voluminous. The substance provokes the production of its own collagen in the tissues and renews the skin not only at the injection site, but also around it. The disadvantage of such fillers is that they dissolve after about six months, after which the session must be repeated. The main advantage is their hypoallergenicity.

  

• Recently, cosmetologists have been using Botox . The method is not particularly popular, since it is impossible to enlarge the lips with Botox - only to correct their asymmetry, tone and smooth the skin, giving a small amount of volume. The effect of this procedure is quite fast.
• Biopolymer gel is also used as fillers . It is injected under the skin into the part of the mouth that needs to be corrected. This injection is considered the most dangerous; it has already been banned in the USA and European countries. The effect after administration of the drug lasts for several years, so when the time comes to repeat the procedure, there is a possibility that such a drug is no longer on the market. If the injection is not repeated, the lips will look unsightly and saggy.

All injections are quite painful, so anesthesia must be used before the procedure.

Indications for performing the procedure are:

• thin lips, giving the face an angry expression and adding several years to a woman’s age;
• “blurred” lip contour;
• severe asymmetry of the mouth, for example, due to a scar on the lip;
• too thin upper and normal lower lip;
• natural aging of the skin of the lips and the appearance of wrinkles, including purse-string wrinkles;
• drooping of the corners of the mouth, making the face sad.

A true professional will not do contouring if there are no objective reasons for it, otherwise a woman risks becoming the owner of “pumped up” lips that deprive the image of naturalness , which not only look vulgar, but also cause physical suffering.

How to make recovery easier after lip correction

Immediately after the procedure, the sensitivity of the lips will increase, you will see swelling in the mouth area, accompanied by heaviness, redness and bruises may appear, but do not be alarmed - this is the body’s standard reaction to the introduction of a foreign drug. The body is trying with all its might to maintain the necessary balance of fluid in the tissues. The swelling goes away in a few days, maximum in a week.

In order for the unpleasant symptom to subside faster and more painlessly, you should follow all the doctor’s recommendations. Cold compresses will also help relieve swelling. In addition, to avoid lumps, massage the lip area using Vaseline to soften it. Massage will help distribute nutrients evenly under the skin. The cosmetologist is obliged to show how it should be performed correctly.

Extreme temperatures

Even with minor injuries, inflammatory mediators begin to be produced. Under their influence, the vessels dilate, and blood actively flows to the tissues. In this case, the swelling takes on a severe form, since hyaluronic acid attracts water molecules. Under the influence of heat, blood vessels also dilate, blood flow is activated and swelling worsens. In addition, the heat “accelerates” the metabolism and accelerates the breakdown of the administered drug. In order for the results of contouring to last for a long time, you need to monitor the temperature from the very beginning and not overheat. You should refrain from consuming hot food and drinks for 4 hours after the procedure, or even better, for a day.

However, not only high temperature is contraindicated during the rehabilitation period. The cold can do just as much harm. It prevents the filler from being evenly distributed. Low temperatures inhibit recovery processes and cause dry skin. The latter is fraught with cracking of the edges of the wounds at the puncture sites. Therefore, during the rehabilitation period, it is important not to overuse cold compresses. They can be applied no more than three times a day and for no longer than 15 minutes. Bare ice is not suitable for these purposes. Before use, you need to wrap it in a cloth or napkin.

Before applying ice to your lip, it must be placed in a special bag or wrapped in cloth.

In order not to further irritate damaged skin, it is better to avoid eating salty and spicy foods.

What not to do

• Do not use lip cosmetics for several days. After injections, wounds remain on the lips that cannot be covered. Any creams, balms, or lipsticks will block air access, and the healing process will be delayed.
• It is contraindicated to visit the bathhouse, sauna and solarium for the first 10-14 days. Hyaluronic acid will begin to dissolve faster when exposed to high temperatures.
• For the first few days, it is not recommended to kiss or lick your lips. Bacteria transmitted through kissing can easily penetrate wounds and cause infection. Such actions also lead to peeling of the lips and can deform the gel, which will lead to its improper distribution.
• You should give up intense physical activity for 10-14 days. During sports, blood rushes to the face, resulting in severe swelling in the lip area. Training also speeds up metabolism, so the gel will dissolve faster, and the sweat produced will prevent wounds from healing.

