In short. Day by day after lip treatment, including the asymmetry that is swelling rather than result, what to avoid at the dentist, and the signs that need review.
Key points
- Swelling is at its peak on the second day and is uneven between the sides.
- The result is what remains once the swelling has gone, which is why the review visit is set later than the point at which most people make up their mind.
The recovery after a lip treatment is short and uneven. Knowing what the first fortnight looks like stops a normal course being read as a complication, and a complication being read as a normal course.
The first three days
Swelling begins within hours and is most pronounced on the second day, which is when most people decide their lip is too large. It is fluid at that point, not a result, and it reduces. Bruising may appear on the second or third day, sometimes extending beyond the lip, and fades through the usual colours over about a week. The lip feels full, tender and slightly numb in places, and unfamiliar when it moves. Cold, rest and keeping the head raised for the first nights are the ordinary measures, and you should have been given the specific ones for your case.
The asymmetry that is swelling
The two sides of the lip do not swell or settle equally, and a difference between them in the first week is normal. It is the commonest reason someone decides too early that the result is uneven, and why the review visit is set after the swelling has gone. A difference present at rest once the swelling has resolved is a finding to be assessed. One visible only while the mouth is moving is a muscle finding, assessed differently again.
Speaking, eating and the dentist
Most people speak and eat the same day after an injectable, with some care, and may notice a slight change in certain sounds while the lip is swollen. After an operation, speaking, eating and drinking are genuinely affected and improve as the swelling settles. Dental work and impressions press directly on the lip and can displace material while it is settling, so they are spaced away from treatment. Say what you have had at both appointments.
Normal, and not
Swelling, bruising, tenderness and a temporary change in sensation are expected. Severe or increasing pain, blanching or mottled skin, a change in vision, increasing swelling with fever, or a wound that opens are not, and need contact with the treating team the same day. After an operation, a lip that is numb or a mouth that does not close is assessed by the treating team. The distinction is between a course following its usual path and one that is not, and the second is a reason to make contact rather than wait.
Judge nothing in the first week
Swelling is at its peak on the second day and is uneven between the sides. The result is what remains once the swelling has gone, which is why the review visit is set later than the point at which most people make up their mind.
Contact the treating team the same day
- Severe or increasing pain, blanching or mottled skin, or a change in vision.
- Rapidly increasing swelling with fever, or spreading redness.
- A wound that opens, or a lip that is numb or not moving after an operation.
Frequently asked questions
Why is one side more swollen than the other?
Because the two sides do not drain equally, and because the lip is a mobile structure that is moved constantly rather than rested. A difference in swelling between the sides is common in the first days and is the usual reason someone concludes too early that the result is uneven. It settles as the swelling settles. A difference that is still present once the swelling has gone is a different finding and is assessed on its own.
When can I have dental work or a dental impression?
Not in the days immediately afterwards, and the interval should be given to you by the treating practitioner rather than assumed. Dental treatment involves pressure on the lip and often a retractor that stretches it, and an impression tray presses directly on the area that has just been treated. Filler can be displaced by that pressure while it is settling. Tell your dentist what you have had and when, so the two appointments can be spaced sensibly.
After a lip lift, when is the shape final?
Not in the first weeks. There is swelling, the scar is firm and the lip feels stiff, and the mouth does not move with its usual freedom at first. The scar matures over months and the tissues soften over the same period, so the appearance at six weeks is not the appearance at six months. The position of the border changes little after the early weeks, but how the mouth reads does, which is why the review schedule runs for months rather than weeks.
Risks & Limitations
- A dissolvable gel filler can be broken down with an enzyme. Skin or tissue removed by an operation cannot be put back.
- Bruising and swelling after a lip injection are common and usually settle over one to two weeks.
- Repeated filler over years can accumulate in the lip, and dissolving may not return it to its untreated state.
- Every operation on the lip leaves a scar, and the lines above the border and the way the mouth closes can change.
When to Seek Care
- Severe pain, blanching or mottled skin during or after a lip injection, or a change in vision.
- A sore, ulcer or white patch on the lip that has not healed in a few weeks.
- A lip that is numb, or a mouth that no longer closes, after an operation.
- Fever with spreading redness, warmth or discharge, or a wound that opens.
References & Further Reading
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) — procedure and safety guidance
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE, UK) — relevant guidance
- Cochrane Library — systematic reviews
- Chinese Medical Association Plastic Surgery Branch — clinical guidance
This page is patient education, not medical advice, and it does not cite individual studies. Discuss your own case with a qualified clinician. To arrange an assessment at Chongqing West District Hospital, see Contact & Consultation.