Contour plastic surgery is a rejuvenating technique that does not involve surgical intervention. During the procedure, a special drug, a filler, is injected into the deep layers of the skin; its effect can be permanent or temporary. Contour plastic helps eliminate wrinkles, asymmetry of the face and its individual areas, tightens the facial contour, adds volume to some areas, removes scars. Before making an appointment with a cosmetologist, the patient usually wants to know more about the procedure, and we tried to collect the most common questions and give answers to them.
Why does swelling appear after contouring?
The first reason: the body’s natural reaction. Contour plastic surgery is an injection technique, which means that the tissue will respond to the injection as if it were subject to minimal external influence. Puncture of the skin and injection of filler leads to an increased flow of blood cells to the site of damage and acceleration of metabolism. This causes mild swelling, which subsides in 1-2 days. The second reason is the presence of hyaluronic acid in the filler. It increases tissue hydration by attracting a large number of water molecules; this property can explain the appearance of edema.
Face massage
After filler injections, you are allowed to massage your face only after 2 months, and you need to make sure that the movements are not active and do not involve the injected areas.
Some cosmetologists believe that facial massage after fillers is allowed within a week after injections. Others are convinced that exposure to the skin will lead to rupture of the filler at the injection sites and recommend refraining from the procedure for 2-6 months, depending on the indications.
You can massage your face after Botox and fillers, but you should avoid the injection area. There are gentle manual techniques, they will not harm, but will improve lymph microcirculation and increase skin tone.
During the rehabilitation period, you can and should massage the neck, décolleté, chest and other areas of the body that need this procedure.
Is it painful to have contour plastic surgery?
Pain tolerance is an individual thing. The filler is injected into the skin with a microneedle of minimal thickness - this significantly reduces discomfort. And contour plastic surgery of particularly sensitive areas (around the lips, around the eyes) is performed under local anesthesia.
How to prepare for contour plastic surgery?
You should first visit a cosmetologist, he will provide individual recommendations for you. General recommendations for most patients are:
one week before the procedure:
- Avoiding blood thinners will help prevent swelling and bruising.
per day:
- refusal to drink alcohol.
- ban on visiting the bathhouse/sauna
- ban on thermal procedures in the facial area,
- refusal of intense training.
When will the results of plastic surgery be visible?
Contour plastic surgery is also attractive because the result of the procedure can be assessed immediately after it is performed. However, do not forget that during the first days you may experience swelling and irritation of the skin. To evaluate the final result, you should wait 1-2 days - during this time the tissues will adapt to the injected filler and its components will begin to produce the expected effect. How pronounced it will be depends on several factors:
1. type of drug,
2. volume injected,
3. experience and skill of the cosmetologist performing the procedure.
A doctor who has extensive practical experience in performing contouring knows how much to administer the drug depending on the area being corrected and achieves a lasting positive effect.
Filler injection: precautions
- To minimize unwanted results, it is recommended to start with temporary hyaluronic fillers. This will allow the doctor and patient to evaluate the cosmetic effect and decide on the need to introduce permanent filler.
- Swelling and bruising can be avoided by stopping anti-clotting medications and using ice packs.
- The depth of filler injection is essential. When using fillers in cosmetology, you need to take into account the manufacturer’s recommendations and the specialist’s own experience.
- During the first three days after the procedure, sudden, repetitive movements should be avoided so as not to provoke migration of the drug.
- Certain parts of the body and types of scars are more prone to developing unwanted effects. For example, bumps most often form around transverse wrinkles on the forehead and vertical lines near the mouth. In areas with thin skin, such as the eyelids and the eye area, injectable fillers can move easily, so injections are not performed here. Lumps and nodules can also form in the corners of the eyes, however, some fillers give excellent results here too. The risk of necrosis in the glabella area increases when using the patient's own fat. Narrow, deep and depressed scars are the result of chicken pox or acne. When correcting them, a phenomenon may occur in which the edges of the scar increase in volume along with the deepened area into which the drug is injected.
- When using fillers in cosmetology, it is sometimes necessary to conduct several tests first. For example, products based on bovine collagen must undergo a preliminary allergy test.
Up to what age can contour plastic surgery be done?
This procedure does not have strict age restrictions. Contour plastic surgery with fillers can be performed for patients of any age. Differences may only affect the technique of administering the drug, the type and volume of filler.
Biopolymer gel or gel based on hyaluronic acid: which is better?
