Here’s How Long Lip Fillers Last, According to Plastic Surgeons

Your Instagram feed isn’t always distorting reality: A ton of people, with and without blue checkmarks, are getting facial fillers. According to the Aesthetic Society—an educational and patient advocacy group comprised of 2,000-plus board-certified plastic surgeons—there were nearly 2 million dermal filler procedures performed last year alone, making them the second most popular nonsurgical cosmetic treatment (neurotoxins, like Botox, took the number one spot with around 3.5 million procedures).

What makes fillers such a crowd-pleasing enhancement among patients and doctors alike? According to the experts we talked to, it likely has something to do with their versatility. There are multiple types of dermal fillers out there, with the ability to do everything from filling in fine lines to bulking up cheekbones that have thinned with age, as SELF previously reported. But arguably one of their best-known purposes is for non-surgical lip augmentation—yep, to create plump lips. (Insert Kylie Jenner visual here.)

What are lip fillers? | What happens during the procedure? | How long do lip fillers last? | Can lip fillers be reversed?

Injectable dermal fillers are typically made using one of three substances: hyaluronic acid (HA), calcium hydroxylapatite, and poly-l-lactic acid. “Most doctors use hyaluronic acid-based fillers, like Restylane and Juvederm, for the lips,” Melissa Doft, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, tells SELF. “Hyaluronic acid is a sugar that’s naturally occurring in the body and attracts and holds onto water, creating the appearance of fuller lips.”¹

Most people think about injectable lip fillers as a way of adding volume, but they can do more than just increase the size of the lips. Depending on which particular HA filler your doctor uses, lip injections can be more subtle, simply making lip skin look smoother and more hydrated, Jennifer Levine, MD, a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon in New York City, tells SELF.

To that point, there are several different types of HA fillers that can be injected into the lips. “Different hyaluronic acid products have varying physical characteristics including molecular sizes, formulations, and water absorption,” Samuel Lin, MD, a board-certified plastic surgeon and associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, tells SELF.² “These variations have different implications in terms of appearance and longevity.” In other words, while it’s still the same ingredient, there are nuances that change the effect the filler has—and how long it lasts.

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Filler treatments don’t take very long, about 30 minutes, according to Dr. Lin. Since the lips tend to be a sensitive area, your doctor may first apply a topical anesthetic; Dr. Doft says she applies a lidocaine-based cream on her patients’ lips 10 to 15 minutes prior to injecting. And be prepared for more than one needle poke: In order to evenly distribute the product, lip fillers are typically injected via a series of small injections, on average 10 to 12, says Dr. Doft. Most fillers have lidocaine mixed in to help with immediate discomfort, she adds.

The effects of filler injections are pretty much instantaneous, but it’s important to note that what your lips look like immediately post-procedure is not—we repeat is not—a good indication of what the final result will be. “You’re going to look a little swollen right away, a little more swollen over the next few hours, and quite a bit more swollen by the next day,” says Dr. Levine. “It can actually be a little terrifying for a lot of patients, who are worried that they overdid it when they see how big their lips look.”

If you decide to have the procedure, try not to stress as you go through the lip filler swelling stages. The lips are a very vascular area (meaning they contain a lot of blood vessels) so a good amount of swelling (and potentially bruising) is totally normal and to be expected, Dr. Levine says. She recommends giving it a full two weeks for everything to subside, at which point you’ll get an accurate sense of the final result.

Your lips may also feel tender or sore for 24 to 48 hours after your appointment. You can apply an ice pack to help limit the swelling and bruising, but hold off from heavily touching or manipulating them for the first 24 hours, Dr. Lin advises. That means avoiding things such as applying lip balm, drinking through straws, or even kissing. (So yes, this could affect your sex life.) However, if you notice increasing pain coupled with a lacy, white-and-bluish-looking bruise, see your doctor immediately. These are signs of a potential vascular occlusion, a dangerous complication that can cause tissue death and may occur if the filler is injected into or compresses a blood vessel, cautions Dr. Levine.³

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Finally, the million-dollar question. The short answer: Anywhere from six months up to a year, according to the experts we spoke with. (According to the Mayo Clinic, the duration is 12 to 18 months, so your mileage might vary.) The long answer: The exact duration depends on both the individual and the product used, says Dr. Lin. It’s possible that a person’s metabolism plays a role in how long lip fillers last, with a faster metabolism being able to break the hyaluronic acid down more quickly, he explains.⁴ Dr. Doft agrees, saying that in her experience, some patients simply break down fillers faster than others.

As far as the type of filler goes, HA fillers with a larger particle size have increased longevity, says Dr. Lin.⁵ However, HA fillers with a smaller particle size are typically used for the lips because the injections are much more superficial (closer to the surface of the skin) and you don’t want to have visible lumps or bumps, Dr. Doft notes. It’s for this reason that hyaluronic acid fillers in the lips typically last for a shorter period of time than when they’re used in other areas of the face, such as the nasolabial folds (the lines that form from the sides of the nose to the corners of the mouth) or under the eyes, says Dr. Lin.

It also bears mentioning that a psychological phenomenon known as “perception drift” can come into play and affect how long you *think* lip fillers last, according to Dr. Levine.⁶ Basically, you get used to having plumper lips and you want them to stay that way, so you’re more aware of any perceived changes. As a result, you may not think that your lip filler is lasting as long as it actually is, she explains.

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If—after you’ve waited the full two weeks to allow the swelling to subside and the filler to settle—you’re not happy with how your lips look, the good news is that all hyaluronic acid fillers can essentially be “undone.” You’ll need another injection, this time of hyaluronidase, an enzyme that instantly dissolves the hyaluronic acid and basically acts as an “eraser,” says Dr. Levine. That treatment is typically free if you get it from the same doctor who injected your filler, but it can cost $500 and up if you go elsewhere, according to the experts we talked to. (That can be a hefty price to pay, considering the initial procedure can cost you anywhere between $500 and $2,000.) So if you don’t want to wait for the filler to go away on its own, know that you’ll be just a shot away from your natural look.

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Sources:

1. Dermato Endocrinology, Hyaluronic Acid: A Key Molecule in Skin Aging
2. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Practical Approach and Safety of Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
3. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, Management of a Vascular Occlusion Associated with Cosmetic Injections
4. Advances in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, System Strategy to Achieve Full-Face Aesthetic With Hyaluronic Acid Fillers: Yes-Lifting and Pyramid-Volumized Approaches
5. Clinical Interventions in Aging, Use of Hyaluronic Acid Fillers for the Treatment of the Aging Face
6. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Alienization

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