Serious bumps and bruising after Restylane Silk injection in lips. Will they go away? (Photo)

Hello,  Sorry to hear about your situation.  The lips, in particular can have much swelling after dermal fillers are injected.  Usually we recommend patients wait at least one week before coming in for a checkup because swelling can sometimes last this long.  Gentle icing, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, and a gentle touch will help hasten the process.  As one panel member suggested, we sometimes will prescribe an oral steroid to help reduce profound swelling.  We recommend contacting your injector to schedule a check up for their feedback.  Rest assured, swelling always improves.  If the lumps are not improving in the first week, your injector should be able to correct this using Vitrase.  Vitrase (aka:  Hyaluronidase) is an injectable mediation that quickly dissolves the lumps of product.

I appreciate
your question.Some nodules can occur from swelling and should resolve in 3-5 days.  However, in some patients injected with Restylane silk, swelling can last 2-4weeks.  You can ice the injected area off and on to help with swelling and take some benadryl in the evening as it may make you sleepy.  If swelling/nodules worsen or there is no change in 1 week, I would follow up with injecting MD to discuss best treatment options.  Possibly dissolving the filler, prescribing you some steroids for a few days to help expedite resolution of swelling.

The best way
to assess and give true advice would be an in-person exam.

Please see a
board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in aesthetic and restorative plastic surgery.



best of luck!



Dr Schwartz

Swelling is expected after a lip injection with fillers.  I do see more with the Restylane silk as it is has a smaller particle size and can thus attract more water (i.e. swelling).  I have noticed less swelling as my technique has evolved to minimize any post-injection massaging, placing the product very superficially and using indirect injection techniques to get a more lip fullness by lifting the surround tissues. 

It is common to get swelling after fillers into the lips. It is not normal to have irregularities or severe swelling. If you are unhappy you should speak to your physician and have the area injected with hyaluronidase, an enzyme that reverses the hyaluronic acid filler. For the next injections, consider Restylane Silk with cannula injection, this technique will limit the pain, swelling or bruising after the filler placement. It often takes up to two weeks for swelling to subside on its own. Find an expert in filler injections for your future treatments. Best, Dr. Emer.

I have found that Restylane Silk in most areas tends to give less swelling other than the lips.  Lips give swelling with any product approved for lip injection, so a significant amount of swelling is not unusual.  Typically with the lips being so vascular, bruising is also a common side effect.  Some patients have found that Arnica can help reduce both swelling and bruising.  Cold packs are a must to help reduce  your swelling and they can also minimize bruising. As for the 75% placement in the upper lip, most likely this may just be due to the apparent increased attention to placement in the upper lip. Some patients do prefer a larger upper lip, as this look has become more prominent with the advent of the Kardashians, but in my experience, the upper lip appears to swell much more than the lower lip and after a short period of time, the swelling reduces and the appearance balances between the upper and lower lips.