I had liquid silicone inserted into my lips, about a year ago and I had an allergic reaction, can this be removed? (photos)

Question

I wanted enhance my lips, so I went to a doctor in Chicago, in the Little Village area, he claimed to be a plastic surgeon. He injected liquid silicone into my lips, at first everything was fine, but then I had an allergic reaction. I went to another doctor and he said that the liquid silicone was an illegal substance here in the USA, he said that it will be really hard to fix my situation. Can liquid silicone be removed from lips and make them normal again? Please help!!!!

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Silicone is not illegal in the US, it is not FDA approved for cosmetic purposes but rather for ophthalmological cases.  With that said, if it is silicone you need first 5fu/steroid injections and then need to see if it improves. If then you can leave it a lone.  If not then it will need to be surgically removed for a permanent improvement.  Best, Dr. Emer.

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

Silicone in the lips is not FDA approved and your first step would be to confirm exactly what was injected into your lips.  Silicone is very difficult to remove and there are few plastic surgeons who have experience with this.  Please consult an expert in this type of procedure and I am so sorry for your experience.  Best, Dr. Green

Ciro Adamo, PhD, MD · Answer

Considering that you seem to have met a quite unethical doctor, you should first try to find out the exact material that was injected. It is possible that you have been treated with liquid silicone, but it is also possible that the material wasn't medical grade silicone or even that it was something completely different. In any case, liquid silicone should never be used for injection into soft tissues, even when it is medical grade. Once injected, silicone cannot be completely removed since it migrates and infiltrates the tissues. What could be attempted in your case would be a surgical lip reduction, with excision of some of the tissues that have been injected. Once the tissue is removed, pathology could be used to confirm the nature of the material injected, and further treatment, if possible, could be arranged on that basis.

Samir Shureih, MD · Answer

If you actually had Silicone injected to the lips, what you see now as lumps is severe inflammatory reaction in the lips and silicone granulomas. Removal can be attempted, but remember that silicone is all over in the muscle of the lip. It can never be removed completely. The results are not guaranteed, and will never be as normal as before the injections.

I had liquid silicone inserted into my lips, about a year ago and I had an allergic reaction, can this be removed? (photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: Silicone Injections

Answer: Silicone Injections

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lip Fillers

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

I had liquid silicone inserted into my lips, about a year ago and I had an allergic reaction, can this be removed? (photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: Silicone Injections

Answer: Silicone Injections

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lip Fillers

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.