Is Numbness After Juvederm Treatment Normal?

Question

I had juvederm injected into my upper and lower lips 9 days ago.  The swelling is gone now but I am still numb on the right side of both my upper and lower lip.  The bottom lip tingles when I move my mouth-the sensation feels much like when your hand falls asleep and is in the process of waking up.  My upper lip does not feel tingly at all.  I do like the results now that the swelling is gone, but I am scared to death that my lips are going to be numb forever.  Is there nerve damage now?  Is this normal? Is it going to go away?

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

It is not necessarily the Juvederm that caused numbness. The needle used to inject the product may have touched a sensory nerve when either filling the lip or numbing the lip. But over time, it should go away so you do not need to worry.

Michael A. Persky, MD · Answer

Hi Joco,

	Did your injecting physician use "nerve blocks"? Sometimes with nerve blocks the injection needle may strike a nerve and cause what is usually a temporary parasthesia or numbness similar to what you are experiencing. As long as the feeling is improving, it should resolve soon. You should speak with your physician and let him/her know what's going on. Good luck and be well.

	Dr. P

Hardik Soni, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question. Numbness after Juvederm happens when the injection hits a nerve in your chin or lower lip might have been strained or damage. I advise you to see your injector to determine the exact cause of the numbness. If the tissue has only been bruised or strained, you should expect a return of your sensation in approximately 2 months. Best of Luck!

Pat Pazmino, MD, FACS · Answer

Juvederm is an excellent hyaluronic acid based injectable that can be used effectively for facial contouring.

	If you are experiencing numbness after a Juvederm injection, you should return to your doctor and let them know of your concerns. It is possible that during the injection a nerve in your chin or lower lip may have been stretched or bruised. Your doctor will want to assess you and help determine the cause of your numbness. If the nerve has only been bruised or stretched, you should expect a return of your sensation in approximately 2 months

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

The lip numbness sounds like it is resolving. This may have been the result of swelling or accidentally "tweaking" a sensory nerve when either filling the lip or numbing the lip. Give it some time, it usually gets better.

Kamran Jafri, MD · Answer

Hello Joco,
Based on your description of things and given the nature of Juvederm injections in this area, it is not entirely uncommon to have some numbness and unusual sensations around the lip area for a temporary period of time.
I am a little concerned that you still have numbness on the right side at nine days out.  However, I have seen this occur especially in patients who have had a nerve block and large amounts of Juvederm injected into the lips.
Without knowing your full history and an exam of your lips its hard to explain exactly why you are experiencing numbness in this way.
I would advise you to follow up with your Surgeon so they can see exactly what is going on.
Overall be at ease, based on your description of things permanent numbness is an exceedingly rare event after lip augmentation with HA Fillers like Juvederm.

George J. Beraka, MD (retired) · Answer

Hi.
It's not the Juvederm itself that caused the numbness.  Probably the needle touched a couple of nerves which got partially injured.  The numbness will almost certainly go away in a few weeks. 
One nerve, any doctor can hit.  But since this happened in a couple of places, you might want to consider trying another plastic surgeon or dermatologist.

Is Numbness After Juvederm Treatment Normal?

Answers (7)