Although extremely rare, dermal fillers are able to migrate within the skin if consistent and adequate pressure is applied to them. For this reason, we advise patients not to get a facial, massage (on the treated skin), or microdermabrasion for the first two weeks following their filler injections.
In rare cases, facial fillers like Juvederm can migrate to another site of your face within a few days of your injections. This happens when the filler moves before it has fully bonded with your facial tissue.
The risk of infection is much higher in the time immediately after your filler treatment, so medical experts recommend not touching the affected area for at least that amount of time. Touching the area with your hands, or even a makeup brush, increases the risk of infection greatly.
Migrating filler can happen when injectable products are placed into the wrong plane. As Dr. Hahn explains, a thin plane – known as the pars marginalis and pars peripherals – separates the lip muscle (orbicularis oris), and injecting it into the wrong plane can allow the filler to move.
Yes, massages can move the filler initially. It is generally recommended to wait at least 2 weeks before having a massage, manipulating the areas that have had filler added (try not to touch, if possible!), or having any additional treatments to the area immediately after.
Other than that you can return to your normal activities. Avoid pressure to the injected areas ofr about two weeks. Fillers remain moldable for 1-2 weeks, and pressure can deform your filler.
Over time, as facial movement increases in areas like the lips or cheeks, it causes the filler to break down and dissolve at a quicker rate. This makes the filler disappear faster in more active areas of the face.
Migrated lip filler is visibly noticeable and usually presents as lumps, but can also appear as a puffy upper lip, lack of a defined border between lip edge and above and/or below the lip border – think duck lips.
The treated area will feel different after your injections. It will likely seem fuller than usual due to the presence of the filler and post-treatment swelling. Some tenderness is also to be expected, particularly when the cheeks and temples have been injected. These sensations usually subside within a few weeks.
Dermal filler doesn't 'normally', move after treatment. Immediately after treatment, in certain areas of the face, I do gently massage the area/s that were injected to help mold the product and prevent lumps. It does take about 2 weeks for the filler to settle and integrate into the tissue.
Although extremely rare, dermal fillers are able to migrate within the skin if consistent and adequate pressure is applied to them. For this reason, we advise patients not to get a facial, massage (on the treated skin), or microdermabrasion for the first two weeks following their filler injections.
Experiencing lumps in lips after injectable filler is extremely common—and lumps most often resolve naturally with time. Gentle lip massage 5-7 days after the treatment can help smooth any lumps and bumps in the lips.
The filler can take several weeks to soften and settle into your skin. This means that patients won't see the ultimate results of their treatment immediately. Although individual results will vary, many people achieve the full effect within two weeks after receiving their injections.
The most common cause of lumps after a filler treatment is swelling and bruising from the injections themselves. These should naturally subside within the first week.
If you believe that your filler has migrated, then don't panic, as it can be treated. The beauty of modern-day filler is that it is semi-permanent, so over time your body will naturally break down and metabolise the substance.
However, it must be stressed, however, that filler does not migrate from one area of the body to another. What being discussed on social media is simply so-called migration of a few millimeters within the same anatomical regions where it was injected.
Do not massage your lips for 24 to 48 hours after the treatment. Once your swelling subsides down, you can gently massage your lips with light pressure.
Smoothing Out the Lumps
The good news is yes, those pesky filler lumps will in fact go away. It's actually quite uncommon for patients to experience any irritation or lumps following their procedure, but if you do, then you should expect them to dissipate after a few days.
The Results Improve Over Time
Because these injections stimulate your body's production of collagen and elastin, the final results of treatment won't be seen for several weeks. Even as the hyaluronic acid is processed by your body, healthy collagen and elastin grow at a more significant rate.
Filler Massage
The product will remain somewhat malleable for about a month after it has been injected. If you think that your filler has migrated to unwanted areas or isn?t as smooth as you? d like, massage is always an option.
Massage can encourage the filler to be broken up by the body more quickly. But in practice this still takes a long time (like weeks of daily vigorous massage) to improve the outcome. This may also spread the product over a larger area causing more problems.
Intense heat on the skin can make your filler break down more quickly or produce less effective results. Ideally, you should avoid exposure to intense heat for at least 12 to 24 hours after your appointment.
The more mobile the area, the faster a filler in that spot will break down. Because of this, patients can seek expert facial plastic surgeons who can inject fillers into specific parts of the face to provide the most satisfying results, while selecting areas with the least amount of movement.
If the filler is in a location further away from direct blood flow than other locations, then this means that cells that secrete hyaluronidase will not be able to reach the hyaluronic acid gel, and will therefore be unable to dissolve it.