Our clients love lip fillers for their ability to create fuller, hydrated, and more defined lips, tailored to each patient’s aesthetic goals. At our downtown Bethesda medical spa, our team of expert nurse practitioner injectors is dedicated to ensuring that our patients achieve the best possible results and enjoy a smooth recovery. Before you book any filler treatment, it's crucial to be aware of the guidelines and precautions, especially during pregnancy (and afterwards!). Keep reading for everything you need to know!

First, Let’s Get Into What Lip Fillers Are:

Lip fillers, also known as dermal filler, are injectable treatments designed to add volume, hydration, and shape to the lips. Most lip fillers use hyaluronic acid (HA), a substance that naturally occurs in our bodies and helps keep our lips plump and hydrated. Hyaluronic acid is popular because it’s safe and creates gorgeous, natural-looking results.

At Defy Aesthetic, your lip filler appointment begins with a thorough consultation with our expert injectors, who will work with you to determine your aesthetic goals. Next, we apply a numbing cream to your lips to ensure maximum comfort during the treatment. Once you’re numb, we carefully inject filler into targeted areas of your lips to achieve your desired look - whether it’s enhancing hydration, adding volume, accentuating your natural shape, or defining your lips.

Unlike other treatments like Botox, the results of lip fillers are immediate. However, some swelling and bruising are normal and will subside over the next 72 hours. The effects typically last between six months to a year, depending on the type of filler used and individual factors!

Take a look at some of our recent lip filler patients on our Instagram and our website for more before and afters!

Who Is a Good Candidate for Lip Filler?

Lip fillers are a great choice for those looking to enhance their lips. An ideal candidate for lip fillers is someone who is:

• In Good Health: Being in good health is important before getting lip fillers because it ensures that your body can heal properly and respond well to the treatment. Healthy patients tend to experience fewer complications, such as excessive swelling or bruising, and recover more quickly.

• A Non-Smoker: Smoking can affect circulation and healing, so non-smokers are generally better candidates.

• Understanding of Their Results: Having realistic expectations for lip filler treatments is crucial because it helps patients understand what can and cannot be achieved. For instance, we often recommend gradually building up volume over multiple appointments rather than trying to achieve it all in one session. This slower approach ensures more natural-looking results.

So, Can You Get Lip Filler While Pregnant?

While cosmetic treatments like lip filler are widely regarded as safe, they do carry inherent risks that can be magnified during pregnancy and right afterwards. The hormonal changes and increased sensitivity that come with pregnancy could potentially heighten the risk of adverse reactions or complications from dermal fillers - like swelling or bruising. Additionally, the safety of certain ingredients used in lip fillers hasn't been thoroughly studied in pregnant women by the FDA, so it’s best to avoid any potential risks for you or your baby.

In general, we don’t recommend lip filler during pregnancy and encourage patients to wait until after baby is here!

Our Favorite Alternatives to Lip Filler During Pregnancy:

Pregnancy inevitably brings about many changes in your body, and it's completely understandable to want to look and feel your best during this time. While certain treatments like Botox, fillers, microneedling with PRP, MOXI and BBL photofacial lasers, and chemical peels may be off the table during those 9 months, there are several pregnancy-safe skincare treatments that we offer that offer major glowy skin benefits!

Now, let’s dive into some soothing and revitalizing skin treatments that can help you maintain a radiant, healthy glow throughout your pregnancy.

• Facials: Facials offer a wonderful opportunity to treat your skin to some much-deserved care without needing to turn to invasive procedures. These treatments include steps like cleansing, exfoliating, and hydrating, which tackle common skin concerns such as dullness, dryness, and clogged pores. Facials also provide a calming and restorative experience, helping you maintain a glowing complexion while ensuring the safety of both you and your baby.

• Dermaplaning: Dermaplaning is a non-invasive exfoliation treatment that involves using a sterile surgical scalpel to gently scrape away the top layer of dead skin cells and fine vellus hair also known as “peach fuzz.” This quick and pregnancy-safe treatment reveals smoother, brighter skin and allows your skincare products to penetrate more effectively. While this concept may sound similar to shaving, it is vastly different and offers many more glowy benefits!

• Topical Products: Don’t forget about the power of skin care! Our aestheticians are trained to help create a skin care routine safe for pregnancy, tailored specially to your skin's needs. This is a great way to continue to take care of your skin and dedicate some time to yourself! We do always recommend getting all products cleared by your OB/GYN before starting anything new. 

How Soon After Pregnancy Can You Get Lip Filler?

After childbirth, many women are more than ready to return to their usual beauty routines, including treatments like lip fillers - however, there are a few things to consider before booking your treatment. We generally recommend waiting at least six weeks postpartum before scheduling a lip filler appointment. This allows your body sufficient time to recover from delivery and helps ensure that any postpartum changes or challenges are stabilized. If you’ve had a cesarean section, you might need to wait a bit longer - typically around three months - to ensure that your surgical site has fully healed and that your body is back to its pre-pregnancy state. 

Additionally, if you’re breastfeeding, we recommend holding off until you’re finished. However, other treatments are safe while nursing! We always require you to consult with your general healthcare provider/OBGYN to ensure that the treatment will not interfere with breastfeeding or pose any risks to your baby.

Have more questions about pregnancy and lip filler or lip filler in general? Book an appointment online at our downtown Bethesda medical spa and we will be happy to answer any and all questions for you!

Whether you're interested in lip filler, Botox/Dysport, skin lasers, or want to learn more about our Defy Monthly Facial Membership (a perfect choice for those who want to transform their skin without the price tag over the course of a year!), we’d love to see you in our Bethesda medical spa soon!