Can Dissolving Lip Filler Leave You with Stretch Marks?

One viral trend making waves on social media features users documenting their journey to have lip filler reversed or allowing the hyaluronic acid filler to absorb into the body over time to return to their former look. A common question found in the comments of these video is whether lips can end up looking or feeling deflated, and a recent TikTok video prompted the question: Can you end up with lip stretch marks once the filler is gone?

To get the lowdown, we tapped our face-reshaping experts to explain whether raisin lips are even possible.

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According to Beverly Hills, CA facial plastic surgeon Kimberly J. Lee, MD, the possibility exists. “Fillers volumize areas of the face including the lips,” she explains. “When we’re young, think of our faces as plump grapes but as we age and lose volume, we develop wrinkles like raisins. If the lips are overfilled and kept this way for a long time, this can stretch out the overlying skin.” As excess filler is dissolved after an extended period of time, Dr. Lee says this can lead to wrinkles in the overlying skin as there is loss of volume.

Stressed or Stretched?

However, this isn’t common notes New York dermatologist Doris Day, MD: “When it comes to lips, it’s not an area where we typically see stretch marks because lips don’t get ‘fat’ on their own,” adds the expert injector. “With typical volumes added of 1cc or less to the lips in one session, and a normal reabsorption of the product over time, there typically is no thinning or over-stretching of the skin or laxity once the product is gone.”

Just in Case

While a rare scenario, deflated, stretched-out lips can be treated, shares Fort Lauderdale, FL dermatologist Dr. Matthew Elias. “The treatment for wrinkly or volume-depleted lips typically would be filler, however if this is not an option, other solutions can be something like the HydraFacial treatment to help rehydrate the lips along with a microchannel volume delivery like AquaGold or forthcoming skin boosters.” Skin boosters have not yet been FDA-approved, but products overseas like Juvéderm Volite and Profhilo haven been nicknamed “injectable moisturizers” for the way they help nourish skin and smooth.

Avoid Over-Inflating

Dr. Day notes that the issue starts at the time of the initial injection and gives a word of caution to those seeking a lip enhancement. “If massive volumes are placed, that could change the equation and lead to lip laxity, which doesn’t look like typical stretch marks on the body, but rather like wrinkles on and around the lips. I have not seen this in any patients, but I worry about it in some of the photos I see on social media where the lips are blown up like balloons.” 

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