The sentence I hear most often on the phone before an appointment is this: does lip filler hurt? It is easy to see why people ask. The lips are one of the areas of the face richest in nerve endings, and the idea of a needle alone makes people uneasy.<\/p>
Lip filler pain is a short-lived discomfort felt as the needle enters and the gel settles into the tissue, and it can be greatly reduced with numbing methods. It would not be right for me to tell you \u201cyou won\u2019t feel a thing.\u201d For most patients, what they feel is not unbearable pain but a manageable prick and a sense of pressure.<\/p>
In this article I explain where the pain comes from at each stage, how well each method works and how long the tenderness lasts after the procedure. For the general framework of the treatment, see my Lip Filler Guide<\/a> I compiled it in my article.<\/p> The lips are one of the areas of the face richest in nerve endings. That is why lip filler is described as a more sensitive treatment than other areas of the face.<\/p> But the answer to \u201cdoes it hurt?\u201d is not a single word, because the pain comes in three separate stages, from three different sources, and each is managed differently.<\/p> Most patients arrive afraid of the needle, and afterwards say the most noticeable sensation was not the needle but the pressure of the product. The needle entry lasts seconds, and numbing cream makes those seconds smaller. The gel spreading into the tissue takes longer and stretches the mucosa from within.<\/p> Medically speaking, this stretching sensation is mechanical pressure rather than pain. The tissue suddenly gaining volume sends the brain a \u201csomething is happening\u201d signal. Injecting slowly and dividing the product into small portions softens this signal visibly.<\/p> Needle entry.<\/strong> The needles used are very fine. If numbing cream has been applied, what you feel at this stage is usually slight pressure.<\/p> Placing the product.<\/strong> As the gel is delivered into the tissue there is a feeling of fullness and tightness. It is described as pressure rather than pain.<\/p> The first hours after the procedure.<\/strong> As the anaesthetic wears off, tenderness and a throbbing feeling may occur in the lips. This usually subsides within a few hours.<\/p> In the table below I break these three stages down in more detail, setting out what you feel at each step and which method comes into play at that step.<\/p><\/span>Highlights<\/span><\/h2>\n
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<\/span>Where Does the Pain in Lip Filler Come From?<\/span><\/h2>
<\/span>Which Do You Feel More: the Needle or the Product Pressure?<\/span><\/h3>
<\/span>Three Stages, Three Different Sensations<\/span><\/h2>