Dealing with the Aftermath of Juvederm

Hi Ros,

You should be seen by your injecting physician immediately!  You are having signs of vascular compromise.  Whenever there is unusual bruising accompanied by blistering, swelling, and pain, patients need to see their physician immediately.  I hope that your lip recovers.  Good luck and be well.

Dr. P

Your story is classic for what happens when dermal fillers incidentally compromise the blood supply to the skin or mucosa ( inside skin of the mouth). Initially you will see blue /black discoloration, swelling and pain that is out of proportion to the expected post procedure pain. If the blockage is superficial, tiny pustules develop on the surface and are often misdiagnosed as signs of an infection (herpetic or bacterial). Within 7-10 days the area will heal although is may remain red for some time. If the blocakge is deeper, more significant breakdown can occur and the area may scar. Many doctors do not recognize the more superficial cases like yours. The good news is that they nearly all resolve without any problems. I hope you are doing well.

Bruising following lip filler injections can usually be prevented by applying pressure immediately following the treatment and then applying ice packs for 5 to 10 minutes.   If you are going to have lip injections, do not take aspiring or ibuprofen or other medications that cause bruisingut  for about one week prior to the treatment.  Now that you have bruising, it will go away in a week or two.  if you can take some arnica Montana, available at health food stores, to help your bruising go away a little faster.  You could also have your lips treated with low fluence pulsed dye laser by an expert laser doctor.  This makes the bruising go away about twice as fast.

JUVEDERM is a popular dermal filler that is available in two thickness/viscosity.  Like any dermal filler, the results are determined by the injector, i.e., their technique, choice of product thickness and amount used. The patient’s skin texture and thickness/thinness and the physical structure of the area being treated also plays a large role. 

Dealing with the Aftermath?  Should you receive results that are not pleasing to you, there is a product called Hyaluronidase that can be injected into the site to dissolve the JUVEDERM product. 

I want to reassure you that bruising after Juvederm injection to the lips can happen and will resolve completely in 7 to 14 days. Next time, ice pack application to the injected areas for the first 24 hours can be very helpful. You do not have to do it all the time; just fifteen minutes of every hour should be fine, until you go to bed. Avoid taking aspirin, ibuprofen, vitamin E for seven to ten days prior to the procedure. Also, if whitish blister-like lesions are appearing at the site of injection and bruising, and you have a history of cold sores, you should contact your physician and inform him/her. This break out can be easily treated with just a few days of an oral medication. Best of luck, and I hope after all the bruising is gone you can enjoy your beautiful lips!