I do a great deal of lip fillers in the office and I find that the best numbing comes from a mixture of lidocaine and tetracaine topically applied one hour before the injections. I encourage all of my patients to come to the office one hour early to have my nurses apply this mixture to the area being injected so that patients will have the least amount of discomfort. Best, Dr. Green
There is really no reason for lip numbing for filler injections. It all depends on the technique. Personally, I have not used a topical anesthetic in 8 years. Pain and lip bruising are mostly the side effects of the past and should happen, if at all, only very occasionally. The injection techniques have evolved dramatically and yet, a "traditional" methods are still widely used. You can inject the majority of the fillers with a needle that is smaller than the one used for Botox injection. Another great option is to use a small cannula that, if used correctly, may give you almost magical results. So, discuss the techniques with your injector and go for the approach that makes you comfortable. Good luck!
