Lip Enhancement or lip augmentation can be done in three ways: implants, fillers and fat transfer. The overall recovery time for filler treatment is minimal. This is essentially because the incisions made there are small, and this is a non-surgical procedure. The recovery time for filler treatments is just a few hours and requires taking some precautions, as the lips are slightly swollen and might be a bit tender.
Fat transfer is next in terms of length of recovery period, where fat needs to be lipo-sucked from another part of the body. This increases the number of incisions made and the length of treatment. Fat transfer too isn't demanding in terms of the recovery period, which is usually around 24 hours. Lip implant procedures are categorized as cosmetic surgeries though they aren't as demanding as conventional surgeries. Lip implants induce a longer recovery period as the sutures are bigger and are removed after a small waiting period that is needed for securing the implanted material.
General Post-Procedural Care
- Caring for incisions—daily, careful cleaning of incisions of all sizes is mandatory. Care should be taken not to use harsh materials or cleaning agents that can irritate the treated area.
- Watching signs of infection and edema—the patient should be guarded against any sign of infection that seems more serious than temporary redness. Some swelling is indicated, but edema indicates a significant problem that needs medical intervention.
- Monitoring body temperature—elevated body temperature often means the onset of an internal infection that might have initiated within the treated lips.
- Caring for soreness and numbness—most clinics will prescribe some painkillers during the post-procedural period. However, continuing or worsening pain or increasing soreness and any kind of numbness needs immediate medical care.
- Dietary precautions—the patient needs to ensure that extremely hot or cold foods are not eaten for a few days after the procedure. Doing so can raise the degree of inflammation and harm the sutured sites. In fact, in lip implant surgeries, a liquid diet is recommended for the first few days after surgery.
