Lip fillers are some of the most popular cosmetic treatments we administer here at The Skin Center by CPS. It’s a simple, straightforward process that will help you obtain those perfect, plump lips you’ve been wanting. But how should you care for your lips following an injection? Can you simply go about your day or are there some specific lip filler aftercare instructions you need to follow?
While our nurse injectors will review everything with you in person during your consultation and following your procedure, here is what you need to know about lip filler aftercare.
Skip the Heavy Workouts
We understand that you’ll want to get back to your daily routine as soon as possible. However, you’ll want to give your body some time to adjust to the injections. This means you’ll want to skip out on your workouts for 48 hours. Elevated blood pressure can lead to swelling and bruising around the injection sites, which will only delay you from experiencing your final results.
It’s fine to go out for a leisurely walk or to take the dog around the block, but skip the gym for the two days after your lip filler injection.
Drink Your Water
This is the case for any kind of medical procedure. Water is an essential element in helping your body heal. It keeps your body hydrated and improves the delivery of nutrients around your body. Staying hydrated is also important for maintaining beautiful-looking skin. So drink your water and your lips will thank you for it.
Elevate Your Head
When you sleep you will want to elevate your head. Chances are you already sleep on a pillow with your head higher than the rest of your body. If so, that’s perfect. However, if you don’t, you’ll want to. Elevating your head will reduce swelling. Patients often see the most swelling at night because the body does the majority of its repairs at this time. If your head isn’t elevated it will increase the chance of this swelling.
Additionally, you’ll want to avoid sleeping on your stomach, so if you are a chest sleeper, you’ll want to adjust and sleep on your back for the first several days following your lip filler injections.
Sans Makeup
Sometimes the ingredients in makeup can react to the injection site. This might lead to stinging or swelling. There are so many products out there, it’s just easier for you to skip makeup around your lips for 24 hours. You can still use makeup on the rest of your face, just don’t apply anything to your lips.
Consider Your Pain Medication
If you absolutely need pain medication for your lips you can take some, but you’ll need to make sure and avoid blood-thinning medications. For example, Tylenol is fine (although you should talk to us about pain medication ahead of time, as in certain instances it is best to skip it altogether), but you’ll want to skip aspirin and ibuprofen.
Address Bruising
Some patients experience heavy bruising, while others see little to no bruising around their lips. It’s one reason why we always tell people to have the lip injection performed a few weeks prior to any important events. However, if you see any bruising, there are some methods you can use to help reduce the swelling and bruising.
While you’ll want to avoid applying makeup around your lips, you can use arnica gel. This will help soothe the area around your lips, reduce bruising and swelling. Certain vitamin K creams and aloe vera can help soothe as well. When you come in for your appointment, we will review the specific topical products approved to help with swelling and bruising. Everyone’s a little bit different here, so we will give you specifics about you and your skin type.
Other options for reducing bruising and swelling include ice or an ice pack. You don’t want to apply the ice directly to the lip as the ice might stick and cause further pain. Instead, use an ice pack if you have one, wrap the ice in a washcloth, or place the ice in a plastic bag and hold it against your lip. You can even soak a washcloth in water and pop it in the freezer. Before it freezes solid you can then place it along your lips. This helps reduce bruising, swelling, and any itching you might experience.
Skip the Salt
For the 48 hours immediately following your injections, you’ll want to cut as much sodium out of your diet as possible. Salt may increase swelling, and because you’re not going to the gym and sweating, your body won’t be ridding itself naturally of the salt. If you’ve ever eaten salty snacks right before bed and then woken up with puffy cheeks and bags around the eyes, this is the kind of swelling that can occur around the lips if you eat too much sodium following your injection.
Instead, you will want to focus on healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. These kinds of foods have heightened benefits in that they will also help you stay hydrated as well. Skipping salt means you should also skip soft drinks (including diet). Many of these beverages have higher amounts of sodium in them. Instead, drink water and tea. If you need coffee, enjoy your coffee without cream or sugar (cinnamon can work as a substitute).
Schedule Your Lip Filler Consultation Today
Want to know if lip filler is right for you, or if there are other cosmetic procedures that might work better? If so, there’s no better way to determine this than to schedule a lip filler consultation with our team here at The Skin Center by CPS. From lip fillers to Botox injections, we not only offer a number of cosmetic services, but we also retail some of the best skincare products found anywhere on the market. So to discover what will work best for you and your skin type, give our team here at The Skin Center by CPS a call today.
