You've just had your lips done, you love them!.....However, how can you help your lips recover ASAP? This is the ultimate lip filler after care guide, we will give you all our handy hints and tips to give those lush lips the best recovery possible, from the blindingly obvious to the sneaky unknown secrets you may not know about.
What to do before treatment?
So where do you start? Recovery actually starts before your treatment occurs, in the week prior to having that pout plumped you should avoid taking any over the counter blood thinning/anti inflammatory medications (unless prescribed for you) such as Aspirin and Ibuprofen also avoid supplements such as: Ginkgo biloba, primrose oil, ginseng, Vitamin E and St. John's Wort. These can all have a negative impact on your recovery and may lead to excessive swelling and bruising post treatment.
In the lead up to your appointment, a day or two prior it is best to avoid applying any products that contain retinol to the lips, products that help retain moisture such as Vaseline are best to use to keep lips hydrated. We also advise to avoid any irritation to the lip area immediately before and after the treatment, so no waxing tweezing or applying any hair removal cream to the lip area. 24 hours before having your lips filled it is advised to avoid drinking any alcoholic beverages, this is also advised post treatment
So you've been good so far, you've done all this, what now? Its the day of your treatment you've been poked and prodded in your lips 1 million times (well you might feel like that but its a lot less), you're feeling fabulous, you love the swell, you've still been feeling the effects of the numbing cream that has been applied before your treatment so not much pain and also the filler itself may have had anaesthetic included...........now what?
Post treatment, preventative measures.
Once you return home from your treatment there are a few tips that will help keep down swelling and to minimise bruising (lets face it there is definitely going to be swelling but the bruising we want to avoid, no one wants to look like they've been punched in the pout!) Sometimes the bruising is unavoidable as the lips are very vascular but the application of Arnica Cream or Arnica Gel is recommended, Arnica has been used for centuries as a preventative for bruising and swelling. We recommend applying Arnica cream after treatment and sporadically for the next 72 hours.
Another more obvious preventative measure is to apply a ice pack to the lips, do not apply the ice pack directly to the lips as this can stick to the lips however wrapping the ice pack in a thin cloth or towel is recommended, the ice pack will help reduce the swelling and for best results use this over the course of 48 hours. Many of our patients who have used the ice pack diligently have had a significantly reduced "down time" and have noticed a reduction in the swelling quicker.
Hydration is key post treatment, it is highly recommended that you stay well hydrated after you have received any dermal filler treatment as dermal fillers absorb water from the surrounding area, so drink some of that high quality H2O! and we recommend applying Vaseline to your lips to keep them moist.
As well as avoiding alcohol for 48 hours post treatment it is also advisable to avoid any intense exercise as this can cause excess bruising and swelling to the treatment area, also no lip exercise, so this means no heavy kissing for the 48 hours! Pecking is fine no one gets hurt from a peck, right? Along with this try not to touch the area too much for the next 24 hours and avoid massaging the lips unless advised to by your practitioner, excess heat should be avoided so no sun beds, hot tubs or steam rooms, so yeah don't get your lips done when your going to the spa the next day. Continue to avoid any anti inflammatory medication (unless prescribed), if you have any pain, paracetamol is advised. Making sure these guidelines are followed is going to give you the best chance of recovering quickly and giving you the best results possible.
Another little tip, do you like pineapple? Pineapple contains an enzyme called Bromelain which has anti-inflammatory properties and also reduces bruising.
Here at Becca Wilson Aesthetics we believe after care is essential this is why all patients that have Lip Augmentation are presented with a small gift bag containing, a small tin of Vaseline, a sample of Arnica cream and a cute lip shaped ice pack to help you reduce the chances of bruising and excessive swelling.........The Pineapple? Yeah, we don't provide that but they're readily available at most supermarkets, so keep those lips cool and hydrated.
