Although extremely rare, dermal fillers are able to migrate within the skin if consistent and adequate pressure is applied to them. For this reason, we advise patients not to get a facial, massage (on the treated skin), or microdermabrasion for the first two weeks following their filler injections.
“[The filler] is a gel and it can move if you're pressing on it,” she says. Sleeping on your face, receiving a facial, intense kissing, and pressing on swollen areas are all absolute no-gos for the first month of healing.
It will almost always be clear to see if your filler has migrated beyond the lips. A plump upper lip and a lack of a definite boundary between the lip edge and the upper or lower region of the lip border are both visual signs of lip filler migration.
Migrating filler can happen when injectable products are placed into the wrong plane. As Dr. Hahn explains, a thin plane – known as the pars marginalis and pars peripherals – separates the lip muscle (orbicularis oris), and injecting it into the wrong plane can allow the filler to move.
We recommend patients get touch-up filler injections every 6-9 months to maintain full results, though some patients are happy with filler treatments every 9-12 months.
Even though the results of filler will be visible right away, migration can happen almost immediately, with a few days or weeks, or even up to years later in rare circumstances, depending on what the root cause of the issue is.
Dermal filler doesn't 'normally', move after treatment. Immediately after treatment, in certain areas of the face, I do gently massage the area/s that were injected to help mold the product and prevent lumps. It does take about 2 weeks for the filler to settle and integrate into the tissue.
You should massage after having injectable filler in areas where the skin is thinner, such as the lips or lower eyelids, but massaging too much and in other areas could actually break down the filler, resulting in less volume. Or it may cause filler migration.
An injection technique that uses fewer incisions, therefore creating fewer "holes" in the "hose," will be less likely to result in migration, says Dr. Durairaj. Creating fewer punctures on the border of the lip is always the cleanest and best technique, she adds.
Although hyaluronic acid fillers are noted to have higher rates of migration, it is important to note that all injectables have the potential to migrate and naturally have a small degree of displacement and tissue integration after treatment.
"Theoretically, all filler has the ability to migrate," says Dr. Diamond. "That is why it is so imperative that non-surgical injectable services are performed by experts with the anatomical knowledge to prevent this from happening. Prevention is the best medicine."
Some of the common signs of lip fillers going wrong include: Lumpiness. Successful lip fillers should not be lumpy to the touch or to look at. If your lips are lumpy, this may be because the technique used to insert the filler was incorrect, or a filler with too much viscosity has been used.
Fortunately, dermal fillers work very quickly, and you won't have to wait twelve months to see the full benefits of your injections. That said, these injectable treatments take some time to integrate into your tissues, and it's normal for your dermal filler to take up to two weeks to fully settle into your face.
Massaging: Don't massage the area or lay on the treated areas, as we don't want the filler to move around while it settles. Massaging or putting pressure on the area can cause migration, where the filler moves around to an area where it shouldn't.
If you can only feel the lumps and not see them, then panic even less, because this isn't usually a problem. If you can see the lumps. Keep your eye on them. Perform gentle massage (only if recommended by your injector) and if you can still see a lump at 4 weeks, contact your doctor.
Within the first 24 hours, stick to light walking only. Yoga might seem like a good alternative to a tough workout, but bending over or lying prone increases risk of bruising and can also spread the neurotoxin. Keep yourself upright for at least 4 hours after your Botox or filler treatment.
Hard and tender lumps suggest that your body might have reacted to the filler. A mild allergic reaction can be sorted out quickly and easily by a prescription of steroids, which our aesthetic medical professional can provide you with. This prescription is available at most pharmacies.
However, it must be stressed, however, that filler does not migrate from one area of the body to another. What being discussed on social media is simply so-called migration of a few millimeters within the same anatomical regions where it was injected.
It is important all physicians assessing nodules/masses/swelling in the facial area be aware that soft tissue fillers may migrate to a location away from their intended site of injection by several mechanisms and persist in the tissue even years later.
While it is possible for fillers to migrate, this side effect is extremely rare and can be avoided by choosing a qualified injector. Though filler migration is very uncommon, its likelihood increases when fillers are performed by an inexperienced or underqualified injector.
Smoothing Out the Lumps
The good news is yes, those pesky filler lumps will in fact go away. It's actually quite uncommon for patients to experience any irritation or lumps following their procedure, but if you do, then you should expect them to dissipate after a few days.
As the filler material can take several days to firm up inside the lip, an accidental roll onto your stomach or side in the middle of the night can lead to asymmetrical lip shape.
After 24 hours the skin is sealed again naturally at the puncture sites and you can go back to washing your face normally.
This happens when the filler was injected too superficially. Patient may take notice to the uneven appearance several weeks post treatment or 3+ months post treatment when the body starts to slowly metabolize the filler. Additional areas that can be “botched” are cheekbones, chin, marionette lines, etc.
Additionally filler is quite soft and moveable for the first 48 hours post treatment, so there can be some compression of filler around areas of higher muscular contraction or if a patient swells greatly post treatment, this can also cause some compression or movement of product.