What After Care Will Ensure the Best Results from the Restylane Injections on the Lips?

Thank you for your question. I would recommend the following after filler injections:1)  Use an ice pack on/off throughout the first day or two to help minimize swelling and bruising2)  Don't massage the areas that were injected as this may increase the amount of swelling3)  Avoid activities that make you hot, sweaty or flushed: Examples include strenuous activities, alcohol, saunas, hot baths, etc… This will increase your chance of bruising. If not bruising by the next day, you should be good to go.  If there is, then wait another day or two to make sure it is not getting worse4)  Take Arnica to help minimize the bruising/swelling potential5)  Return to the clinic for:  any abnormal visible lumps/bumps for within the first week or two6)  Return to the clinic if you experience bruising that cannot be covered with make-up - we may consider IPL or lymphatic stimulation to help with the healing.Once all the early stages of injections have passed, then return when you notice your concerns start to return.  One usually uses less product to maintain the desired result. 

It is best to use cold compresses after lip augmentation ---this is effective for the first 48 hours. We suggest taking oral Arnica supplements to minimize bruising and to avoid anti-inflammatories such as green tea, fish oils , aspirin or Ibuprofen.   Hot drinks and alcohol should be avoided for the first day after injections.

The procedure that we follow to get the best results for Restylane lip injections are:


Application of ice for 1 minute prior to injection

Very slow injection with limited volumes just enough to fill slightly

Application of ice for 5 minutes after injection

Use of Vitamin K cream (Auriderm) immediately after

Repeat injection of small amounts every 6 months for maintenance


The use of any filler in the lips is an off-label use at the moment, but the FDA is seriously considering an official indication for Restylane.  An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration voted in late April 27 to recommend the injectable filler Restylane for use as a lip enhancer. But  FDA approval may not make a difference in how the dermal filler is actually used in clinical practice, since it is used all the time anyway.

Most patients have little to do after a lip injection with filler. That said, I do encourage patients to avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, alcohol, green tea, ginseng, gingko biloba and vitamin E as all can cause more bruising and swelling.  Ice application in the 1st hour after injection can also help reduce bruising and swelling. Also, avoid extreme heat or cold for ideally 48hrs. 

I do very little after a careful lip augmentation with Restylane. Uneven swelling is usually gone the next day and bruising is not that common. Ice helps initially

Some of my patients prefer to come in on a regular basis, every six to twelve months, to get a "touch-up" treatment to keep their lips plump. BEFORE their injections my patients are instructed to avoid aspirin, NSAIDs, fish oil, and Vitamin E to name a few of the most common problem drugs. AFTER (not before) their injections, I recommend Bromelain tablets (an enzyme from pineapples) to reduce the swelling and bruising. 

Avoid all blood thinners including aspirin, ibuprofrens, etc., fish oil, Vit C, Vit E, niacin, Zinc and a whole list, of others, that should be avialable form the MD that does your injections.  Ice and Arnica 12C ater the injections.

What is done before and during the procedure is most important.  First of all, avoid all platelet inhibitors such as aspirin, alcohol and NSAID's (and anything that contains any of them) for 7-10 days before your procedure.  Also take Arnica Montana 30X pills starting the day before, until the day after your procedure.  Put 4 pills under your tongue every 3-4 hours while awake and let them dissolved.  Also eat pineapple during this time period.  Make sure that your injector is very experienced in lip augmentation, and ask them to inject very slowly since the faster the injection, the more it hurts and the more chance of bruising.  After the injections, do not "use" your lips for anything except eating.....and use ice packs at least 20 minutes per hour until after the sweling goes down.  Remember to sleep with your head elevated so that there is less chance of swelling in your lips overnight.  Good luck!