Lip fillers are an increasingly popular cosmetic treatment, but it makes sense to find out as much as you can about them before you jump onto the bandwagon.
Using Hyaluronic Acid (HA) lip fillers are applied by means of injection. That’s right, an injection into your lips. That alone is enough to put many needle-phobes off, but does it really hurt? Let’s find out.
Are the injections painful?
Believe it or not, the process of lip filler injections can be remarkably pain free. Most practitioners will use a topical cream before any injecting begins, which works to numb the lips and prevent the injections from being felt.
This cream takes around 30 minutes to work, and the majority of people will feel a reduction in sensation of around 80 – 90%. If that’s not enough for you, some clinics will offer a complete nerve block, which is done by applying a numbing medicine to specific areas to stop the signals being sent from lips to brain.
The injection itself is done using a very, very fine needle. In the past, when collagen was the filler of choice, needles had to be quite large due to the viscosity of the collagen being injected. Now that treatments use HA, a much less dense substance, the needle can be much smaller which reduces the pain, swelling and bruising immensely.
The lip filler clinic in Sheffield, True Face, outline on their website how some of their clients comment that it “feels a bit like a pinch to start with”. As the HA enters the lips, some clients say they feel a slight stinging sensation or even just a sensation of coldness.
What can reduce the pain?
If you’re worried about feeling pain during your treatment, the most effective way to ensure a pain free experience is to go with a highly experienced clinician. All lip fillers should be administered by medically trained professionals, and because they know the best techniques for the injection, they will ensure you have minimal discomfort during the treatment.
As well as picking the right person to undertake your treatment, you can help things along by:
- Not drinking alcohol for at least 24 hours before treatment
- Not taking any anti inflammatory medicines such as Ibuprofen
- Not taking fish oils or garlic supplements as these can thin your blood
- Avoid booking your appointment in the week before your period, as sensitivity is heightened at this time
The level of your discomfort during the treatment depends a lot on your own perception of pain but having a great practitioner with a good technique and preparing your body for the treatment can really help.
How about pain after treatment?
If you are uncomfortable following treatment, this is usually down to a bit of swelling and bruising at the injection sites. You can help alleviate this with a cold compress, and by sleeping with your head elevated. Avoid strenuous exercise and extreme heat, as this can make the problem worse.
If you are at all worried about the level of pain you are experiencing following your procedure, contact your clinic for additional advice.
