Immediately after the treatment, there may be a slight redness, swelling, tenderness, a faint bubble‑like appearance and an itching sensation in the treated area. These side effects are a normal result of the injection and will generally disappear gradually over a period of 7–14 days.
After the procedure, there might be pain as the injected substance tends to displace skin tissues inside your cheeks. However, pain should only be moderate and would not last for weeks. Your doctor will include a prescription for pain relief as a part of your post-operative care guidelines.
After 12 to 24 hours, your pain should go away. Your swelling should go away after 24 to 48 hours, but it may take up to a week. If you want your lips filled before a big event, like a wedding, you should schedule the procedure at least two weeks ahead of time to make sure you've completely recovered.
How long does cheek filler swelling last? Swelling typically occurs within 24 to 72 hours after dermal fillers. It will subside on its own after this period. On rare occasions, swelling can last from 1 to 4 weeks.
Cheek fillers are one that can be somewhat firm, but not hard. Patients often ask before or after their injections, “Will cheek filler soften?” The answer is almost always yes.
This filler works naturally, much like the hyaluronic acid your body already produces. Because it works this way, it takes two to three weeks to fully settle into your skin. This means that while you'll see an immediate improvement, you won't see your final results right away.
Even as the hyaluronic acid is processed by your body, healthy collagen and elastin grow at a more significant rate. This means you will see initial improvement nearly immediately. They will improve over six to eight weeks.
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.
Generally, any lumps or bumps that appear after fillers will disappear on their own within one to two weeks. Give the treatment a couple of weeks to improve, applying ice regularly.
The treated area will feel different after your injections. It will likely seem fuller than usual due to the presence of the filler and post-treatment swelling. Some tenderness is also to be expected, particularly when the cheeks and temples have been injected. These sensations usually subside within a few weeks.
In reality, fillers take up to four weeks to “settle,” according to Healthline. Different types of fillers can settle more quickly, and your lifestyle and similar factors can also affect the amount of time it takes to settle.
Apply Ice – While it's not recommended that patients put much pressure on their injection sites, gently applying ice to the treated areas can help reduce swelling.
It is common for people to feel dental sensitivity or discomfort after getting lip fillers; sometimes, people even complain of toothache. This effect on the teeth can be due to the swelling or other side effects of lip fillers.
DON'T touch the treated area for at least 6-8 hours afterwards. The risk of infection is much higher in the time immediately after your filler treatment, so medical experts recommend not touching the affected area for at least that amount of time.
A bad cheek filler injection may cause persistent swelling or puffiness in the treated area. Individuals may also experience having a pillow face or sunset eyes which can result from overfilling the cheeks. It may also cause allergic reaction symptoms, facial asymmetry, infection, and skin discoloration.
Delayed hypersensitivity reactions are characterized by induration, erythema, and edema and are mediated by T lymphocytes rather than antibodies. They typically occur 48–72 hrs after injection but may be seen as late as several weeks post injection and can persist for months.
Recovery and Outlook
Any bruising or swelling from cheek filler should go away in a few days. To improve recovery time and results, your provider may suggest the following for several days: Avoid putting on makeup or lotions for several hours. Avoid touching the injection areas.
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.
Some patients like to sleep on their back the first night after treatment, although there is no hard evidence that sleeping position might affect your filler treatment. Avoid sleeping on your face for a week after treatment.
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.
Treating with 1ml at a time is certainly appropriate for some areas, such as volumising lips or having smaller tweakments into other areas of the face. Sometimes, however, more than 1ml may be required – in the cheeks, for example – as 1ml may not make a discernible difference.
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.
As much as possible, avoid sleeping on your face for at least a week after your cheek filler treatment. While sleeping on your back, elevate your head by propping 2 to 3 pillows on your head to help reduce swelling of your face, a common side effect after getting cosmetic fillers.
“Proper placement of mid-face and lower face filler should not significantly affect the smile,” he shares. With that said, “if an overly firm filler is used or if the region is overfilled, an unnatural appearance can result as the lips push against stiff surrounding tissues,” he adds.
During the first few days after an injection, you should avoid sleeping on your cheeks. Try to sleep facing up, flat on your back. You may also want to avoid strenuous exercise, sun and heat exposure until the filler has completely taken its shape, 48 hours after the injection procedure.