Facial contouring using biopolymer gel is already a thing of the past. The fact is that this substance is of synthetic origin; it does not dissolve in tissues. The advantage of the biopolymer gel was its low price and long-lasting effect (more than 5 years). However, it was abandoned due to the high risk of complications. It caused inflammation, swelling, and could migrate to nearby areas, causing deformation of the contours of the face. Fillers with hyaluronic acid are more expensive, but much safer. They take root well, do not cause inflammatory processes, and are removed from tissues naturally, since they are based on a natural component of the human body. The effect of contouring with hyaluronic acid preparations is predictable, and the procedure itself is less traumatic for the body.
Elimination of complications
Severe swelling and allergic reactions caused by injectable fillers can be treated with oral corticosteroids or antihistamines.
Bubbles and bumps caused by contour fillers should resolve on their own. If this does not happen, the injectable fillers are removed by cutting and draining the tissue. Permanent compounds can be removed using local corticosteroid injections, surgical incisions, dermabrasion, or laser resurfacing. Blisters on the upper lip are eliminated with massage, incision and drainage, local hormone injections, or surgery.
As a rule, pain and discoloration of the injection site are the result of blockage of blood vessels. In such cases, you should immediately apply a warm compress, massage and apply nitroglycerin paste. If hyaluronic filler was used, hyaluronidase is injected to destroy it and relieve tension in the tissues.
Instructions after lip augmentation: about prohibitions and restrictions
During the first days, you will invariably pay attention to external manifestations after manipulation. But injections of hyaluronic acid also affect the internal state of the body. Not following the recommendations? Side effects are possible after lip augmentation. It is worth paying attention even to the influence of external factors, bad habits, and lifestyle. What can cause deformation of the shape of the mouth and change the rate of decomposition of hyaluronate for the worse?
Nutrition: what not to eat after lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid
The first day after a series of injections, you should avoid hot drinks and hot meals. This is due to the effect of temperature on the composition of hyaluronate. Eating too hot foods and liquids will also cause blood vessels to dilate and cause unnecessary injury to tissues and skin, causing swelling. For at least a week, abstain from alcoholic beverages, since alcohol also activates blood flow and dilates blood vessels, causing an imperceptible increase in microcirculation. By the way, to the question why you can’t smoke after lip augmentation, the answer is the opposite. If you cannot give up this bad habit, then you can continue to smoke, since nicotine, on the contrary, constricts blood vessels and does not affect hyaluronate.
Can I use cosmetics?
It is possible, but not all of it. Be sure to exclude lip gloss and lipstick, as well as other decorative cosmetics that should be applied to the areas around the mouth. Neutral hygiene products can be used, those that will not cause allergies on injured skin. Unfortunately, many cosmetic products are more aggressive in their composition than they should be. This also applies to most foundation creams, so there is no need to mask redness and swelling. Let your skin regenerate naturally. If you are still wondering how long you should not paint your lips after augmentation with fillers, we advise you to resort to your favorite lipsticks and glosses after at least a week. Forget about chemical peeling and harsh cleansing for a while; you can clean your face with ice cubes from chamomile infusion, wrapped in a soft cloth or napkin. If you want to do permanent makeup and tattooing, it is better to do them before injection sessions.
About physical activity after lip augmentation: is it possible to play sports?
We recommend resuming fitness and active training after at least 7-10 days. This is due to the fact that during them blood circulation increases, the temperature of the whole body rises, blood flow increases and vasodilation occurs. Sweating causes salt to escape through the skin, which can result in irritation in the injection area and a slowdown in the healing process.
Is it possible to sunbathe?
Surprisingly, people often ask how many days you can’t kiss after lip augmentation. Sunbathing and visiting a solarium are included in the list of non-recommended sessions. Avoid direct sunlight and artificial tanning in salons for at least two weeks: the influence of ultraviolet radiation will not be beneficial during this period. As with physical activity, the temperature rises and the secretion of sweat and salts increases. In general, protect your skin from such exposure. By the way, directly opposite cold temperatures and their sharp changes are also dangerous (the exception is periodic compresses with a cooling effect to reduce swelling, but do not overdo it with the amount, 2-3 times a day for 10 minutes will be enough).
