The good news is that lumps after cheek filler almost always go away within a couple of weeks and patients can then enjoy their results without worry.
It's completely normal for cheek fillers to feel firm, swollen, and slightly lumpy for the first few weeks after injections as your skin heals. But if the hardness persists past 4 weeks or is accompanied by pain, redness, or visible bumps, contact your doctor to ensure your fillers are healing properly.
Lumps after dermal filler is a common issue and can be normal and temporary, or it may need to be reviewed. It is very common to have temporary lumpiness in the skin in the first few weeks after dermal filler. What usually happens is that it will integrate into the skin by about week 4.
It's relatively safe to perform a cheek massage as a way to resolve lumps and swelling from hyaluronic acid fillers. It can also be done to manage side effects from other injectable procedures such as a lip filler or chin filler treatment.
What Causes Hard, Ball-Like Lumps After Cheek Filler Treatment? Hard, ball-like lumps after cheek filler treatment are commonly caused by improper injection technique, overfilling the area, inflammatory reactions like swelling or bruising, or delayed allergic responses to the filler material.
Cheek Filler Gone Wrong
But rarely, people may experience the following results of cheek fillers gone wrong: “Pillow cheeks” “Sunset eyes” Injection site redness and swelling.
If the lip filler lumps persist after two weeks, they can be evened out by injecting more filler around the lumps. Your injector can also use a small amount of hyaluronidase enzyme to dissolve lumps or to reverse the injections completely.
Timeline for Settling: Typically, cheek fillers take about two weeks to fully settle and integrate with the surrounding tissues. Initially, you may notice an improvement right after the treatment, but the final results refine over the next few weeks. This period allows any initial swelling or bruising to subside.
The only non-invasive therapeutic options for granuloma secondary to dermal filler involve intralesional injection, like scar treatment, with a mixture of antibiotics (effective only if used before a biofilm has developed), steroids, fluorouracil, and hyaluronidase [10,11].
Massaging the treated areas can disrupt the dermal filler and cause the hyaluronic acid solution to move out of place. This can lead to an uneven or lumpy appearance.
If you have a filler that contains hyaluronic acid, hyaluronidase can dissolve it regardless of where the filler was placed. For example, hyaluronidase can dissolve hyaluronic acid filler in your cheeks, lips and lower eyelids, among other areas. Other types of filler material don't dissolve with hyaluronidase.
Cheek fillers can feel hard if the filler gel had been injected in such a way that a larger deposit was present in one area. It could also be an effect of the filler product moving to create a larger deposit in a region. This is known as the cheek fillers not settling and it can take a few weeks to settle.
“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.
This can last 2-4 weeks, and generally resolves on its own as the lip filler integrates with your natural tissue beneath the skin. If you notice firm lumps that either don't improve, or are still bothersome 4 weeks after your treatment then you may need a review appointment to assess your lips.
Some fillers may feel firmer than others. Injectors do tend to use firmer fillers for the cheeks, especially if accentuating the cheekbones. Over the next week or two, the fillers should begin to soften. Your injector may recommend occasional massages to help your fillers settle and soften.
Hyaluronic acid fillers like JUVÉDERM VOLUMA XC and Restylane Lyft typically last 12 to 18 months, while Sculptra, which stimulates collagen production, can last up to 2 years or more. Regular maintenance, proper skincare, and a healthy lifestyle can enhance the longevity of these treatments.
The good news is that lumps after cheek filler almost always go away within a couple of weeks and patients can then enjoy their results without worry.
A lip filler granuloma typically looks like a nodule or lump in your lips or the surrounding tissue. You may notice the nodule feels firm or cystic when you press on it. It is usually movable under your skin and non-tender. There may also be some associated swelling, redness, or hardness around the granuloma lump.
The Settling Period: When Swelling Subsides
Cheek fillers, on the other hand, enhance facial contours as swelling reduces, offering a glimpse into the rejuvenated appearance. This settling period typically spans 1 to 2 weeks post-injection.
While recovery timelines vary, you can expect your face to look normal again around 1-2 weeks after cheek filler injections. Adhering closely to your provider's aftercare advice will help facilitate the healing process. Getting cheek filler injections can provide an instant boost of volume and contour to the midface.
The initial infected symptoms include pain along with tenderness and redness. These signs will typically occur within the first week between days 2 and 6. The formation of an abscess occurs between day 6 and 14. Normal post-procedural inflammation has some overlap but tends to peak at 6 hours and then start to reduce.
For most patients, consistent massage resolves any lumpiness resulting from lip fillers. However, some cases of persistent, painful lumps and nodules may require medical treatment.
These swellings commonly remained at the site of injection and disappeared with adequate treatment; however they are now infrequent. Clumping of a filler causes lumps and bumps that usually have to be surgically removed. Permanent fillers cause permanent side effects.
Cold compresses and OTC pain medications can help relieve pain, redness, and swelling. But if your symptoms don't go away or get worse after this time period, be sure to contact a healthcare professional.