Does it hurt and is it obvious that I have had treatment?
The vast majority of dermal filler products we use contain an anaesthetic to make the procedure more comfortable and we also use a numbing cream on the skin in most cases. There can be more swelling and bruising when fillers are used when compared to Botox®, therefore it may be a little more apparent that a treatment has taken place. We use arnica cream to minimize this and ice packs are also available.
When will I notice the effects of treatment and how long will they last?
With fillers, the effects are immediate – you will see a difference when you walk out of our treatment rooms. It is worth noting that lips swell more than other areas – this usually settles within 5 days after treatment. The duration of the effect of the filler depends on a number of factors. The key ones are: what ‘thickness’ of filler was used and how ‘cross-linked’ it is, where it is injected and your metabolism. We will advise you on the day about the expected duration of the product used – this can vary from 6-18 months.
Are there any side effects of treatment and should I avoid anything afterwards?
As with any injection there is a potential for infection (we take precautions to sterilise your skin) and swelling / bruising afterwards. However, this risk is minimized by the product choice and injection technique. Post-treatment advice includes: avoid touching the area – no matter the temptation to keep pressing where the filler has been injected(!), no exercise / sauna / steam rooms for 24 hours, ideally no smoking and very hot drinks on the day of treatment (as heat will affect the structure and distribution of the filler) and no alcohol on the same day.
Are there any reasons I cannot have treatment?
We do not advise any treatment if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Also if you have an allergy to any products found within the filler we use we would need to discuss alternative fillers or other treatments. Any infection to the area being treated would postpone treatment (e.g. a cold sore would postpone lip filler treatment until it had fully healed). Blood-thinning medications (such as aspirin, warfarin, rivaroxaban etc) can also affect the risks of treatment; therefore this would need to be considered prior to any treatment.
Fillers
Does it hurt and is it obvious that I have had treatment?
The vast majority of dermal filler products we use contain an anaesthetic to make the procedure more comfortable and we also use a numbing cream on the skin in most cases. There can be more swelling and bruising when fillers are used when compared to Botox®, therefore it may be a little more apparent that a treatment has taken place. We use arnica cream to minimize this and ice packs are also available.
When will I notice the effects of treatment and how long will they last?
With fillers, the effects are immediate – you will see a difference when you walk out of our treatment rooms. It is worth noting that lips swell more than other areas – this usually settles within 5 days after treatment. The duration of the effect of the filler depends on a number of factors. The key ones are: what ‘thickness’ of filler was used and how ‘cross-linked’ it is, where it is injected and your metabolism. We will advise you on the day about the expected duration of the product used – this can vary from 6-18 months.
Are there any side effects of treatment and should I avoid anything afterwards?
As with any injection there is a potential for infection (we take precautions to sterilise your skin) and swelling / bruising afterwards. However, this risk is minimized by the product choice and injection technique. Post-treatment advice includes: avoid touching the area – no matter the temptation to keep pressing where the filler has been injected(!), no exercise / sauna / steam rooms for 24 hours, ideally no smoking and very hot drinks on the day of treatment (as heat will affect the structure and distribution of the filler) and no alcohol on the same day.
Are there any reasons I cannot have treatment?
We do not advise any treatment if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Also if you have an allergy to any products found within the filler we use we would need to discuss alternative fillers or other treatments. Any infection to the area being treated would postpone treatment (e.g. a cold sore would postpone lip filler treatment until it had fully healed). Blood-thinning medications (such as aspirin, warfarin, rivaroxaban etc) can also affect the risks of treatment; therefore this would need to be considered prior to any treatment.