The Surprising Side Effects Of Lip Injections You Don't Know About

Beauty trends come and go like seasons; where thin, barely-there eyebrows were once all the rage, full and bushy brows rule the day now. And while matte, freckle-free faces were all the rage just a few years ago, dewey, freckle-covered looks are now popular. Some things have remained fashionable and classic for ages, though, like a good red lipstick. But the lips on which we apply that lipstick are changing. While over-lining or using plumping gloss were once the go-to solutions for creating a fuller-looking pout, once beauty influencer Kylie Jenner admitted the secret to her massively-altered mouth was the injectable Juvéderm, more and more non-celebs have been shelling out money to have the procedure done (via Cosmopolitan).

But because celebrities make it all look so effortless and painless, some folks might be signing up for these services without realizing there are side effects they may not have prepared for.     

There are two types of lip fillers, one made of hyaluronic acid (Juvéderm and Restylane are examples) and another made of collagen, and they each work differently (via My Ethos Spa). While hyaluronic acid plumps lips by encouraging the lips to retain water, collagen fills the lips by itself. While most users of these injectables do not experience severe side effects, the potential side effects include bleeding, bruising, swelling, tenderness, redness, lip asymmetry, infection, scarring, and lip stiffening. While bleeding is usually temporary and bruising or swelling usually resolve within ten days, we are still talking pain, discomfort, and unsightly issues. Further, according to Your Laser Skincare, repeated injections of fillers in the same place can also cause skin loosening or stretching. 

So what happens when a real person gets these injections? A writer for British Cosmopolitan had the procedure done, and reported that the bleeding right after injection was "quite a lot." She also said she was pretty grossed out by the instructions to "massage" any lumps that appear to try and even them out (we feel woozy just writing that). She also experienced bruising for several days that she had to cover with makeup. And when it all settled, she still wasn't sure she loved the results, as she says she could "feel" the filler in her lips and they were firmer than normal. She also said her lips seemed more "puffy" than full.