Templates · Free template · Aftercare
Lip Filler and Dermal Filler Aftercare Instructions
A printable handout for clients after hyaluronic acid filler in the lips or face: what to expect, what to avoid, and the warning signs that need urgent action.
How to use this sheet
This is a draft to adapt, not a finished protocol. Timings such as how long to avoid exercise, heat, or active skincare differ between devices, products, and practitioners, so check every line against what you actually tell clients, fill in the blanks at the bottom, and have your medical director or clinical lead review it before you use it.
Print it, save it as a PDF, or send it digitally. Tick the aftercare box on the client's chart so there is a record that the instructions were given.
Keep the urgent box near the top
Blockage of a blood vessel is rare, but it is the complication where speed matters most. The sheet lists the signs in plain words and puts them near the top so they are read. Confirm the wording with your medical director, and make sure the client has a number that is answered out of hours.
Why a written sheet matters
Clients forget most of what they are told in the room, especially straight after an injection or a peel. A written sheet answers the 9 p.m. question of whether something is normal, tells them exactly when it is not, and shows that you gave the instructions.
Lip Filler and Dermal Filler Aftercare Instructions
Your treatment
- Lips
- Cheeks
- Under-eye
- Chin
- Jawline
- Nasolabial folds
- Other
Get urgent help right away if
If you cannot reach us, go to the nearest emergency department.
- You have severe pain, or pain that is increasing.
- The skin turns white, grey, blue, mottled, or dusky.
- You notice any change in your vision, or pain around or behind the eye.
- You develop blisters or open sores.
- Swelling spreads, or you have trouble breathing.
What is normal
- Swelling, especially in the lips. It can look larger than your final result and usually peaks in the first few days, then settles over a week or two.
- Bruising that can appear over the first days and fade within about two weeks.
- Tenderness and small lumps you can feel. These usually soften as the filler settles.
- Slight unevenness while you are swollen. Please wait until the swelling has settled before judging the result.
The first 24 to 48 hours
- Do not press, rub, or massage the area unless we have shown you how.
- Avoid strenuous exercise, saunas, steam rooms, hot baths, and direct heat.
- Avoid alcohol for 24 hours, since it can increase swelling and bruising.
- Sleep with your head slightly raised for the first night.
- Use a cold compress wrapped in a clean cloth, gently and in short intervals. Never put ice directly on the skin.
- For lip treatment, hold off on lip products until any tiny puncture marks have healed.
The next two weeks
- Wear SPF daily and avoid tanning and excessive heat.
- Avoid dental work, facials, and other treatments on the area for about two weeks unless we have cleared them.
- Book a review visit so we can check the result once the swelling has settled.
Call us if
- Swelling or bruising gets worse after the first few days instead of better.
- You have redness, warmth, or pus, or a fever.
- A lump stays painful, hard, or red.
- You are worried about how the result looks.
Your clinic
Your practitioner fills this in before you leave.
- Instructions explained verbally
- Client received a copy
Template from zdrovia.ca/templates/lip-filler-aftercare-instructions/ · Adapt to your clinic's protocol and have it reviewed by your medical director or clinical lead before use.
Send the right aftercare to every client automatically
In Zdrovia you write an aftercare sheet once under Patient Instructions and attach it to the service as its post-visit instruction. Every booking for that service delivers it to the client through their portal or by message, and you can embed it on your own website. Free for solo practitioners, with data stored in Canada.
See how Zdrovia is set up for med spas.
Frequently asked questions
How long does swelling last after lip filler?
It typically peaks within the first few days and settles over a week or two, but this varies. Tell clients not to judge the result until it has settled.
Is this sheet suitable for under-eye filler?
Use it as a base, but tear troughs are a high-risk vascular area. Add the specific guidance your injector gives, and make the urgent box prominent.
Should the sheet tell clients to avoid dental work?
Many clinics advise a couple of weeks. Use the interval your protocol specifies.
Related
This sheet is general patient education, not medical advice for any individual. Timings and products differ between treatments, devices, and practitioners, and your clinician's instructions for a specific client always take priority. Have your medical director or clinical lead review and adapt it before you give it to clients.