How to fix hardened lips due to silicone injections and dermal fillers

Q. I’m really concerned about my lips. I had some silicone injected into them, along with Juvéderm fillers. My lips feel hard and are now asymmetric. Is there anything I can do?

A. It sounds like you’ve had a combination of fillers over time, including Juvéderm fillers and silicone injections. One important point is that silicone, once injected into the body, cannot be dissolved, unlike hyaluronic acid-based fillers such as Juvéderm.

In fact, the Food and Drug Administration issued a safety warning about silicone injections in 2017, noting that “serious injuries and disfigurement” can result from injecting silicone to enhance “buttocks, breasts and other body parts.”

Hyaluronic acid fillers like Juvéderm can be dissolved using an enzyme called hyaluronidase. After allowing time for your lips to settle — typically a couple of weeks — a medical professional can reevaluate the symmetry, contour, and firmness of your lips and use hyaluronidase to dissolve some or all of the filler in a certain spot.

That’s not the case with silicone injections, which are permanent.

If your lips are still asymmetric or feel overly firm due to the silicone, a cosmetic surgeon can augment and shape your lips with new hyaluronic acid filler, using precise techniques to restore symmetry and softness.

In more severe or complex cases, you may need surgery .While surgery can’t always completely reverse the effects of permanent fillers, it can significantly improve the shape, symmetry and feel of the lips.

You should see a facial plastic surgeon or plastic surgeon to create a treatment plan that’s tailored to your needs. You’re not alone — this is a challenge we see often and there are ways to make it better.