How much pain is normal after fillers?

Author: Payton Watsica  |  Last update: Monday, June 9, 2025

You may experience mild pain at your injection sites. The pain should go away after 12 to 24 hours.

How long do fillers hurt afterwards?

Temporary minimal to moderate swelling may be expected related to the areas treated and the dermal filler products used. It is normal to experience some tenderness at the treatment site that feels like a bruise. This can last for a few hours or a few days –

What is the most painful area for fillers?

Where Does Filler Hurt Most?
  • Where Does Filler Hurt Most? Filler injections come with some level of discomfort during the treatment. ...
  • Lips. Despite being one of the most popular areas to treat with filler, the lips also tends to be more sensitive. ...
  • Nasolabial Folds.

What are the red flags after fillers?

As with any medical procedure, there are risks involved with the use of dermal fillers. Most side effects associated with dermal fillers, such as swelling and bruising occur shortly after injection and many resolve in a few days to weeks. In some cases, side effects may emerge weeks, months, or years later.

What are the first signs of vascular occlusion from fillers?

What are the symptoms of vascular occlusion?
  • Pain or discomfort at the site of the blockage.
  • Swelling.
  • Changes to your skin color; red (erythema) to blueish-purple or white spots (blanching).
  • Cool temperature to the affected area of your skin.

Do's and Dont's of Filler Aftercare - with Dr James!

How soon does necrosis start after filler?

The symptoms of ischemia can occur immediately after the injection or several hours after the procedure. Here, the authors report three cases of necrosis after hyaluronic acid injection with the first symptoms presenting only several hours after the procedure.

What does the start of a vascular occlusion look like?

Vascular occlusion warning signs (2): pallor

After the initial injection, the next sign of a problem with a VO is usually pallor. In the case of a true, complete vascular occlusion, pallor is very stark, particularly in lips. There will be a grey patch on the lip that sometimes has zero capillary refill.

How to know if body is rejecting fillers?

5 Signs That You Had a Bad Filler Job
  1. Persistent Puffiness. There are several signs that the body can give when a facial injection of filler has gone wrong. ...
  2. Asymmetry/Asymmetric Fullness. Asymmetrical fullness can occur after the injection is performed. ...
  3. Allergic Reaction. ...
  4. Infection. ...
  5. Unnatural Appearance.

Is there always pain with vascular occlusion?

The Immediate Signs Of A Vascular Occlusion

The patient may also complain of pain which is beyond the level that you would expect during a normal procedure. However, pain doesn't always occur, with one survey stating that in 47% of intravascular events, pain was either absent or mild.

What is a pillow face?

“Pillow face” occurs when too much filler is injected into areas like the cheeks, nasolabial folds (the lines from your nose to the corners of your mouth), lips, and under-eye area. This repeated overfilling can result in a bloated, round appearance that looks far from natural.

Why does my filler suddenly hurt?

Late-onset inflammatory reactions are rare complications, which may occur following injection of HA dermal fillers. Their cause may be infectious or immune-mediated in origin, and their outbreak can be triggered, for example, by a flu-like illness. Nevertheless, the latter events may be coincidental.

What is the riskiest area for fillers?

Common danger zones include the glabellar region, temporal fossa, infraorbital region, perioral region, lips, oral commissure, nasal area, and areas with major arteries like the supratrochlear, supraorbital, infraorbital foramen, mental foramen, facial artery, and deep temporal arteries.

Which hurts more, Botox or fillers?

In general, Botox injections cause less discomfort since they are administered using very fine needles and injected directly into the muscles. On the other hand, fillers may involve slightly larger needles to inject the dermal fillers beneath the skin surface, which can cause more discomfort.

What helps pain after fillers?

What To Do After Fillers: The First Hour
  • Apply an ice pack and Arnica topically—Arnica + bromelain tablets are both natural supplements to reduce bruising. These are available for purchase in our offices.
  • Take acetaminophen to reduce pain as necessary.
  • Avoid scratching, massaging, or picking around the injection site.

Should fillers hurt the next day?

It's normal to experience some lingering soreness after filler injections, and pain medications can certainly provide relief. However, it's important that you take the right kind of painkiller so you don't make any bruising worse.

What not to eat after fillers?

What Not to Eat After Fillers
  • Spicy foods, as they can cause inflammation and discomfort.
  • Salty foods, which can lead to dehydration and increased swelling.
  • Hot foods and beverages, which may aggravate sensitivity.
  • Acidic foods, such as citrus fruits and vinegar-based dressings, that can cause stinging or irritation.

How can you tell if pain is vascular?

Symptoms of peripheral vascular disease

Intermittent pain (claudication), which may feel like cramps, muscle fatigue or heaviness (usually in the legs) Worsening pain during exercise (usually in the legs) Easing of pain during rest (usually in the legs) Coldness of the affected body part.

What does occlusion pain feel like?

“Bite” (or occlusion) refers to how your upper and lower teeth fit together when you close down. What does it feel like when your bite is off? Common symptoms include one side hitting before the other when chewing, pain upon biting or the inability to bite down all the way.

What are the first signs of impending necrosis?

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF NECROSIS
  • Pain. 2,3,5,6,7 Severe pain is usually experienced by the patient when necrosis ensues. ...
  • Prolonged blanching. 2,3,5,7 When the vasculature is affected, the area will often initially look very pale, white, or dusky due to the reduction in blood supply. ...
  • Dusky, purple discoloration. ...
  • Coolness.

What is not normal after fillers?

Late complications are defined as those appearing after about 2-6 weeks. They comprise late allergic reactions, chronic inflammation and infection, granulomas, filler migration, loss of function, telangiectasia, and hypertrophic scars. A detailed history may disclose a potential allergy.

What is a delayed inflammatory response to fillers?

“While rare, people can experience a late onset inflammatory response to hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers," says Ali. "This presents as induration (a thickening and hardening of the skin), erythema (redness) and oedema (an accumulation of fluid that causes swelling).

How long does it take for fillers to look natural?

Oftentimes, it can take a few weeks for patients to get used to the look and feel of their new fillers, which is completely normal. After this time, fillers that were injected properly should begin to soften and even out for a strikingly natural look and feel.

What does blanching after fillers look like?

How do you identify blanching following toxin injections? The skin around the injection site(s) will generally turn much paler than your patient's normal skin tone. Often the skin turns completely white, especially in Caucasian patients.

How to avoid arteries when injecting fillers?

Prevent vascular occlusion by choosing an ABFCS surgeon
  1. Use a cannula vs a needle. An ABFCS surgeon will understand that a blunt-tip cannula will spread filler out more evenly beneath the skin and reduce the risk of injection into an artery or blood vessel. ...
  2. Aspirate their cannula. ...
  3. Avoid deep bolus injections.

How to tell the difference between bruising and vascular occlusion?

The most important sign of occlusion is poor capillary return on the affected area. In comparison, a bruise will have quick capillary return. The bruising is contained in a certain location and takes on a relatively defined shape, as opposed to discoloration, spreading and a mottled appearance.

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