Silicone Oil on Lips 2 Months Ago. Do I Really Have to Wait 6 Months to Remove it?

Thank you for your question regarding silicone removal from the upper lip. I am sorry that you had silicone injected. However, I would suggest you get the silicone removed as soon as possible. It is not true that you need to wait six months. That makes no sense.
Additionally, steroids do not remove silicone. Therefore, I would recommend a surgical procedure that would include an incision to directly remove the silicone, silicone oil, and associated silicone scar tissue as soon as possible. Please seek an experienced board-certified plastic surgeon that specializes in the removal of silicone. I specialize in silicone lip removal and subsequent lip reconstruction. I am the Director and chief clinical investigator at the Institute of Silicone Removal. Since removing silicone from the lip is a delicate procedure, please seek an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon with significant experience in removing silicone from the lips. Do your research. Make sure they have performed many lip silicone removal surgeries and have the before and after pictures to prove it. Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf. If you cannot find an experienced, lip silicone removal surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state if you must. Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, President of the American Society of Bariatric Surgeons, Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, RealSelf Hall of Fame, and RealSelf Doctor Advisory Board for Medical Review and Consumer Panel.)

If you are having problems with silicone oil in the lips, you do not have to wait to have it removed. Raffy Karamanoukian, Los Angeles

First, I strongly encourage you to report the person who injected your lips with silicone oil. This is the unlicensed practice of medicine.  If you are based in the United States, your state medical board will have a website that will generally allow you to make a complaint against this person.  While this will not right the wrong committed against you, it will reduce the chance that this person will harm others.  Regarding your lips, generally I think it is better to reduce the reaction to the silicone oil with 5FU.  This is an anti-cancer agent that decreases inflammation.  It is less likely to kill fat in the lip than steroid injections.  Generally it is helpful to wait 6-12 months before considering a surgical procedure.  I personally rely on lip liposuction.  This does not remove the silicone oil which scars in place.  Instead, the lipo reduced the contour of the lip by removing fat.  It is unlike to restore the lip to its former shape but it can help quite a bit.

Silicone injections in various parts of the body has been done quite frequently all over the country.  The difficulty with silicone injections begins with the quality of the silicone itself.  I have seen many cases where industrial grade silicone has been injected inside the human body.  This can be a tremendous disaster.  Problems can include infections, granulomas, cellulitis, and persistent skin infections, disfigurement and skin dimpling.  It is very easy to have silicone injected, but very difficult to have it removed.  The removal can frequently be very complex and involved lengthy surgery. Multiple operation is not uncommon.   It is not uncommon to expect scars in locations that would otherwise be undesirable.  If you do have silicone, or are having problem with silicone that was injected by a non-healthcare provider then you should certainly seek medical attention.  Some solutions include IV antibiotics, oral antibiotics and surgery after the inflammation has subsided.  Removing the silicone is not just a cosmetic issue but also an issue of better health.  Depending on the type of silicone injected concerns with autoimmune diseases and infections are foremost.  Taking medications such as ibuprofen or cortisone is only a temporary measure.  The real solution is surgery.  Not all plastic surgeons are willing to operate on patients who have had silicone injected in their body.  Many of these cases are not covered by insurance because they were performed for cosmetic reasons.  My recommendation to anyone that has had silicone injections and wishes to have it removed, is to seek a board certified plastic surgeon who is likely willing to do more than 1 operation as well as willing to do some of these operations in a hospital setting. I have had patients visit me for removal of silicone and the discussion to proceed is never an easy one.