Filler settles over two weeks. What you do in the first 48 hours decides how much swelling and bruising you get; what you watch for in the first week keeps you safe.
First 48 hours
Cold compresses, ten minutes on and off, for the first evening. Sleep on your back with the head raised on two pillows for two nights. No alcohol, heavy exercise, sauna, steam or very hot drinks. Do not press, massage or “check” the area with your fingers unless Dr. Sara showed you how.
First week
Make-up from the next day once the needle marks are closed. Avoid dental work, facials, peels and massage for two weeks. Arnica gel can speed bruise fading. Paracetamol for discomfort; avoid aspirin and ibuprofen for two days unless prescribed.
Normal
Swelling that peaks at 48 hours and is mostly gone by day five. Lips swell most. Mild tenderness, small soft lumps that settle, a bruise that turns yellow and fades over a week, slight asymmetry from uneven swelling.
Not normal: call the same day
Skin that turns white, mottled or dusky-purple in a patch, severe pain out of proportion, a cold or numb area, blisters, or any change in vision. These are signs of a blocked vessel. They are rare, they are treatable with hyaluronidase, and every minute counts. Dr. Sara keeps hyaluronidase in the clinic and gives every filler patient her direct number.
Quick answers
Can I massage lumps after filler?
Only if Dr. Sara asked you to. Most early lumps are swelling and disappear by two weeks.
When can I exercise after filler?
Light walking the same day; running, gym and hot yoga after 48 hours.
Why does one side look bigger?
Swelling is never symmetrical in the first days. Wait for the two-week check before judging.
This guide is general information, not medical advice; your treatment is decided at your consultation with Dr. Sara El Hamawy.