What to Do If You Don’t Like Your Lip Filler Results – So you shelled out for lip filler hoping for a perfectly pouty look, but you wound up absolutely hating the results. What the hell can you do about it—besides, well, cry and complain? Lip injections are an ultra-popular nonsurgical procedure that can almost instantaneously give your mouth a fuller appearance, but still, they’re not without risk.
We’re not talking about the potential for serious, albeit rare, health consequences like skin necrosis (tissue death resulting from injury or trauma) or a hematoma (a pool of blood underneath your skin, a.k.a. a really bad bruise); those issues should be addressed by a doctor—either the dermatologist or plastic surgeon who did your filler or your primary care provider, if you have one—ASAP. We’re referring to less extreme, but still upsetting, side effects like excess swelling or bumps and lumps, which can happen when dermal injections are placed unevenly or begin to migrate, Melissa Doft, MD, a double board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York City.
Maybe your injector was inexperienced and added too much filler—one reason why you should always see a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon for any cosmetic injectible, per the experts SELF consulted. Or perhaps you simply underestimated how different you’d look after a dozen shots, because a sudden, dramatic change in your appearance can be pretty daunting, Rawn Bosley, MD, board-certified dermatologist and supervising physician at Ever/Body in Dallas, tells SELF.
Unfortunately, there isn’t a whole lot you can do to immediately reverse the look of bad lip filler, but don’t freak out just yet: There are measures you can take to feel better about the results. Here’s how to deal if you hate or regret your new and not-so-improved lips.
First, determine if your lips are actually botched or just swollen.
Despite those celebrity before-and-afters (that may have inspired you to you get plumped in the first place), there’s a high chance that your lips will look pretty funky within minutes of receiving filler. But there’s good news: Their jarring appearance won’t be indicative of your final results, David Goldberg, MD, board-certified dermatologist and director of cosmetic dermatology at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, tells SELF.
“There’s usually initial swelling, which can make your lips look bigger than you’d like, because hyaluronic acid fillers (such as Juvederm, Belotero, and Restylane) absorb water,” Dr. Goldberg says, which is how they help your lips maintain a certain shape and volume. On the flip side, this can also lead to a temporary (phew!) overfilled, swollen, or uneven appearance.
Another super common and unglamorous possible side effect is bruising, Dr. Doft adds. Think about it: Your lips have a ton of blood vessels, so when that sensitive area is poked, prodded, and punctured by a giant needle, patches of black, blue, and/or purple skin are pretty standard reactions to the physical trauma, she says.
Both swelling and bruising are, again, short-term and should subside within 10 to 14 days of your appointment, according to all the experts SELF spoke with; in very rare instances, Dr. Bosley notes that mild inflammation can persist for up to four weeks. Any side effects that last longer usually indicate poor technique and can also be a sign of infection. So if your lips are still swollen after two weeks or you notice things like pus or experience extreme pain, see your provider ASAP to rule out complications.
Use ice or arnica to reduce swelling.
Waiting even two weeks can feel like a lifetime if you’re self-conscious about your lips. While it’s always best to seek professional guidance, there are some at-home steps you can take to alleviate inflammation.
For swelling or bruising, Dr. Doft suggests applying a cold compress to your lips (a couple times a day for 15 minutes at a time) for the first few days after getting filler. You can also try an over-the-counter topical treatment with arnica (like this lip balm from Amazon); products that contain the herb are commonly used for pain relief and muscle soreness and can be applied to your lips twice a day post-filler, Dr. Doft says. Research shows that both strategies may help reduce swelling as well as discoloration of the skin caused by bruising.
If you’re dealing with little hard balls in your lips (which can be a sign of clumped hyaluronic acid or, again, poor technique), Dr. Doft recommends massaging the area gently with your fingers in two- to three-minute intervals, sporadically throughout the day. This can help to smooth out and break up misplaced or migrating filler, she explains, therefore encouraging the natural dissolving process (because yes, hyaluronic acid fillers degrade on their own over time).
Keep in mind that the convenient methods above may not work if you’ve been over-injected. In that case, the problem may not come from normal swelling or the fact that the filler was misplaced, but rather that there’s just too much in your lips to begin with. It’s a mistake that under-qualified providers are more likely to make, which is, again, why you should always see a derm, a plastic surgeon, or another licensed physician with years of experience for any kind of filler, as SELF previously reported,
If you’re still unhappy after two weeks, consider getting your lip filler dissolved.
After ruling out temporary, initial swelling as the culprit for your overfilled or puffed-out look, the best course of action is to tell whoever injected your lips that you’re unhappy with the results. That way, they can assess possible solutions like strategically adding more filler (in the case of slight asymmetry) or dissolving it altogether. The latter, according to Dr. Goldberg, would involve more injections, this time with a liquid enzyme called hyaluronidase that works to break down hyaluronic acid filler specifically. This will speed up the dissolving process to help your lips regain their natural shape quicker.
Even though this option seems like a miracle worker in theory, it’s unfortunately not that simple. First, dissolving filler isn’t always free (it depends on the provider) and can cost $500 and up, as SELF previously reported. “If you decide to go to a different provider, there is almost always a charge for the new service,” Dr. Doft notes. Another drawback to consider: It’s difficult for hyaluronidase to target specific areas of your lips if you’re dealing with unevenness—as in, one side is fuller than the other. That’s because “the hyaluronidase can spread throughout and inadvertently cause your filler to dissolve in unintended areas, too,” Dr. Bosley explains. Oh, and it can also be really painful.
A couple more things to note: If you decide to get your filler dissolved, you should typically see a reduction in size and volume within two to three days. However, hyaluronidase can, in some cases, also make your lips temporarily appear smaller than they started by not only dissolving filler but also the hyaluronic acid naturally existing in the lips, Dr. Doft says. (If your swollen mouth is agape right now, fear not: Your body will eventually produce more hyaluronic acid, but this can take a few months).
We fully empathize with the frustration of looking in the mirror and hating the outcome of a treatment. But try not to freak out, or even to wait it out on your own; if your lips don’t look or feel right, talk to your injector (or a different one, if you think their inexperience might be the problem) to get a professional opinion before you assume all hope is lost.