  

• You should not tattoo your lips after lip augmentation. The tattoo lasts for several years, but the effect of the injection lasts no more than a year. As soon as the lips decrease in volume, tattooing will emphasize the asymmetry.
• For 12-14 days you should not sleep with your face on the pillow. You run the risk of waking up with lips of different thicknesses, as the uneven pressure that will be applied to the mouth area will cause the lips to change shape. After two weeks, the connective tissue will be fully formed and you will be able to sleep comfortably on your stomach.
• During the first week, you should not drink hot drinks or alcohol. Alcohol is very drying, and the leather will lack fluid, so it will begin to crack. And hot drinks will quickly dissolve the gel.
• You should also avoid cosmetics containing alcohol.
• Peeling and scrubbing should not be done for two weeks. Such procedures will scratch the skin and introduce infection into the wounds, cause swelling in the lip area, and the healing process will slow down.

  

• Try to limit your facial expressions and avoid touching your face with your hands so that the gel is distributed evenly.
• During the first week, do not take medications that thin the blood, such as ibuprofen or aspirin. These drugs will greatly increase swelling and cause poor healing. If you feel unwell, take paracetamol.
• Smokers should give up cigarettes for a couple of days. Smoking during the first 24 hours after the procedure will interfere with rapid tissue healing.

Post-operative recovery lasts only a couple of weeks. Two weeks after the lip augmentation procedure, you can safely return to your usual lifestyle and not be afraid of side effects.

Features of lip augmentation using modern methods

Today, the procedure for lip correction by enlarging them is quite in demand. Although there are those who are wary of such methods of improving their appearance. These are mainly ladies who have seen or experienced lip augmentation using artificial materials, such as silicone. But unnaturally swollen lips, their asymmetry due to the fact that the material was distributed incorrectly, the need for repeated surgery if the result is unsuccessful, etc. - all this is a thing of the past.

Today, specialists use new tools to correct the shape of the lips and solve other problems. The procedure is quick and almost painless. The result lasts for a long time, and if you don’t like something, you can always make adjustments.

In addition, the lip augmentation procedure has a minimum of contraindications. These include:

• pregnancy and lactation;
• problems with blood clotting;
• herpes;
• allergy to filler components, which is extremely rare.

Today, doctors, like most patients, prefer to perform cosmetic procedures without surgery. In particular, when lip augmentation occurs, injections with fillers are used.

General recommendations for lip care after the procedure

• Apply cold compresses for the first few days, they will help relieve swelling and reduce pain faster;
• To resolve bruises, do not use ointments that contain alcohol. Remember that alcohol dries out the skin;
• To quickly heal wounds, treat injection sites with chlorhexidine solution;

  

• Take paracetamol as a pain reliever. Avoid blood thinners for the first week;
• When sleeping, do not touch your face to the pillow; sleep on your back for the first two weeks. The lip contour should be completely formed;
• avoid injuries, bruises, excess pressure on the lips, as all this can cause deformation of the gel;
• protect lips from exposure to high temperatures and moisture;
• try not to be exposed to sunlight;
• drink as much fluid as possible to maintain fluid balance;
• use moisturizing creams and masks that your cosmetologist recommends;
• avoid intense physical activity, as it will promote rapid resorption of the gel;
• ask a cosmetologist how to properly massage yourself, and massage your lips daily for a week, using Vaseline to soften the surface of the skin;
• A few days after the procedure, start making masks based on fatty dairy products so that wounds heal faster. Wash off the mask with plain water, then wipe the injection sites with chlorhexidine;
• do not smoke for several days after the procedure;

  

• Do not use lip cosmetics for a week.

Most girls are afraid to enlarge their lips using the injection method, as they remember all the most unsuccessful attempts of celebrities, whose lips after the procedure began to look ridiculous and funny. In fact, these are rare cases that are the result of poor care after augmentation. It also happens that you may be unlucky with a specialist, so many cosmetologists strongly advise choosing a proven specialist who has successfully enlarged the lips of someone you know.

If you follow all the recommendations and regularly care for your lips during the recovery period, your lips will heal quickly and their shape and volume will be properly fixed. The duration of the result depends not on the drug itself, but on how you take care of your lips after the procedure. If improper care is taken, complications may occur; in this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Liked? Share with your friends!

If ulcers appear on the lips, you should consult a doctor

These sores are not caused by a cold, but by injections. Unlike herpes, they are not contagious, but they can be painful and itchy. In this case, massage and anti-inflammatory drugs will help.

This complication can be caused by concomitant diseases, such as diabetes mellitus or dysfunction of internal organs. With these diseases, any impact on the body threatens with ulcerations, purulent processes and other unpleasant complications. To prevent them, it is advisable to donate blood for sugar and biochemistry before the procedure. Then the doctor will prescribe medications in advance to prevent the appearance of ulcers.

Purulent lesions often occur after lip augmentation in women who smoke. It is assumed that the situation is caused by the negative effects of nicotine on tissue. Therefore, smokers need to think about the advisability of such a procedure.