6 Things You Can Do To Prepare For Lip Filler!

Ok so we all know and read it all the time to drink more water for skin benefits, after all, hydrated skin = good skin! And yes, this is 110% vital for skin health BUT did you know how important drinking water and being hydrated is for your Lip Filler?

But why?

Ok so this one does not get enough air time…. Hydration… yes most regular Lip clients know to drink lots and lots of water after your lip treatment (and if you didn’t do this, start now, your new lip filler will love you for it), but did you know that being highly hydrated can not only make the pain less but bring faster healing over all.

To make this easier to understand, let’s look at the possibilities of if you get your lips filled with hyaluronic acid while your body is dehydrated.

Most of the time we are too busy in our lifestyle to even realise we are semi dehydrated, still our bodies are made up of  up to 75% water and so, if we are lacking, then so is the “normal“ functioning of our brain and body.

Dehydration can cause:

• Lightheadedness
• Muscle cramps
• Heart palpitations

Do we really want this lurking over us before we go beneath the needle? Definitely not, especially if you’re already nervous ahead of your appointment.

Technically speaking if there is inadequate H20 filling up the extracellular space of your lips ….. Or not to bore you with the science….lets say  IF your lips are not “fluidity” enough, theres less cushioning for the needle and thus your lips will be much more susceptible to feeling every move and meander of the needle.

Hold Up… That’s not all, Hyaluronic Acid Filler absorbs water, it slips in as a gel, but looks to absorb moisture, similar to a sponge, filler needs moisture to soften and settle in its new environment.

Visualise soaking a dry sponge into fresh water, it becomes soft and pillowy right?  So will your filler…. And don’t we all want soft and gentle pillowy lips!

DREAD THE SWELL?

Want less swell? Im assuming i just heard a YES… please understand that when your body is hydrated, you hold on to less excess water… which means you will possibly swell less, and for less time.  Say YES to LESS …. Swell Time!

Your Period doesn’t “literally” have an affect on your actual Filler, however it does affect the physical side of things. Choose your time wisely.

For women, having your lip filler treatment in and around or on the time of your menstrual cycle can bring a whole different experience and a rather unpleasant one at that. Do you already notice feeling a little achy, swollen and uncomfortable in general around this time ?

During our “Girl Time”,  we produce more Prostaglandins (which are hormone like substances) that trigger PAIN and INFLAMMATION causing your skin and your LIPS to be much more tender and reactive.

In my clinical experience, i’ve found my regular lip clients have noted their treatment a great deal more uncomfortable and even painful at that time than per usual, the lips tend to bleed more than usual due to increased blood flow which can also leave you more vulnerable to bruising.

To sum that up, our lips and underlying tissues are more susceptible to pain and swelling during our menstrual cycle and this is not an ideal time to have your lip filler treatment.

What to avoid and why… Alcohol, Energy Drinks, Caffeine and NSAID Drugs.

Sound dry? Maybe, but unless you want extra swollen, excessive bleeding and a higher chance of bruising… Stay dry!

It’s not forever but do avoid these for at least 24 hours before, the longer the better where this is concerned, if you can dodge these for even a few days, do it!

Alcohol causes dehydration and swelling, Energy drinks & Caffeine raise your blood pressure and NSAIDs (ie. Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Advil, Anadin, Disprin) can thin the blood.

All of the above can raise your blood pressure and can/or thin the blood, so this the perfect recipe for bleeding much and bruising… not pretty! My advice, save your cocktail sipping, energy pumping and Espresso dining for a few days until your new perfect pout can be flaunted with you.

*Do not stop taking any medication prescribed by your Doctor for medical reasons*

Will i bruise? One of the most commonly asked questions from new clients. No one wants to look like they’ve been in a fight with the sink plunger, i get it and i wish I could give a straight answer every time…but the reality is every person’s lips and anatomical make up is different and thus how we react, repair and heal differs too, so maybe you won’t…… but maybe you will bruise. I would lean on the latter.

That being said, I can advise on how to reduce the risk of bruising and minimise the extent and lastingness of your bruising.

Arnica… not a myth! Time to go shopping for Arnica supplements and Arnica gel. Arnica is a natural herbal remedy that is exceptionally active in reducing bruising, inflammation and aiding general healing.

Taking Arnica supplements 10 days prior to your treatment and continued for 7 days after, can significantly reduce your bruising and promote your healing.

Most Pharmacies and Health shops will stock Arnica supplements or they can be easily found on Amazon. You are looking to get the Arnica strength 30c, this will say it on the label at the back of the jar.

