What silicone removal is
Silicone removal takes out silicone that was injected in the past, most often in the lips. Silicone bonds to the tissue around it, so your surgeon removes it with some of that tissue.
Not all of the silicone may come out in one procedure; your surgeon will tell you if a second one is advised.
Every procedure is performed at True Surgical Center, our AAAHC-accredited surgical center in Beverly Hills. About True Surgical Center
Who it is for
Your surgeon tells you at your consultation whether silicone removal fits your goals, and says so when another approach would serve you better.
Silicone Removal from the Lips in Beverly Hills: the essentials
- Where
- True Surgical Center, the AAAHC-accredited surgical center at 150 S. Rodeo Drive, Suite 220, Beverly Hills.
- Anesthesia
- Local anesthesia with MAC (monitored anesthesia care) and IV sedation, given and watched throughout by a board-certified anesthesiologist. Someone takes you home or to your hotel and stays nearby the first day.
- Sutures
- Sutures on the skin come out at your Day 5 visit; sutures inside the lip dissolve on their own.
- If you travel
- You can typically fly home the day your sutures come out or the day after.
- Makeup
- Makeup after your sutures are out, but not directly on the incisions for another week.
- Scar care
- Silicone scar gel day and night, starting 2 days after your sutures are out.
- Exercise
- Light cardio may resume at 2 weeks. Strenuous exercise: typically 3 weeks, once your surgeon clears you.
- Final result
- Full healing may take up to 6 months, with a check-up 3 months after surgery.
Every plan is personal, so your surgeon confirms each of these for you at your consultation. Recovery, week by week
What happens on the day
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01Before you go in
Your surgeon examines the lip and plans the removal with you at your consultation, and you follow the Pre-Op General Instructions.
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02Removing the silicone
Because silicone bonds to the tissue around it, your surgeon removes it with some of that tissue, through an incision inside the lip or on the skin.
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03Going home
Sleep on your back with your head raised on 2 to 3 pillows, ice 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, for 5 days to a week, and don’t pull down on your lip. If you have an incision inside your lip, rinse after every meal with salt water or an antiseptic mouthwash.
Preparing for surgery · Out-of-town patients · Post-operative care guide
Recovery, week by week
This comes from the written instructions our patients receive before surgery, so it changes only when those instructions change.
Swelling and bruising of the lips are normal. Clean the incisions 2 to 3 times a day with soap and water or peroxide, then apply Aquaphor; light walks after the first 24 hours. Drainage, fever, or increasing pain and swelling after the third day means call us. Skin sutures out at your Day 5 visit.
Itching at the incisions is normal, and acute swelling typically resolves within 2 weeks. Silicone scar gel from 2 days after your sutures are out. Light cardio may resume at 2 weeks. Strenuous exercise: typically 3 weeks, once your surgeon clears you. From 2 weeks, light lymphatic massage can help swelling settle; keep it gentle and away from your incisions.
Wear SPF 50, add a hat whenever possible, and limit direct sun. Avoid rubbing or tension on your lip incisions until fully healed. A scar that becomes thick, raised or painful, or stays itchy after the first few weeks, can be an early keloid. Call us: a steroid injection given early prevents it.
Full healing may take up to 6 months, and a final check-up is advisable 3 months after surgery.
Difficulty breathing, chest pain, or bleeding that does not stop with gentle pressure means call 911. For anything else that worries you, call us at (424) 363-4112, day or night. When to call us right away
Silicone Removal from the Lips risks, and how we keep you safe
Every procedure carries risk. Your surgeon goes through the risks that apply to your plan at your consultation, and each one is written in the consent you read and sign. For silicone removal, the consent lists:
- Silicone Left Behind. Not all of the silicone may come out; some may stay in the tissue and cause lumps or swelling later.
- Contour Irregularity. Dips or lumps where the silicone was removed are possible.
- Scarring of the Lip. Scarring of the lip, where the silicone was and at the incision, is possible.
- Lip Shape and Movement. A change in the shape of the lip or the way it moves is possible.
- More Than One Procedure. Removing silicone can take more than one procedure.
- Inflammation. A flare of inflammation or lumps around silicone left in the tissue is possible.
- Numbness. Numbness of the lip is possible; it may be temporary or permanent.
Risks of any operation
- Bleeding. Bleeding during or after surgery is possible. A collection of blood under the skin (hematoma) may need drainage or a return to the operating room, and severe bleeding may need emergency treatment or a blood transfusion.
- Infection. Infection is possible and may need antibiotics, drainage or further surgery.
- Bruising and Swelling. Bruising and swelling are expected. They may last several weeks, and swelling or discoloration may persist longer.
- Scarring. Every incision or entry point leaves a permanent scar. A scar may be raised, widened, darker, lighter or more visible than expected, and takes at least 3 months to mature.
- Keloid or Raised Scar. Itching, thickening, pain or a growth along any incision can be the first sign of a keloid (a thick, raised scar). Let us know right away so it can be injected with a steroid to stop the keloid from forming. A keloid is more likely if you have had one before and may need further injections or treatment.
- Change in Skin Sensation. Numbness, tingling or a change in skin sensation around the treated areas is possible; it may be temporary or permanent.
- Delayed Healing. Delayed healing or separation of an incision is possible and much more likely with nicotine in any form.
- Allergic Reactions. Allergic reactions to tape, sutures, skin cleansers, latex or medications are possible.
- Blood Clots. Blood clots in the legs or lungs (deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism) are possible and more likely with longer surgery; your surgical team uses the clot-prevention plan chosen for you.
- Anesthesia. Risks of anesthesia and sedation are possible; the anesthesia provider reviews them with you separately.
- Pain. Pain after surgery is expected and should settle over several days; pain that lasts longer is possible.
- Result and Revision. A result that does not meet your expectations is possible: healing differs between people, no result is guaranteed, and a revision may be advised, with the fees described in your patient policy.
- Serious Complications. Serious complications, including death, are possible with any surgery or anesthesia.
- Heart and Lung Problems. Heart or lung problems, such as pneumonia or an irregular heartbeat, are possible after surgery and anesthesia.
- Medication Side Effects. Side effects of the medications used during and after surgery, such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, dizziness or trouble urinating, are possible.
- Injury to Deeper Structures. Injury to deeper structures, such as nerves, blood vessels, muscles or glands, is possible.
- Persistent Sutures. A deeper stitch may work its way to the surface and need to be removed.
When to call us right away · Before & after gallery · Request a consultation
Silicone Removal from the Lips FAQ
Not always. Silicone bonds to the tissue around it, so it is removed with some of that tissue, and not all of it may come out in one procedure. The consent notes that some silicone may stay in the tissue and cause lumps or swelling later, and that removal can take more than one procedure.
The incision is inside the lip or on the skin. The consent notes that scarring of the lip, where the silicone was and at the incision, is possible; silicone scar gel and sun protection help the scar settle.
Skin sutures come out at your Day 5 visit, and you can typically fly home that day or the day after.
Swelling and bruising of the lips, with acute swelling typically resolving within 2 weeks. Light cardio at 2 weeks, strenuous exercise typically at 3 weeks, and full healing may take up to 6 months.
The consent you read and sign lists these possible complications: some silicone may stay in the tissue and cause lumps or swelling later; dips or lumps where the silicone was removed; scarring of the lip; a change in the shape of the lip or the way it moves; the need for more than one procedure; a flare of inflammation around silicone left in the tissue; and numbness of the lip, which may be temporary or permanent. It also lists the risks of any operation, including bleeding, infection, blood clots and the risks of anesthesia. Your surgeon reviews each one with you.
Related Procedures
Schedule your silicone removal consultation
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