Dr. Sam Lam Plastic Surgery Forum

Dear Dr Lam,
I am no direct patient of yours as I live in Europe but have researched your site and findings on the subject of lip fillers thoroughly, and being in awe of your reputation and knowledge would really appreciate your view on the following.. About 7 years ago I had silicone oil (PMS) injected in my upper lip for a slightly fuller appearance. The result was both very subtle and beautiful, just as I wanted. After all these years though, I feel it is time for a touch-up.. but have come to realise that most clinics here no longer work with silicone oil! The clinic I went to at the time has informed me that Restylane would be the only other option (though obviously of a more temporary nature) for me as a filler that can be safely injected after having had the silicone oil in the past. My question to you is, is it indeed OK to have these fillers combined and what are the chances of complications? I really wouldn't like to experiment - what is your experience of injecting Restylane or other temporary fillers in lips that have had silicone oil in the past? Thanks so much for your time!

obviously, i cannot speak for you in your situation. however, i find it to not be a problem at all. i would not mix the two if someone is going to do restylane then follow it with silicone. but the other way around (your situation) should not be a problem. the reason not to do restylane first followed immediately by silicone without first dissolving the restylane is that the silicone needs to sit within the native tissue to create collagen around each microbead so it does not migrate or clump together. however, years after initial silicone work should be fine. but again i do not want to speak about your specific situation because i do not know what was injected.