Quick Answers
Here are some quick answers to common questions about what not to eat after lip fillers:
Spicy Foods
Avoid spicy foods like chili peppers, salsa, and hot sauce after lip fillers. The heat and spices can irritate and inflame your lips.
Crunchy Foods
Stay away from crunchy foods like chips, pretzels, and crackers. The abrasive textures can damage the delicate filler material.
Alcohol
Do not drink alcohol for at least 24 hours after the procedure. Alcohol can increase swelling and bruising.
Citrus Fruits
Avoid acidic fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and pineapples which can cause irritation.
Very Hot or Cold Foods
Extreme temperatures from foods like soup or ice cream can impact swelling. Stick to room temperature foods.
Why Avoid Certain Foods After Lip Fillers?
After getting lip fillers, patients need to be careful about what they eat and drink for the first few days. This is because the lips are sensitive and swollen after the procedure. Eating the wrong foods can cause excessive inflammation, irritation, bleeding, or other issues that affect the results.
Some main reasons to avoid certain foods include:
- Prevent infection – Spicy, crunchy, or acidic foods can introduce new bacteria into the puncture sites from the injections.
- Reduce swelling – Hot, cold, spicy, or acidic foods can further inflame the delicate tissues.
- Avoid filler displacement – Crunchy, chewy, or sticky foods may physically push around the filler material.
- Prevent bleeding – Hard, crunchy foods or alcohol can cause trauma and reopen puncture wounds.
- Minimize bruising – Alcohol, sodium-rich foods, and blood-thinning foods like garlic increase chances of bruising.
Following the recommended diet helps lips heal smoothly and allows the fillers to properly integrate within the tissues. This gives the best cosmetic results in terms of plumpness, symmetry, and reduction of bruises or bumps.
Foods to Avoid Completely After Lip Fillers
Here are some types of foods that should be completely avoided for 1-2 days after getting lip fillers:
Spicy Foods
Avoid any foods that contain chili peppers, hot sauce, chili powder, horseradish, wasabi, or black pepper. These can cause severe irritation, swelling, and redness. Even small amounts of spice from things like salsa, bbq sauce, or buffalo wings should be avoided.
Crunchy & Hard Foods
Do not eat foods with hard, crunchy, crispy, or sharp textures such as:
- Potato chips
- Popcorn
- Pretzels
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Granola
- Cookies
- Dried fruit
- Crudités like carrots or celery
- Pizza crust
- Hard candies
- Tortilla chips
The abrasive textures can cause trauma, tearing, filler displacement, and inflammation.
Citrus Fruits
Avoid acidic citrus fruits for at least 48 hours including:
- Oranges
- Grapefruits
- Lemons
- Limes
- Pineapples
The acids in these fruits can irritate the puncture points and cause stinging.
Carbonated Beverages
Do not drink any carbonated drinks like soda, sparkling water, beer, champagne, etc. The bubbles can get trapped in the lips and cause pain and swelling.
Alcohol
Do not consume any alcoholic drinks for at least 24 hours after lip fillers. Alcohol increases bruising and swelling risks.
Very Hot or Cold Foods
Avoid any food or drinks that are piping hot like soup or boiling tea. Also avoid icy cold foods like milkshakes, ice cream, or frozen smoothies. Extreme hot or cold can impact swelling and inflammation.
Foods to Eat in Moderation After Lip Fillers
Some foods are okay in moderation but should still be minimized for a few days after lip fillers. These include:
Salty Foods
Avoid excessive salt intake from foods like chips, pretzels, pickles, soy sauce, cured meats, and frozen meals. Sodium causes fluid retention which worsens swelling.
Spicy Foods
If you must eat spicy foods, stick to very mild flavors for 3-4 days. Avoid heavy doses of spices.
Citrusy Foods
You can eat low acid fruits in moderation like bananas, melons, applesauce, peeled peaches, avocados, mangos, etc. Avoid heavy doses of citric acid.
