Assessing Complications in Lip Augmentation With Dermal Fillers

Lip augmentation through dermal filler injections has become increasingly popular as a noninvasive cosmetic procedure. However, with this rise in popularity comes a parallel increase in complications associated with lip filler treatments. Understanding these complications and their management is crucial for practitioners in the field of cosmetic dermatology and aesthetic medicine.

A recent review of existing literature published in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology aimed to evaluate complications secondary to lip augmentation following nonpermanent dermal filler injections.

The study, which utilized a thorough MEDLINE literature search, focused on cases reporting complications related to lip filler injections. Among the 53 cases studied, researchers identified a total of 82 complications. Hyaluronic acid (HA) filler was the most commonly used filler in the lip region, either alone or in combination with other soft tissue fillers. Notably, complications were most frequently associated with HA fillers, which could be attributed to their widespread use in lip augmentation procedures. Nodule formation was the most common complication across all 3 filler types. Additionally, complications such as migration, discoloration, and herpetic outbreaks were reported following filler placement in the lip area.

“It is clear that filler treatments carry a variety of risks, thus it becomes of utmost importance to truly understand the product we are working with, its properties, its associated risks, and how to manage those risks,” concluded the study authors. “We have to ensure that patients are adequately informed about the risks associated, and understand what those risks entail.”

Reference

Diwan Z, Trikha S, Etemad-Shahidi S, Parrish N, Rennie C. Evaluation of current literature on complications secondary to lip augmentation following dermal filler injection. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2023;16(7):26-33.