Surprising Side Effects Of Lip Fillers

Every decade brings different cosmetic fads. We loved crimping our hair in the 1990s, and many of us over-plucked our brows in the early 2000s. Lately, one cosmetic trend has become so popular, it's hard not to notice, regardless of whether you're following beauty trends: plump lips. It seems everywhere we look, lip sizes have filled out among the masses. This is in large part due to lip fillers. What's with the sudden fuss over having a plump pout? 

"Full, beautiful lips can make the face look more youthful, and even improve the application and appearance of makeup," Karyn Grossman, a cosmetic dermatologist, told Allure. Blame it on Kylie Jenner, the popularity of the duck face selfie, or the normalization of plastic surgery. "Patients are becoming more comfortable with discussing it," David H. Song, president of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, told SELF. "We're also more able to safely deliver what patients are looking for." 

Regardless of who you want to blame — or thank — it is undeniable that the age of bee-stung lips is upon us. Unfortunately, just because a trend is popular doesn't mean it is safe. Yes, there are plenty of patients who are thrilled with the results after getting lip fillers. However, there are a few surprising side effects to be aware of before you sign up for them.

Many of us are aware that lip fillers aren't permanent. However, a good chunk of us may be surprised to find out that they can cause your lips to sag once they deflate. "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," Grossman told Allure.

As stated by the National Health Service, light bruising and swelling are common side effects of receiving lip filler. In rare cases, surprising side effects, such as a lumpy appearance under the skin, scarring, and blocked blood vessels in the face, can occur. The Harvard Medical School also notes there have been a small number of cases where patients with lip fillers had experienced adverse reactions after getting the COVID-19 vaccination. These cases were very rare, and the adverse symptoms were only temporary.

The resurgence of pouty lips is very of the moment. If you are looking for fuller lips via lip fillers, we encourage you to do the research beforehand so potential side effects don't make you new enhanced pout quickly turn into a frown.