Oops! I got over-filled! Now what?

We are so lucky that we live in a time (and place) where dermal-filler injections are an option.

In roughly an hour, we can safely and effectively tweak our appearance to better meet our desired results; whether that’s overall rejuvenation, contouring, adding volume to lips, etc.

Due to this ability to customize our appearances in a safe and satisfactory way, and immediately boost our self-esteem — filler injections in Philadelphia continue to grow drastically in popularity and demand.

When done correctly, filler-injections in Philadelphia:

• Provide immediate results and gratification.
• Plump the skin in a way that is not attainable through any other option. (No skincare product can add the volume that fillers can, and although laser treatments and surgery can drastically tighten skin — dermal-filler injections are the easiest way to add natural-looking volume to the face.)
• Look completely natural! (Good injections should look like NO injections. The treatment should allow you to look and feel better, but in an ideal world your friends and family should not be able to pinpoint exactly what has changed about you.)

However, even though dermal-filler injections in Philadelphia are more popular than ever, there remains a stigma (for some) regarding the treatments.

It is easy to hear the words Botox or Filler and instantly conjure the scarily-altered faces of some famous celebrities that barely look like themselves (or human, for that matter) anymore. Natural was definitely not the look they were going for, and these plasticky, waxy, obviously over-done faces prevent a lot of people from moving forward with truly exploring the anti-aging and beauty options available to them.

The great news?

Even though the vast majority of people LOVE their filler results, *IF* for whatever reason you HATE the way your results look you have many options to correct / erase the problematic area. (The fact that these injections are not permanent usually helps provide great peace-of-mind for first-timers who are nervous about what to expect.)

Let’s pretend that you just got your lips injected to perfect your pout, and at first glance it appears that your results end up more Kylie circa 2018 than Kylie 2024.

What do you do?

Honey, rest assured. You’ve got options.

1. Have Patience

When you’re in the midst of super-swollen lips, “patience” is the last word of advice you want to hear. But realistically, if it has been less than 48-hours since your injections and things look bigger than expected, asymmetrical, feels bumpy, whatever, try your best to NOT FREAK OUT.

Take a few deep breaths, and remind yourself that swelling does not always occur evenly, and until all swelling dissipates it is impossible for you to evaluate your results.

We can sympathize first-hand: the first few days after injections can be really annoying.

But, we promise: the swelling will be over before you know it, and your results will (likely) make you happy enough to mitigate any brief swelling. (If the swelling is super problematic for you, taking an OTC anti-inflammatory such as Aleve can help, and icing the treatment area may help provide some relief.)

Everyone heals differently, but your body can need up to 2-weeks to fully integrate the injected product. Patience is vital during this process.

However if ample time goes by and you still feel over-inflated or crooked?

2. Filler Massage

The dermal-filler used on you will remain somewhat malleable for about a month after it has been injected. If you think that your filler has migrated to unwanted areas or is not as smooth as you would like, massage is always an option. Your treatment provider should be able to use their fingers to gently coerce the product back to where it should be, and teach you how to do it yourself if any additional spot-massaging is needed in the future.

(Why does product-migration happen? Surprisingly, if your product moves after it has been injected, it is NOT necessarily because the injector did something wrong. The younger the patient is, the stronger the facial muscles are, and sometimes the muscles can pull the filler into areas other than where it was injected. Do not worry though, unruly product usually can be massaged into obedience.)

If massage does not work? ??

3. Dissolving Filler 

As long as you were injected with a filler that is hyaluronic-acid based (and most of them are; including Restylane, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Silk, Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra Plus, and Juvederm Voluma) you always have the nuclear option: the filler can be dissolved away with Hyaluronidase.

This will allow you to return to baseline like the whole thing never happened.

Hyaluronidase is an injectable enzyme that is sent to wherever the unwanted filler is. This enzyme breaks-down hyaluronic-acid and basically undoes the filler treatment. These injections are usually the last resort because there can be bruising and swelling associated with Hyaluronidase, but knowing that this option exists makes patients feel a lot better. If they HATE their injections, they have recourse.

Additionally, just like the filler-injections themselves are completely customized per patient, your Hyaluronidase injections will also be adjusted per your needs. For example, if you want to just take the size of your lips down a little bit without dissolving everything, you can utilize Hyaluronidase to just make tiny tweaks.

4. Selecting the RIGHT Provider for YOU

It goes without saying that putting your face in the hands of an experienced injector should be the first step you take before committing to any procedure. If you meet with an injector and feel any sense of uncertainty or unease DO NOT get treated by them! These are procedures that are supposed to make your life better and happier, and this a medical procedure that comes with it’s own sets of risks. There are enough treatment providers out there to allow you to be as picky as you want until you find the person who meshes best with you, and your face should not be a practice or test site for a newbie.

Treating with someone you trust (and like) will make everything better for you. You will feel more comfortable from the get-go, and if you should have any complications you will be dealing with someone you like and trust to treat the situation appropriately.

At About Face Aesthetics in Philadelphia, our team of injectors are extremely experienced, educated, nuanced and skilled in achieving the look-amazing-in-a-natural-way aesthetic. They focus on safety and patient outcome, as you can see from our verified patient reviews. To book an appointment with one of our Injector Maestros, please click here.

FYI: Dermal Fillers that can NOT be dissolved

Fillers made with poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra) or calcium-based microspheres (Radiesse) are not permanent but because they are not hyaluronic-acid based they are not as easily reversible as the Restylane and Juvederm families.

Radiesse is a filler-like substance that is injected deep into the skin to volumize deep wrinkles and other areas that have lost significant volume. The calcium-based microspheres in Radiesse are injected using a gel formula, and once injected, there is no counteracting antidote.

The Poly-L-lactic acid in Sculptra is a synthetic gel made with lactic acid, which is naturally found in the body, but, unlike hyaluronic acid, it also does not have an effect-reversing antidote.

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