What Does Filler Actually Feel Like in Your Face?
The thought of having something placed beneath your skin can feel quite strange when you've never experienced it before. You might be absolutely fine with the idea of how filler could look, but then start wondering what happens afterwards. Will you feel it when you smile? Will your lips feel different when you kiss someone? Will your cheeks feel hard? Will you constantly be aware that it's there?
These are exactly the sorts of questions I want you to ask in consultation, including the ones you think might sound silly! They aren't.
So rather than simply telling you that filler “settles”, I thought I'd explain what having dermal filler can actually feel like, from those first few hours after treatment through to when everything has settled down.
Can You Feel Dermal Filler Under Your Skin?
Initially, yes, you may be aware that something feels different.
Straight after treatment, the area can feel slightly swollen, tender or firmer than usual. You've just had an injectable treatment, so some temporary swelling and sensitivity around the injection sites is to be expected.
That doesn't necessarily mean what you're feeling is the filler itself. You're also feeling the normal response of the tissue following treatment.
As that initial swelling settles, most people become much less aware of the treated area.
Once everything has settled properly, well placed filler generally shouldn't be something you're walking around consciously feeling in your face all day.
But exactly what you notice, and for how long, can vary depending on the area treated, the product used, the amount placed and your body’s unique response.
Another thing to think about as well - filler doesn’t feel the same everywhere!
What Does Lip Filler Feel Like Once It's Settled?
Lips are probably the area people worry about most.
They move constantly, they're incredibly sensitive and nobody wants their lips to feel hard or unnatural.
Immediately after lip filler, they can feel quite different. They may be swollen, tender or feel firmer than you're used to, and you can sometimes be very aware of them simply because you've never paid quite so much attention to your lips before!
That first day feeling isn't a good indication of how they'll ultimately feel.
As the initial swelling and tenderness reduce, the lips should begin to feel much more like your lips again. Depending on the product and technique used, you may initially notice small areas of firmness while everything settles.
Interestingly, some clients do tell me they become more aware of them afterwards and catch themselves pressing or rubbing their lips together, almost as if they're subconsciously checking how they feel. That doesn't necessarily mean there's anything wrong! Sometimes you're simply noticing a part of your face that you didn't pay much attention to before.
And yes, because I'm asked this more than you'd think: kissing can feel a little strange while your lips are swollen or tender. You'll be given individual aftercare advice about when it's appropriate to resume normal activities following your treatment ;)
Does Cheek Filler Feel Hard?
Cheek filler feels quite different from lip filler.
Because we're often using filler here to provide subtle structural support, you may initially notice some firmness or a sense of pressure in the treated area.
For the first few days, your cheeks might also feel slightly tender if you touch them, a bit like the tenderness you'd get from a small bruise. Again, this should settle.
Once cheek filler has completely settled, most clients tell me they simply stop noticing it. You shouldn't be walking around feeling as though there's something sitting inside your cheek, and smiling, laughing and talking should all feel completely natural.
If you deliberately press the treated area, you may notice that it feels a little firmer or more supported than it did before, particularly when filler has been placed deeper to support the cheek. But in everyday life, it should really just begin to feel like part of your face.
What Does Chin or Jawline Filler Feel Like?
With areas such as the chin and jawline, people often describe being more aware of pressure or firmness initially rather than feeling anything particularly unusual.
You might notice some tenderness when touching the area or doing things that put pressure against it.
And sometimes it's simply the newness that feels odd.
We're incredibly familiar with our own faces. You know without thinking how your chin feels when you rest it on your hand or how your face moves when you smile. So even a subtle change can make you hyper-aware of an area for a little while.
As swelling and tenderness settle, that awareness usually reduces too.
Will I Be Able to Feel Filler When I Smile or Move My Face?
This is such a good question because ultimately you need to smile. Laugh. Talk. Eat. Kiss your partner. Pull ridiculous faces at your children.
The goal of a considered filler treatment isn't to create a face that only looks good when it's completely still.
Immediately afterwards, movement can feel slightly different simply because an area is swollen or tender. But once you've healed, normal facial movement shouldn't mean spending your life conscious that you've had filler.
This is also one of the reasons I prefer a conservative approach.
More product isn't automatically a better result. Sometimes the most beautiful treatment is the one nobody else can quite put their finger on.
Is It Normal to Feel Small Lumps After Filler?
Depending on the area and treatment, you may notice some temporary unevenness or firmness while swelling settles.
But this is an area where I don't want to give you a blanket “don't worry, it's normal” because not every lump, change or symptom should simply be ignored.
Your practitioner should give you clear aftercare information, including what you can reasonably expect and when they want you to contact them.
If something doesn't feel right, you're worried about a change, or you're experiencing symptoms you weren't expecting, contact your treating practitioner rather than trying to diagnose it yourself online.
I'd always rather a client message me and it turn out to be nothing concerning, than sit at home worrying because they don't want to bother me.
What Should Filler Feel Like When It's Done Well?
Eventually, I'd rather you weren't thinking about your filler at all!
You shouldn't have to organise your facial expressions around it or spend every morning checking whether everybody can tell.
Good aesthetic treatment should fit into your face and your life, rather than becoming the thing you see every time you look in the mirror.
And that starts long before I pick up a syringe, during your consultations. It starts with looking at your face properly, talking about what's bothering you, deciding whether filler is even the right treatment and, if it is, choosing the right product, placement and amount for you.
Sometimes that conversation ends with filler. Sometimes we realise that what you're actually noticing is skin quality, hydration or collagen loss, and another treatment makes more sense!
That's why I will always come back to the same thing: start with the concern, not the treatment.
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