When you’re sold a product or service, you are rarely told that much about the risks, and you’re overloaded with information on the benefits. Of course, when it comes to your health, the company are duty bound to tell you about the possible downsides, but do you find that the’re talked about as much? Probably not.

One of the most commonly requested cosmetic procedures these days is a lip filler, aka lip augmentation. Of course, lip fillers are designed to give extra volume, shape, and structure to the lips, and with a good lasting time, e.g. 6 months, it’s understandable why so many people opt to have these injections. Lip fillers these days usually contain hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occuring substance within the body. Collagen and fat are rarely used these days.

Aside from the big benefits, what are the downsides of having lip fillers?

Obviously, these are rare cases, but it’s important to know about them, so you know what is normal and what isn’t. For instance, if you notice extreme swelling, a fever, itching, and perhas oozing from the injection site, you should get help immediately, becuase this could be an infection. You also run the risk of an allergic reaction, and again, that is something you should seek help for ASAP.

Aside from that however, what are the other main risks of having lip fillers?

• Bleeding from the injection site after the procedure – This should only last for a very short time
• Swelling and bruising – This should go down after around 24 hours
• Redness and tenderness at the injection site – Again, this shouldn’t last for long, no more than 24 hours
• If you have suffered from cold sores in the past, you may notice that they re-appear after your injections, which is going to make the healing process rather uncomfortable, to say the least
• Asymmetry of the lips – This should go down as the swelling settles, but if it doesn’t, you need to go back to the practitioner you had the injections with
• Ulceration of the lips

These are all common complications associated with lip filler injections. Whilst you can’t eradicate the risk completely, ensuring that you go to a regulated and highly professional practice will cut down on the chances of developing a problem, as well as starting small – don’t be tempted to have a huge amount of filler inserted from the get-go, and any practitioner worth his or her salt will not do this for you anyway.

With all this being said, when done correctly, lip fillers can look fantastic. If you’re not ready to accept the risks however, perhaps a matte lipstick will give you the same short-term look?