The Truth About The Dangers Of Lip Fillers

As lip fillers à la Kylie Jenner become more and more mainstream, it's important to be aware of the good, the bad, and the ugly. While there are certainly benefits to plumping up your lips, like any invasive procedure, there are risks. "Lip augmentation is a medical procedure and all medical procedures carry risk associated with needle use, including infection, bruising, bleeding," Dr. Esho of Harley Street's The Esho Clinic in the UK told Harper's Bazaar.

According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, when it comes to lip fillers, it really is, overall, a low-risk procedure. However, they can't guarantee you won't have issues as a result, listing acne, asymmetry, scarring, lumps, blindness, and skin necrosis among the potential risks. You should be made aware of all risks when signing up for the procedure and if you have any doubts or questions be sure to talk them through with your doctor before the needle comes out.

Speaking to Allure, cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Karyn Grossman notes that "loose lips" are a side effect that is often not spoken about, but if you frequently get lip fillers, it is more likely to happen. "When you repeatedly enlarge the lips — pumping them up as big as possible — the filler can act as a tissue expander, permanently stretching the skin, and causing the lips to sag and deflate when the filler eventually degrades, leaving you in worse shape than when you started," she explained. The best way to imagine what they look like is to think of a deflated balloon. According to Grossman, this is something that can have a long-term effect, meaning you either have to commit to lip fillers for the rest of your life or undergo lip reduction surgery to achieve a more natural look once you've sworn off lip fillers for good. 

While bruising is a common side effect immediately after treatment, if you suffer from any symptoms that seem abnormal, reach out to your doctor or schedule an appointment to make sure it's nothing too serious.