Best lip balm after lip fillers

Face & Neck

Table of Contents Show

• The Products Derms Recommend After Getting Lip Filler
• The Organic Pharmacy Arnica Cream ($20)
• Alastin INhance Post-Injection Serum ($55)
• Shea butter, glycerin & petrolatum
• Vaseline All-Over Body Balm Jelly Stick ($7.99)
• EOS Ultra Care The Hero ($4.99)
• Avene Cicalfate LIPS Restorative Lip Cream ($18)
• La Roche-Posay Nutritic Lip Balm ($15.99)
• Hyaluronic acid
• SkinMedica HA5 Smooth and Plump Lip System ($68)
• PCA Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster ($45)
• Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss ($27)
• Can you use lip balm after getting lip filler?
• What not to put on lips after fillers?
• How do I make my lips smoother after fillers?
• Can I put Vaseline on my lips after filler?

The Products Derms Recommend After Getting Lip Filler

After lip filler, expect your mouth to need a few days of downtime. Like nearly every cosmetic procedure, filler injections come with side effects—the most common being swelling, redness, and bruising that typically last between 4 and 10 days—and the lips tend to experience them more noticeably than other areas of the face. But there are things you can do, before and after, to ensure that the healing process runs smoothly and you see the best possible results.   

“Before your appointment, avoid aspirin, vitamin E, fish oil, alcohol, and other products that may make you bruise more easily,” says Dr. Shari Marchbein, a board-certified derm in New York City. Immediately after, wrap ice in a cloth and hold it to the area, to help with inflammation. (If you’re especially concerned about swelling, Dr. Marchbein says, your injector may write you a prescription for a low dose of an oral steroid, like prednisone, to take for up to three days, but most people are fine without it.) Then have a soothing, hydrating topical treatment on hand to apply frequently. We asked top derms what ingredients to look for in post-filler lip products and which ones they recommend to patients. 

Arnica

Bruising post lip filler is completely normal, says New York City board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michele Green, who recommends treating it with topical arnica in gel or lotion form. The plant has been used homeopathically for centuries to reduce inflammation, swelling, and bruising. “Apply it twice per day or as needed, focusing on the center of the lips and moving outward, to help speed up recovery,” says Dr. Kristin Baird, a board-certified dermatologist in Longmont, Colorado.

The Organic Pharmacy Arnica Cream ($20)

This all-natural arnica cream also contains aloe, coconut oil, and shea butter, to deeply nourish freshly injected lips while taking down the bruising.

Alastin INhance Post-Injection Serum ($55)

Dr. Elizabeth Rostan, a board-certified dermatologist in Charlotte, North Carolina, swears by this serum. “It contains arnica and peptides, to reduce and speed up healing of bruising, ledum plant extract, to minimize swelling, and peptides, to encourage new collagen and elastin production, which enhances [the] longevity and benefit of the filler.”

Shea butter, glycerin & petrolatum

Look for these three ingredients, among other hydrators, in your post-filler lip products, says Dr. Marchbein. Each is important individually, but together, they form a sort of skin-care holy trinity. Shea butter is a rich moisturizer that is absorbed by the skin, glycerin is a humectant that draws moisture from the air and deeper layers of skin to the top layer, and petrolatum is an occlusive that locks all that moisture in and reduces transepidermal water loss. 

Vaseline All-Over Body Balm Jelly Stick ($7.99)

Dr. Marchbein tells lip filler patients to avoid lip balms after treatment that have irritating chemicals and ingredients like mint and cinnamon. Instead, she says, “apply lip ointments, such as Vaseline Jelly Stick, frequently throughout the day and before bed so that the lips never feel dry.”

EOS Ultra Care The Hero ($4.99)

Shea butter, glycerin, and petrolatum can be found in this hydrating and skin-softening balm, along with beeswax and a variety of nourishing plant oils and butters.

Avene Cicalfate LIPS Restorative Lip Cream ($18)

“Keeping the lips well-moisturized is critical to keeping them comfortable and avoiding splits and cracks,” says Dr. Rostan, who recommends this lip cream, designed to also treat lips prone to atopic dermatitis and contact dermatitis. “It not only hydrates but contains ingredients that accelerate healing, including sucralfate, zinc, and Avene spring water.” 

La Roche-Posay Nutritic Lip Balm ($15.99)

Formulated for very dry and sensitive lips, this shea butter and glycerin–packed balm also contains botanical oils and ceramides, to hydrate as well as strengthen the skin’s own barrier. The product effectively moisturizes lips without leaving behind any sticky or greasy residue. 

Related: Here’s Why Your Lip Filler May Not Last as Long as Expected

Hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring molecule in our bodies that draws in moisture and holds up to 1,000 its weight in water, helping to keep skin hydrated and supple. Popular fillers, like Juvéderm and Restylane, are made of hyaluronic acid in gel form, which is why adding a topical HA product to healing lips can help you get even more of a plumping effect. 

SkinMedica HA5 Smooth and Plump Lip System ($68)

“For pre- and post-filler hydration, and for overall improved appearance, I like SkinMedica HA5 Smooth and Plump,” says Dr. Susan Van Dyke, a board-certified dermatologist in Paradise Valley, Arizona. “Step 1 is rich in a variety of hyaluronic acid molecules—the same stuff lip fillers are made of—that hydrate the lips, helping to soothe and improve the skin barrier. Step 2 is a plumper, which enhances the overall fullness of the lips and is a great addition for maintenance of the perfect lip.” She recommends waiting a week after your lip injections to start using it, to avoid the risk of irritation from the plumping ingredients. 

PCA Hyaluronic Acid Lip Booster ($45)

“This lip booster has become a staff and patient favorite,” says Dr. Baird. In addition to hyaluronic acid, the derm notes that “it contains tocopherol, or vitamin E, a fat-soluble antioxidant that helps to prevent free radical damage and reduce lip lines, and palmitoyl tripeptide-1, a peptide that helps to increase collagen for moisture and lip volume.” Unlike other lip plumpers on the market, it volumizes “without stinging or swelling,” she notes.

Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss ($27)

This oil-gloss hybrid is formulated with hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and avocado oil, to keep lips soft and hydrated; antioxidant-rich plant extracts, to help protect against environmental stressors; and palmitoyl tripeptide-1, to encourage collagen production. Its juicy, high-shine (but not sticky) finish gives lips an even greater illusion of volume.