I Went Overboard With Lip Filler. Dissolving It Saved My Confidence.

A friend told me that once you start getting facial filler, it’s hard to stop. From the first application of numbing cream on my lips seven years ago to the first prick of the needle, not only did I love the stinging feeling, I was obsessed with my newly voluminous pout.

And it was plumper, that was for sure. Two weeks later, when the initial swelling went down, I learned my friend was right: I wanted more. As time went on and I continued to have more hyaluronic acid injected, however, I eventually reached a tipping point: My feelings of confidence had morphed into insecurity.

That’s because, after four years of regular injections, my filler had migrated and sat heavily in my upper lip. From the side, it looked like the area was unnaturally sticking out — a phenomenon colloquially referred to as “duck lips.”

I realized it was time to dissolve it. And though I still get more subtle hyaluronic acid-based ”tweakments,” on my face (lips included), I’m grateful for my decision to go more natural.

The Down Low On Filler Migration

Certain areas are more prone to migration than others. “It is common to find patients who had their filler injected into the red part of their lip and develop a fullness or thickening of the white part [(top border)] of their lip,” says Dr. Sean Alemi, M.D., a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, based in Long Island, New York. “It merges and sort of becomes a roll.”

What was once confidence that I had with my pout now morphed into insecurity.

The key to avoiding this is getting the right expert for the job. Dr. David Shafer, M.D., a double board-certified plastic surgeon based in New York City, stresses the importance of finding an experienced board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon (something I initially didn’t do until the end of 2022, when I got into beauty editorial and learned better — I went to a medspa).

“There is definitely a skill to injecting fillers, and an intimate knowledge of anatomy is required,” he says. Because the treatment doesn’t tend to last as long, I’d find myself back in the injector’s chair every six months or so for a touch-up (whereas undereye filler, for example, can last anywhere from six months to a year). The frequent trips only compounded my risk of migration, as filler can lay too heavily without allowing enough time for the previous product to settle or metabolize, says Shafer.

Too Much Of A Good Thing

My swelling was most pronounced in the philtrum, the small groove that runs from the middle of your lip to your nose. If I made a millennial kissy face, it was emphasized even more (sad news for my selfie game).

But to be honest, the migration didn’t actually bother me much. I still wanted a plump pout. When I sat down in the injector’s chair two years ago, though, she refused to do it. She placed a mirror in front of my face, squeezed the top of my mouth to show me the problem, and suggested I dissolve my filler and start over again.

Though I was afraid to do it, all the filler above my upper lip had to go. “Once [migration] happens, the only way to fix it is to dissolve it and start over,” says Alemi. In general, it’s unlikely to be a recurring problem — though Shafer notes it can be more of an issue for those with a very thin lip structure.

Dissolving My Filler

I was treated with Hylenex, which cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Paul Jarrod Frank of PFRANKMD says is the only product on the market right now for the job. You sometimes might hear it referred to as hyaluronidase, the enzyme that breaks down hyaluronic acid-based fillers safely and effectively. “You should see results in as little as an hour,” he says.

My injector gave me approximately 30 units of Hylenex above my upper lip. There was a momentary burning sensation. Let’s just say you can almost feel it dissolving your unwanted filler, as if the hyaluronic acid is crackling into oblivion. I was fearful that I’d wind up looking asymmetrical with one side of my upper lip more turned up than the other.

A friend once told me that once you start getting facial filler, it’s hard to stop.

About an hour after my injections — and in a great stroke of irony — the upper part of my pout swelled in the most attractive way: Hylenex gave me the upper lip I’d always wanted. (According to Shafer, it’s common for it to cause temporary puffiness due to an inflammatory response in the treated area. It didn’t last, however.)

I wasn’t alone. “[In my office] we are seeing an increased trend of patients realizing that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing and we’re sculpting faces down as often as we sculpt them up,” Frank says.

Life With A Better, Smaller Pout

In the days following my treatment, my lip area looked noticeably better, which was evident when I would make a kissy face: I looked normal, not pillowy. My confidence soared, especially when I saw myself in pictures.

I promised myself that I would do it the right way next time by seeing a pro — and by going slow. I waited a few months and went to a board-certified dermatologist. This time, I went for a much more subtle fill.

“We are seeing an increased trend of patients realizing that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.”

I’ve finally achieved the lips I’ve always wanted: still large and plump but — most importantly — natural-looking.

“Filler is an art and a science,” Shafer says. “It’s important not to trust your face to just anyone.”