I Just Had Restylane on Both Cheeks and Only One Side of my Face is Swollen. Normal?

Windy

I get called for all sorts of things.  Honestly, I would rather see someone for something that turns out to be nothing than miss something important.  Most likely your injector feels the same way.  Having said that, swelling after a service is very common and it does not have to be the same on each side.  While we docs like to think that the service is zero down time, that is not really true.  I often use 40 hours for normal swelling provided there is no bruise.  With a bruise, swelling can persist much longer.  Give it a few days, if things have not settled, please call your doctor.

Swelling is normal and can be asymmetric. You can expect swelling to last for one to two weeks, depending on the area treated and how your body reacts to the treatment. Keep your head elevated to help ease swelling, particularly when sleeping. You can use a few pillows to prop your head up.If it doesn't improve after a week or so, please see your injector for an assessment.

Hi Windy.  Not very many patients are completely symmetrical.  But if your face was relatively symmetrical before the injections then it's very possible to have had more swelling one one side than another.  Typically we see bruising more often than swelling with Restylane, but it depends on the injection technique and the amount of product used.

We have our patients come to a 2 week checkup after their initial visit just to make sure everything turned out as we both expected.  Give your injector a call and schedule a checkup for something around the 2 week mark.  Good luck.