Juvederm filler hit blood vessel left swollen black and blue upper lip. Should I be worried? (Photo)

Question

Hit blood vessel during Juvederm. Should I be worried? I was told to come back in 3 weeks to finish the treatment. These photos are from 1 day post treatment. I am taking Arnica Montana , IB prof and drinking pineapple juice (100%) for Bromelain. Should I be concerned with the degree of bruising or is this normal? What should I expect? This has never occurred before and I have fillers done on over 5 different occasions. Tissue is still soft.

Martin Jugenburg, MD · Answer

Bruising and swelling are common side effects of injections. It appears as though you have a bruise that will heal - can take up to 2 weeks. That being said, if you're concerned send a photo to the injector and/ or schedule a follow up appointment to be assessed. Stop taking ibuprofen. Ibuprofen and aspirin should not be taken for 7 days before and after treatment. It may help to apply cold compresses to the area 10 mins on and 10 mins off. Good Luck!

Michael A. Persky, MD · Answer

Hi Pink,You should immediately call your injecting physician for evaluation.  Good luck and be well.Michael Persky, MDEncino,CA

Michael A. Zadeh, MD, FACS · Answer

Swelling and bruising are risks with any injection procedure. The lips are more prone to this and depending on the injection technique used the amount of bruising and swelling can vary. No two injection procedures are the same, so it is possible to bruise one time and not the other. Especially if you are seeing a different injector each time. For some people Arnica works and for some it doesn't. This usually will get better within a week or so. I would stop taking the Ibuprofen as it can worsen the bruising if it hasn't already. More importantly, it looks like your top lip is far more swollen than the bottom. As the swelling goes down you may notice that the top has been overcorrected and is larger than the bottom lip. This should be corrected by your injector. Make sure you see him/her in follow up. Hope this helps!

Monika Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. It is not uncommon to experience bruising after lip augmentation, however this should resolve in the next 2 weeks. I always advise my patients to ice the treated area or apply arnica to help resolve bruising and swelling in the lips. Please consult your injector if this persists after two weeks. All the best!

Parker A. Velargo, MD, FACS · Answer

It is not uncommon to have swelling and bruising following ANY filler 
injection.  Bruising after cosmetic injections can be related to 
medications you are taking in the days and weeks leading up to the 
injection (fish oil, Vitamin E, aspirin, motrin, aleve, ibufrofen, 
etc...), your anatomy, and/ or the injection technique. You are doing the right thing by taking Arnica Montana but you need to stop taking the ibuprofen.  Ibuprofen, aspirin, and other NSAIDs can actually cause the offending vessel to ooze more and prolong your bruise.  It's also great that you know about Bromelain, but it is most concentrated in the pineapple core.  So, pineapple juice may be a waste of calories without the same benefit as juicing a fresh pineapple core or buying pineapple tablets.  Bromelain is also found in papayas.  I agree with waiting about 3-4 weeks before you go back in for the remainder of your injection.  I wish you the best!

Juvederm filler hit blood vessel left swollen black and blue upper lip. Should I be worried? (Photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: It is not uncommon to experience bruising after lip augmentation, however this should resolve in the next 2 weeks

Answer: It is not uncommon to experience bruising after lip augmentation, however this should resolve in the next 2 weeks

Answer: Juvederm filler hit blood vessel left swollen black and blue upper lip. Should I be worried?

Answer: Juvederm filler hit blood vessel left swollen black and blue upper lip. Should I be worried?

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Juvederm filler hit blood vessel left swollen black and blue upper lip. Should I be worried? (Photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: It is not uncommon to experience bruising after lip augmentation, however this should resolve in the next 2 weeks

Answer: It is not uncommon to experience bruising after lip augmentation, however this should resolve in the next 2 weeks

Answer: Juvederm filler hit blood vessel left swollen black and blue upper lip. Should I be worried?

Answer: Juvederm filler hit blood vessel left swollen black and blue upper lip. Should I be worried?

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Juvederm

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