Arnica gel is soothing & cooling to apply to your new lips the following day after your treatment. It is a clear gel and actually looks super cute as a lip gloss.

TIP **Keep your Arnica  gel in the fridge for extra soothing to swollen lips**

On the day of your treatment:

This is easier said than done, but try to RELAX, the more you tense up, the more your underlying tissues tense up, your vessels and capillaries dilate becoming more rigid and also have a much greater chance of being nicked by a passing needle causing bleeding, and in turn bruising.

BREATH, do not hold your breath,  we all do it, we automatically and unconsciously hold our breath when we are nervous or feel pain (you’ll notice this next time), this causes the body to tense up…..so  BREATH long and deep all throughout your treatment, this will not only lessen the chance of bruising but also ease any pain or pinches. Soft, relaxed, moveable and hydrated lips are the perfect condition for injecting.

Do you ever get a poor night’s sleep, wrestling with the duvet most of the night only to wake up feeling like you haven’t had a wink, or worse, feeling almost hungover even though you haven’t touched a drink? Or worse again, had a drink only for it to backfire and keep you tossing and turning all night?

It’s a knock on effect from there really…. fatigue in the day, brain fog, feeling chilly, irritable, even over emotional… possibly not the best day to receive multiple injections to your  lips.

When you’re tired, your brain lacks the ability to dampen pain signals, meaning you feel PAIN  in a worsened or accelerated state.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we do NOT  want to accelerate anything other than our lip size in this treatment. GET SLEEP, BE RESTED. Of course, life is real and we can’t always guarantee a full night’s sleep, but if you can avoid skimming on two hours sleep the night before… Happy Dayzzz!

Even mild sleep deprivation can cause dehydration, stress and tension and if you’ve scrolled through Step 1 & 4, you’ll know these are a No No for Lip Filler Day.

Read this if you get cold sores from time to time…

Even if they come very rarely, trauma to the lip ie, multiple injections, permanent makeup tattoo etc can awaken the Herpes Simplex Virus (cold sore virus) which lies dormant or asleep lets say, snug and tight behind your eye nerves… believe it or not!

When aggravated, the virus will travel down a facial nerve making its way to the lip and erupting in a tingling or itching, wet, raw and/crusty skin sore…what we know as the common cold sore.

What’s more, cold sores that are triggered from lip trauma as opposed to a compromised immune system, tend to come more aggressively, by that I mean bigger and bolder taking longer to die out.

In this case it’s better to be safe than sorry, multiple crusty cold sores across your beautiful new lips is not the look we are going for, not today, not any day.

Prepare by taking Lysine supplements, these are over the counter remedies and you will need to taking them at least 3 week prior to your treatment and 3 weeks post treatment also.

These will help prevent you from getting a breakout of cold sores and in the case one erupts, Lysine will reduce the overall symptoms including how long it lasts.

I think it’s important that I add here, and please adhere to mwah advice – If you have booked to have your lip filler and feel you are getting a cold sore, or you do get a cold sore before your appointment, reschedule ! (Your injector will understand!)

Wait until 10 full days after your cold sore scab has fallen off or disappears, the virus will be active even if your lips are clear and it won’t take much to bring back that cold sore.

Hold off 10 days, whilst taking your Lysine and your Arnica and you’ll be good to go!

If you’ve got to the end of this, well done. Think there’s a lot of Prep?

Maybe so, it doesn’t mean that you can’t rock up to your appointment absolutely exhausted, necking coffees, Monster drinks, THIRSTY, dehydrated, oh and of course on you Girl Time, stressing …but really? By doing these 6  simple things, you  can  make your Lip Filler treatment experience as comfortable as possible and prepare your lips for the best, safer and smoother healing.

Think plump but soft, smooth, delicately shaped lips in days ….. Yes please!

To recap on the #LIPLOVE needed to prep for your Lip Filler Treatment

1. Get HYDRATED… Drink water and lots of it
2. Choose your time wisely!  Avoid times of Extreme Stress and/or your time of the Month
3. Cut out Caffeine, Energy drinks,Alcohol and  NSAIDs in the days prior to your treatment
4. Beat bad Bruising? Take Arnica supplements and get yourself Arnica gel for the days after
5. Prevent Cold Sores with LYSINE supplements3  weeks before and 3 weeks after
6. Sleep Tight…… try to REST, Sleep and/ or meditate ….allow  your brain the time to recharge your body.

Hope you can take a tip or two from this and reap the benefits….

Thanks, Lisa T x