Before Treatment

• Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, and high doses of fish oil and Vitamin E for a week since these can thin the blood and increase the risk of bruising. 

After Treatment

• If you see any discoloration(other than bruising) or have extreme pain, please call Dr. Southern directly at 713-253-9492.
• If a nerve block was used during administration, your lower face may remain numb for a couple of hours. While that area is numb, be careful to not inadvertently injure the area. 
• If the area around the mouth was injected, let your mouth “rest” for 24 hours by not eating foods that require extreme opening/stretching of the mouth. 
• Avoid leaving ice on the area for too long. 
• Do not schedule dentist appointments for 2-3 weeks after filler injections.
• For swelling, sleep elevated, use ice for short periods and consider taking an antihistamine like Benadryl 

Treatment Expectations

• Expect bruising, swelling and or soreness for a few days. 
• Lumpiness is normal and filler can take 1 – 2 weeks to settle. However, if you see lumpiness, do not hesitate to follow up with Dr. Southern to check it. 
• The corners of the lips almost always bruise at least a little. 
• Healing takes about 3-14 days, depending on the individual. 
• Arnica cream on the affected areas may be helpful to reduce bruising. Arnica pills can also be taken 3 times daily. 
• The appearance of the skin will look even better 2 -4 weeks after the injection. Although sometimes it is quickly obvious more filler is needed for optimum results, please consider giving your skin this amount of time before deciding to get more filler. 

Please remember that everyone has individual needs for filler. What worked for your friend or family member may not work for you. The most common reason for disappointment with the results of filler is not getting enough for full correction. Keep in mind the possibility that you may want more filler. My philosophy is that we can always add more filler, but if we put in too much to start with, then we may have to wait a long time for it to shrink away.