How To Reduce Swelling After Cheek Fillers

Cheek filler treatments allow you to achieve instant facelift results without the need for plastic surgery and the lengthy recovery period associated with it. Dermal fillers are used for cheek augmentation as a non-invasive and safe treatment option. But similar to other cosmetic treatments, cheek fillers still have side effects such as swelling.

So how can swelling be reduced after cheek filler treatments? Swelling can occur during or after the treatment, which can be influenced by how well you’ve prepared for the treatment session and how religiously you’ve followed every post-treatment instruction. Having access to the services of expert aesthetic providers can help reduce the likelihood or the appearance of swelling while experiencing effective treatment results.

Why Cheek Filler Swelling Occurs: Do Cheek Fillers Swell?

Dermal filler injection treatments have many skin rejuvenation benefits compared to other injectables and plastic surgery methods, but it still has their share of side effects. Swelling is one of the most common side effects of cheek filler treatments, aside from bruising.

Bruising is a result of blood vessel groups that burst due to the method of punctuation of the skin during the application of facial fillers while swelling involves the inflammation of an area of the skin due to facial fillers.

Even soft tissue fillers that are hyaluronic acid-based HA fillers such as Juvederm Voluma hyaluronic acid filler can still result in swelling. Other types of HA filler injection treatment such as lip fillers or tear trough filler (i.e, eye filler) treatments may also result in swelling.

Swelling is a normal reaction of the skin to the needle penetration occurring during the dermal filler injection treatment procedure. It can also occur as a side effect after the treatment session because of many factors other than the procedure itself.

What To Expect On Cheek Filler Swelling Day After The Treatment Session

Cheek filler treatments require more amounts of dermal filler substances compared to other facial injectable fillers, which is why it’s one of the most prominent areas of facial swelling after dermal filler injections.

Other than that, lip filler treatment is also one of the most common causes of facial swelling. So more amounts of injectable fillers applied mean greater trigger to swelling during dermal filler injection treatments.

How Long For Swelling To Go Down After Cheek Fillers

Swelling is expected to subside for 3 to 5 days following the dermal filler treatment session. But sometimes it may take up to 2 weeks for the dermal filler substance to fully settle in the injection site, so the kind of treatment area also plays a role in the estimated time for the swelling to go down.

Additionally, if the treated area has thinner skin, then swelling may take longer than the estimated time for it to subside. Compared to plastic surgery, dermal filler treatment is still the best choice if you’re looking for a non-invasive treatment option.

Cheek Filler Swelling Stages

Swelling usually occurs during the dermal filler treatment session as a normal reaction to the injectable treatment. Similar to lip filler swelling stage, as well as other dermal filler treatment procedures, swelling from cheek filler injection treatment is expected to reach its peak within 24 to 72 hours following the treatment session. From then on, swelling is expected to subside gradually and improvements will be visible.

The length of time of swelling from cheek filler treatments varies per person, depending on many factors. If no improvement is seen after a month following the treatment session, consult with your aesthetic provider.

How To Reduce Swelling After Cheek Fillers

Even if the swelling has already been a generally accepted part of dermal filler treatments, there are still certain instructions that a patient needs to follow to reduce the likelihood of swelling or to prevent swelling from getting worse.

Some dermal filler aftercare tips for a patient to speed up recovery and reduce downtime are the following:

• Regulate your fluid intake to stay hydrated
• Elevate your head for at least 4 hours following the treatment session
• Maintain your skincare regimen as prescribed by your aesthetic provider
• Don’t apply pressure in the treatment area in the cheeks
• Avoid intensive exercise

Additionally, a patient must take note of the following instructions that should be kept in mind for post-treatment care after a cheek filler treatment:

• Hot and cold therapy
• Stay away from blood thinners
• Don’t drink alcohol

1. Hot and Cold Therapy

After the cheek facial fillers session, it would greatly help to reduce inflammation by applying ice on the treated area as prescribed by an aesthetic provider. Apply it gently on the skin to avoid getting burned.

Some time after cold therapy, heat therapy is recommended to loosen blood circulation and facilitate proper blood flow in the treated area. Doing this would enhance the rate of settling down of the dermal filler substance to see visible results as quickly as possible.

Do note that while a cold compress is generally recommended after dermal fillers, hot compress may only be done if recommended by your aesthetic provider.

2. Stay Away From Blood Thinners

If you’re taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (i.e, NSAIDs) that can’t be skipped within a recommended period of time, then you may want to consider other cosmetic enhancement options as recommended by a plastic surgeon. Specifically, doctors also recommend against the intake of painkiller medication for pain and discomfort felt during or after the procedure.

Aside from avoiding NSAIDs before the treatment session, it must also be avoided after the treatment session as they can cause both swelling and bruising of the treatment area. This rule is to be strictly followed, otherwise, you may increase your risk for hematoma.

3. Don’t Drink Alcohol

Alcohol can already cause a certain level of swelling after intake because of its effect on regular blood circulation. So when you have alcohol before your facial fillers session, it may interfere with the effectiveness of the immediate visible results. Intake of alcohol after dermal fillers can further worsen the natural level of swelling that already occurred in your body.

Avoid Swelling After Cheek Fillers With Expert Injectors From Dr. Lanna Aesthetics

Swelling involves the inflammation of the injection site or anywhere around the treated area. Although swelling is one of the most common side effects of having dermal fillers in general, finding an experienced aesthetic provider in dermal fillers is crucial for reducing swelling, as well as the other adverse reactions (i.e, complications) that may be involved with cheek fillers.

At Dr. Lanna Aesthetics, we have gained extensive experience with facial filler injections so we can help patients manage swelling after filler injections, as well as any allergic reaction they may have during any skin rejuvenation treatment. We can help you look your best without unnecessary pain or discomfort, whether it's a simple lip filler injection procedure, brow lift, laser hair removal, lip injections, acne treatment, laser treatment, or time-intensive cheek filler injection treatments.