Generally, within two weeks the lip filler is no longer malleable. You should be able to massage or move your lips without changing the shape of them given you are two weeks post-injection. Though it is not exactly the same for each patient, lip filler stops being malleable after about one week.
Answer: Wait 2 weeks
At that time the filler is integrated into the tissue and will not move out of place.
How Long Does Lip Filler Migration Last? The good news is fillers are only semi-permeant. Depending on how recently the filler was injected, the migration will last approximately 6-18 months. During that time your body will naturally metabolize and break the filler down over time if left alone.
Hyaluronic acid-based fillers are gels with a liquid-y formulation. The basic rules of science tell us that any liquid can move. However, migrating filler isn't necessarily an immediate effect. Instead, it's one that happens gradually over weeks, if not months or even years.
During this two week period, the hyaluronic acid in your filler will settle into your dermal tissues and begin to interact with the water in your skin. This process will hydrate your skin and give you a healthy, youthful appearance.
Even as the hyaluronic acid is processed by your body, healthy collagen and elastin grow at a more significant rate. This means you will see initial improvement nearly immediately. They will improve over six to eight weeks.
Yes Juvederm expands within the first few days. The hyaluronic acid is hygroscopic, meaning that it absorbs water from the surrounding tissue. That is why your lips can swell a bit if you have eaten a salty meal or are retaining water.
If your lip fillers have migrated, it will almost always be noticeable visually. This can be presented in many ways; from a puffy upper lip, a lack of a defined border between the lip edge and above and/or below the lip border.
It might have to do with how your body metabolizes hyaluronic acid. There's no guarantee, but perhaps switching to a different brand of filler might help to get a longer lasting result. Speak to your injector/physician about this again.
DON'T: massage your lips.
Massaging freshly injected lips risks moving the filler around causing the possibility of desportation and undesirable results.
Lip filler migration is one of the few common side effects of aesthetic injectables. It occurs when the dermal filler spreads or migrates to another region separate from the area in which the injection was placed.
Migrated lip filler can present as lumps, noticeable volume above the top lip, lack of a defined lip edge all over, and sometimes can cause discomfort.
In reality, fillers take up to four weeks to “settle,” according to Healthline. Different types of fillers can settle more quickly, and your lifestyle and similar factors can also affect the amount of time it takes to settle.
"With lip filler, the upper lip border becomes less defined and a mound develops in the skin above the lip, causing the 'duck lip look,' says Dr. Nichols. "In cases of undereye filler, migration is seen as bumps in the lower eyelid and/or upper cheeks areas underneath the eyes."
Why Are Filler Results Temporary? Dermal fillers are created using naturally occurring enzymes, such as hyaluronic acid. For this reason, they are metabolized by your body over time. The speed of your metabolism will greatly affect how long your treatment results last.
Different fillers tend to naturally dissolve at different speeds. Most hyaluronic acid fillers used in the lips, jawline, and cheeks, including Juvederm and Restylane, metabolize after 6 months to a year. Sculptra can continue to provide results in the face for up to two years.
Based on your photos, it appears you may have a localized infection at an injection site. You will want to keep this area clean and not manipulate the area. Sometimes antibiotics are indicated. I recommend contacting your board certified plastic surgeon who performed the procedure to address your concerns.
But, if you see small lumps and/or raised skin around the treatment area, this may be an indication your filler has moved slightly or your skin has been overfilled. It is important to remember that some localized swelling is expected after a filler treatment and should resolve on its own.
In addition, Voluma is a solid filler which gives it the advantage of not migrating to the surrounding tissues. For patients who want more dramatic changes, Voluma allows for more product to be placed with less risk of displacement.
Answer: Swelling after Filler injection
If a local anesthetic is injected first, such as for a cheek injection or sometimes for lip injection, the amount of fluid will add to initial volume. Lidocaine also has a vasodilatory effect and therefore swelling.
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.
The swelling that can often occur after Lip Fillers can cause the lips to look a little uneven for a short time. This doesn't necessarily mean that anything has gone wrong and it may just take a little time for the product to fully settle and for residual swelling to subside.
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.
This filler works naturally, much like the hyaluronic acid your body already produces. Because it works this way, it takes two to three weeks to fully settle into your skin. This means that while you'll see an immediate improvement, you won't see your final results right away.