In some cases, we recommend our patients massage their fillers following treatment to smooth them out below the skin; however, too much massage too soon may cause the filler to migrate slightly.
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.
It is not likely that the filler products would move if you wait at least a few days before pressing really hard on the areas and having extractions. The hyaluronic acid fillers settle nicely into the skin, and once any swelling goes down, it would be pretty unusual for anyone to be able to displace them.
Dr. Frank says the best way to deal with migration is to dissolve the filler with hyaluronidase (an enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid gels). In just a few hours, hyaluronidase softens the filler and returns the lips to a more natural shape, projection, and size.
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.
Fillers remain moldable for 1-2 weeks, and pressure can deform your filler.
Trauma at the Injection Site
The single most common cause of lumps or bumps after filler is the trauma of the injection itself. This is why we recommend waiting for the swollen, bruised skin to heal before beginning to massage it.
"Theoretically, all filler has the ability to migrate," says Dr. Diamond. "That is why it is so imperative that non-surgical injectable services are performed by experts with the anatomical knowledge to prevent this from happening.
Migration often occurs due to parts of the body being overfilled with this substance and this bleeding into other areas, so it's important to remain aware of the amount of filler that will be applied to your lips, as well as letting your practitioner know if you already have some filler in this part of your 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 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.
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.
Lumps are actually a common side effect after a dermal filler or lip filler treatment. Often they are a short-term problem, but if not, they are correctable by an aesthetic medical professional.
DON'T: massage your lips.
Massaging freshly injected lips risks moving the filler around causing the possibility of desportation and undesirable results.
Whilst it is somewhat normal to feel small lumps, depending on how thick the filler used was), if they feel one lump in particular, they can gently massage it in between their finger and their thumb, over a period of time, and it will help to “break down” the lump.
Calcium hydroxylapatite is biosynthetically produced, which means that no animals or animal products are used. This lowers your risk of an allergic reaction and no skin testing is required. This type of dermal filler is known to produce a very natural result, doesn't migrate and side effects are rare.
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.
Tijion Esho, founder of Esho Clinic and ESHO lip products, says true filler migration is actually quite rare. “The face has fixed facial compartments and filler can only move where there is adjacent space,” he says.
Hard and tender lumps suggest that your body might have reacted to the filler. A mild allergic reaction can be sorted out quickly and easily by a prescription of steroids, which our aesthetic medical professional can provide you with. This prescription is available at most pharmacies.
Generally, any lumps or bumps that appear after fillers will disappear on their own within one to two weeks. Give the treatment a couple of weeks to improve, applying ice regularly.
If it is your first time getting an injectable treatment, you may have many questions about the aftercare and healing process. Lip filler may cause the treatment area to feel swollen, hard, or lumpy at first, but this is all part of the healing process, and the fillers will soften and settle over time.
It takes up to 4 weeks for the filler to fully integrate into the tissue and some fillers are more cohesive than others. We often advise my patients that they should drink plenty of water to stay hydrated after treatment, as hyaluronic based fillers are water-binding.
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.
After your dermal filler treatment, you should remain in an upright position for 3-4 hours and avoid rubbing or applying any pressure on the treated area. This will prevent the filler from migrating to other areas.