Crunchy Foods
If you must eat crunchy foods, choose softer options like crudités cooked to a soft texture, macaroni & cheese, or softened bread. Avoid very hard, dry, or sharp textures.
Very Hot or Cold Foods
Hot soup or ice cream is okay if consumed slowly in small quantities. Avoid large amounts that shock the system.
Recommended Foods After Lip Fillers
Here are some good food choices for the first 2 days after lip fillers:
Soft Foods
- Yogurt
- Applesauce or puréed fruit
- Mashed potatoes
- Oatmeal
- Pudding
- Cottage cheese
- Scrambled eggs
Blended Foods
- Protein shakes
- Smoothies without citrus
- Soup blended into a cream texture
Cooling Foods
- Cucumbers
- Watermelon
- Honeydew
- Pineapple juice diluted with water
Room Temperature Foods
- Oatmeal
- Bananas
- Avocados
- Hummus
- Cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Toast
- Rice
Hydrating Fluids
- Water
- Coconut water
- Herbal tea
- Skim milk
- Electrolyte drinks
Foods to Reintroduce 3-4 Days After Lip Fillers
Here are some foods that can be slowly reintroduced 3-4 days after lip fillers as swelling subsides:
- Peeled fruits like bananas, melon, mango
- Cooked vegetables
- Soft cooked pasta
- Eggs
- Flaky fish
- Well-cooked rice
- Oatmeal
- Low sodium soups
- Protein shakes
- Herbal tea
- Soft bread
Around day 4, you may try adding back:
- Citrus fruits
- Carbonated beverages
- Alcohol in moderation
- Slightly crunchy foods like toast or crudités
- Salty foods in moderation
- Spicy foods in moderation
Continue avoiding very hard, sharp, or extreme temperature foods for one week. Slowly reintroduce all foods over 7-10 days.
Other Diet Tips After Lip Fillers
Here are some other diet tips for optimal recovery after lip fillers:
- Drink plenty of fluids like water, juices, tea, and coconut water.
- Eat soft, vitamin-rich foods like bananas, avocados, carrots, butternut squash.
- Supplement with vitamin C, bromelain, arnica to help healing.
- Avoid using a straw which can cause suction trauma.
- Take small bites and chew slowly and gently.
- Cut food into small pieces to minimize chewing motions.
- Avoid extremely hot or cold drinks – allow time to cool or warm.
- Greasy, fried, and processed foods may increase inflammation.
- Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods like salmon, walnuts, olive oil.
Foods to Avoid Long Term After Lip Fillers
Even after the lips have healed, there are some foods that should be minimized long term to preserve the results of lip fillers:
- Spicy hot foods – opt for milder flavors.
- Crunchy chip-like foods – go for softer textures.
- Excessive alcohol – limit to special occasions.
- Citrus fruits – okay in moderation.
- Carbonated beverages – minimize intake.
- Sugary foods – avoid extremes as they worsen inflammation.
- Straws – sip gently to avoid suction trauma.
Being diligent with aftercare extends the longevity of lip fillers for the best aesthetic outcomes over time.
What to Do If Issues Arise After Eating
If you experience any of the following after eating, contact your provider:
- Significant or worsening pain
- Excessive swelling that feels taut
- Bleeding from the puncture sites
- Visible nodules or irregularities
- Extreme redness and inflammation
- Signs of infection like pus, fever, chills
- Tingling, numbness, or bluish discoloration
Mild swelling, bruising, and tenderness are normal. But excessive or worsening reactions could signify complications. Follow any instructions your provider gives for care. Neglecting issues may compromise results.
Conclusion
What you eat and drink after lip fillers can impact your results and recovery time. Follow the recommended guidelines for avoiding certain foods and slowly reintroducing your normal diet over 7-10 days. This helps lips heal smoothly, minimizes side effects, and reduces risks like infection. Be diligent with aftercare and stay hydrated to help your new pout last. Avoid anything extremely hot, cold, spicy, crunchy, or acidic as these are common culprits for irritation. With proper care, your plump lips will have that perfect shape and symmetry.