The Natural Way hyaluronic fillers dissolve on their own, thanks to an enzyme found naturally in the body: hyaluronidase. This enzyme gradually degrades hyaluronic acid over the course of 6 to 12 months. Lip fillers are an injectable treatment, which has been administered in a clinical setting. Any trick or technique to remove them at home could lead to infections, injuries, and even more doctor visits.
Hyaluronidase is a soluble protein enzyme that is normally used to break down hyaluronic acid found in dermal fillers. It works by breaking the bonds that hold HA molecules together and encourages the body to reabsorb those molecules in a natural process that it knows how to do on its own. It achieves this by increasing tissue permeability, splitting the molecular bonds that hold hyaluronic acid together, and promoting the natural cellular processes responsible for its diffusion. Different fillers tend to dissolve naturally at different rates.
Most hyaluronic acid fillers used on the lips, jaw and cheeks, including Juvederm and Restylane, are metabolized after 6 months to a year. Sculptra can continue to work on the face for up to two years. Often, a small superficial lump on the lip can dissolve quickly, however, larger nodules or extended areas of integration of the filler break down into sections, where one may feel that the filling has disappeared in some areas, while still being seen in others. In addition, the filler is quite soft and mobile for the first 48 hours after treatment, so there may be some compression of the filler around areas of greatest muscle contraction or if a patient swells much after treatment, this can also cause some compression or movement of the product. To get rid of fillers, hyaluronidase is usually injected as it is the enzyme that the body naturally produces to break down fillers.
It is for these reasons that Dr. Nick generally recommends that his patients wait for their lip fillers to dissolve naturally, without hyaluronidase injections. If you want to maintain the look you achieved with a fill, you can get touch-up appointments to inject more filler each time it starts to break down. Although it has a short half-life, its effectiveness lasts longer and you will notice that there is a reduced appearance of filling areas 48 hours after injection. In these cases, a steroid injection can help reverse the effects of some of these non-hyaluronic fillers to a certain extent. There are ways to minimize side effects, such as avoiding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, taking arnica supplements, avoiding alcohol, and not exercising for at least 24 hours after receiving filler injections.
Before you receive your first filler injection, you may want to know how soon you will see the results, how long your results will last, and how long it will take for the fillers to dissolve if in the end you don't like the results. The possibility of allergic reactions due to the injection of hyaluronic acid fillers is very low because hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally built up in the human body. It is important to remember that any trick or technique to remove them at home could lead to infections, injuries, and even more doctor visits.
