NYC woman gets lip filler for the first time for her birthday and rushes back to the doctor three hours later: ‘I should have never touched my face’
NYC creator Sarah Nade’s (TikTok/@ssarahnade_) recent “birthday month” lip filler turned into a medical emergency. In a cautionary tale viewed over 12,000 times, she detailed how a conservative 0.5ml of injection led to a life-threatening complication.
The story goes from “getting a little cute” to clenching toes in a doctor’s chair just three hours later. Thankfully, she has now recovered. But the horror of the experience led her to take a painful vow to leave her natural face alone.
A conservative ‘0.5ml’ lip filler turned into a one-sided swelling disaster
Sarah did her homework before her first-ever filler appointment, researching reviews and before-and-after photos. She opted for just half a syringe, split between her upper and lower lips. While her bottom lip looked “real cute,” her top lip immediately reacted poorly.
After the doctor was done with their job, one half of her lips was swelling while the other remained normal. Her injector initially dismissed it as standard swelling, but Sarah’s intuition told her something was wrong.
Vascular occlusion was confirmed three hours post-injection
Sarah monitored her lip at home, noticing discoloration that “a lip shouldn’t be turning.” She performed a capillary refill test, where she pressed her lip and saw the blood return “very, very slowly.” It’s usually a warning sign and she immediately sent a video to her injector for her next steps.
Within three hours of the original appointment, she was back in the chair being diagnosed with a vascular occlusion. It’s a serious complication where filler blocks blood flow, leading to the discoloration and slow blood return.
The ‘mushing’ pain of the dissolving the lip filler led to total regret
To save the tissue, Sarah had to have the filler in her top lip immediately dissolved. She described the process as far more painful than the initial injection. The doctor had to “literally like mushing, mushing” the dissolver around her lips.
“When I tell you everything was clenched—everything. I clenched my toes, I clenched everything,” she recounted. The ordeal left her bruised and “puffy” right before Memorial Day, leading to her final conclusion. “I’m gonna leave my face the f*** alone.”
What is ‘Vascular Occlusion’ (VO)?
Vascular occlusion is considered the “nightmare” scenario of cosmetic injections. It occurs when dermal filler is accidentally injected into an artery or compresses a vessel, starving the surrounding tissue of oxygen.
If not caught within a small window (usually 24–48 hours), it can lead to tissue necrosis (death) or permanent scarring. Sarah’s quick action in performing a “press test” and contacting her doctor within three hours likely prevented permanent damage to her face.
How to spot a lip filler emergency like Sarah?
If you’re considering a little “something-something” for your face, always look out for the safety signs. Like Sarah, watch for skin that turns white or a dusty “bruised” gray. If you see anything like such, follow her lead and immediately perform a capillary refill test.
Press your lip for 5 seconds. If it takes longer than 2 seconds for the pink color to return, it is a sign of blocked blood flow. While some discomfort is normal, intense, throbbing pain in the hours after an injection is a major red flag.
Lopsided swelling is another warning sign. Minor unevenness is common, but “half-normal, half-swollen” as Sarah experienced is worth an immediate call to your doctor.
Natural is Sarah’s new birthday fit
Sarah’s experience is a vital reminder that even “well-reviewed” procedures come with real risks. While she managed to cover her bruises with makeup for a holiday party, she walked away with a viral warning for anyone wanting “a little something-something.”
We hope that Sarah’s lip has fully recovered and she’s taking the experience as a lesson. “It wasn’t funny then, but now it’s funny, so you guys can laugh,” she even announced to her viewers.
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