A query about injecting technique with resty

[marakesh]

Some time back I was given some advice on the board about injecting technique with restylane, but I can't find the thread. I had a yuck result with resty injected into my top lip in June 2007 and apart from the trout mouth appearance and 4 days off work, the five injection sites created 5 hard little balls along my top lip which were present for weeks.

I remember that some of you mentioned that you have up to 20 injections of very small amounts when you get resty.
Anyway, now I've found a doctor but she just said having too many injections is not very efficient!! Also she said I should do top and bottom for a better balance and I'd need about 6 jabs or so on top and about 6 for the bottom lip (as well as the local anaesthetic jabs).

She also gave me heaps of info about minimising the swelling & avoiding the bruising. Apparently taking an antihistamine on the day helps. I'm doing this just before Easter so I get the 4 days to recover and hopefully look presentable :p

So, fellow filler addicts, does this advice (particularly about the injecting technique) sound about right?

[botox_queen]

Hi marakesh,

I could send my reply via PM but then the other board members coudn't read about it!

I get about 6-8 injections in the top and bottom lip. I had a similar problem to you and basically ask to look on the injecting with a mirror. Especially when you have a new doctor injecting its nice to see what they are doing. You can see if they have shaky hands :)

I think it takes about 4 injections to inject into the border of my mouth. Then my doctor only injects about 3 more times to pump up the volume into the lip.

The bottom lip is similar.

My doctor converted about a year ago to injecting thin strands into my lips. The needle basically lines up with my mouth and she injects in flowing motions along the lips.

To keep the swelling away I take the whole day off work, ice the lips constantly and when I've found sleeping on about 4 pillows at night to help a lot.

[doctornev]

Hi Marakesh and botoxqueen.

Taking an anti-histamine shouldn't help with bruisinig. Anti-histamines are primarily taken when you suspect you might get a lot of swelling in reaction to a substance. It helps with allergic type reactions.

Fillers primary short term problem is causing bruising not an allergic reaction. Therefore making sure you don't take substances that might prolong your bleeding time is highly recommended. Aspirin and anti-inflammatories should be avoided for about 48-72 hours before a dermal fillers procedure.

With regards to dermal fillers for the lips there are many schools of thought on the correct technique. Being modest people :) us cosmetic physicians all think we have the perfect technique."

However in general I find piercing the skin less, injecting slowly and having a very good nerve block (pain increases bleeding) are the ways to mimise as much as possible the risk of bruising.

[misspiggy]

Won't the anti-histamine help with the swelling?

[doctornev]

Anti-histamines might. Maybe. However, I am not a believer.


Swelling isn't the primary problem with injecting the lips. Bruising is. The lips are very vascular. A lot of what people think is swelling of the lips is in reality a bruise.

So we try to address this aspect of the lip enhancement procedure foremostly.

[jomol31]

Why does the pain reduction help the bruising drnev?

Is it because the patient isn't unconsciously moving and squirming so much?

[doctornev]

I believe its because of the bodies natural reaction to pain. Pain tends to increase blood flow to the error and up the pulse rate meaning you bleed more.

The movement certainly doesn't help but we have a better reason to stop involuntary movement. You won't find too many doctors happy to do fine work with sharps whilst a patient writhes around in pain uncontrollably. It makes it quite an infection risk.

[cheray]

I had my lips done for the first time on Friday. Today is Sunday. I look like I went a few rounds with a boxer.
I came off second best. I cant have the regular numbing stuff they use The adrenalin one..so I have something that lasts about as long as it takes to inject it. Not good. The injector had to go really quick and pricked me over and over until I had had enough. She said she was sweating. I was not comforted by this. My lips themselves look fine...its just the black moustache with accompanying beard that I now possess. I wonder how people see me now. I said I was going in for a lip rejuvenation and they accidentally tattooed me a new moustache. They asked me if I got my money back.

[jasonbrien]

The swelling of lips very common after having these injections but nowadays with some advanced fillers you might not have even swelling and any type of side effects in your lips.