Favorite warming procedures
As you can guess, bathhouses, saunas, steaming and hammam are also prohibited. Of course, temporarily. Any increase in metabolism will nullify the entire result of hyaluronic acid injections, since its breakdown will begin to occur very quickly. Also postpone visiting the pool and swimming in the sea: salty and chlorinated water are not the best helpers in the next two weeks. The pleasure of swimming will be reduced to zero if irritation and dryness of the skin increases or an allergic reaction is provoked. In addition, dirt or infection can get into open wounds after injections.
Medicines and procedures
In this area, recommendations after applying hyaluronic acid to the lips concern the use of moisturizing gels and restorative ointments - this is not only not prohibited, but also necessary. But be sure to make sure that you do not have to take medications that negatively affect blood clotting and have thinning properties (Aspirin, Ibuprofen); due to their use, swelling will go away slowly, but the appearance of unwanted bruises at the injection sites is guaranteed. But the strict ban does not apply to antibiotics, although it is better to avoid taking them.
Gym, training, gymnastics
You should not play sports after fillers, because during sports activities the body temperature rises, sweating increases, blood pressure rises and, as a result, blood vessels dilate.
This leads to swelling and redness, as well as the breakdown of hyaluronic acid. Along with sweat, salt is released, which irritates the skin, especially at the injection sites, which interferes with the healing of wounds and provokes infection of the skin in the injection areas.
Recommendations after lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid
Injections with hyaluron are a very popular and popular procedure. Despite this, questions about what happens to lips immediately after lip augmentation, how to take care of them, what needs to be done, and what is strictly prohibited, are not getting smaller. The specialists of our clinic have extensive experience in carrying out such manipulations, so they are well aware of all the rules and list of prohibitions and will tell you about them at the first consultation.
You will not be able to evaluate the final result immediately, but even it will depend not only on the qualifications of the cosmetologist, the injection technique and the composition of the filler. Carefully study all our tips, then you will have an idea in advance how to maintain the effect of lip augmentation after the procedure
First impression
Perhaps this is exactly what worries many. In the first hours after injections, redness and slight swelling will form around the lips. Don't be afraid, this is a natural process. Lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid, subject to all the rules of the procedure, is a safe method. Hyaluron is present in our body by itself, it is an intercellular fluid that saturates our skin with moisture. Injections are an artificial saturation of the subcutaneous space with this substance. And since injections still involve careful puncture of the skin, on the first day after lip augmentation there may be traces of injections. Gradually, severe swelling and inflammation disappear, leaving your lips with wonderful volume and richness that can last up to 6-10 months.
How to care for lips after augmentation
In addition to the unnatural swelling and redness we have already mentioned, you will feel that the skin around your mouth has become very sensitive. As they say, beauty requires sacrifice. The area around the mouth itself is usually very tender, and even with the use of anesthetics during the procedure, you may experience some soreness in the first days after the injections. You will be concerned about how long it takes for your lips to heal after augmentation. Don't worry, the process goes quickly. The skin from the injected gel should be saturated with hyaluronate and take on a new voluminous shape. Unpleasant sensations may continue for a couple of days. But within a week, pleasant changes will occur. Try not to rub or actively touch your lips immediately after augmentation; under no circumstances scratch the injection sites, this can severely damage the skin, blood vessels and disrupt the process of natural adaptation.
If you are still very sensitive to pain and discomfort, you are allowed to use special pain-relieving gels or creams. These medications will help reduce soreness in and around the injection area and will also help with healing. For example, experts recommend applying Bepanten after lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid. Another way to reduce excessive swelling and redness is to apply cold compresses. The main thing is not to overdo it, since too often strong cooling can be harmful.
Massage is possible! But not at once
If you remember, it is not recommended to do it before injections. But after that, it’s just what’s needed. Massage is one of the important recommendations for lip care after lip augmentation with filler. You can start it on the fourth day after the injections (if by this time severe swelling does not subside, contact your cosmetologist; massage is not recommended in this case).
The nuance is that it should be a light special massage. It is better to leave it in the hands of a specialist. The impact of the fingertips on the injection areas and the skin near the mouth should be very gentle and weak, press and press hard - do not ensure that the composition is distributed evenly under the skin. Using circular movements, you need to gently massage your lips, thereby helping the process of resorption of bruises and remaining swelling. Caring for lips after augmentation with hyaluronic acid also implies good saturation with moisture after a massage: apply a thin layer of moisturizing gel or cream to your lips, the cosmetologist will definitely advise you which product is most suitable for this. By the way, you can use olive oil or peach seed oil, which can be purchased at pharmacies.
