Lip Filler Before and After: 6 Real Cases in Korea

Lip filler before and after photos are what most people look at before they book, and they are easy to misread. Lips swell right after treatment, a coat of gloss changes how full they look, and a different camera distance changes the shape of the whole mouth. Below are six real lip filler cases treated at Kondae PPEUM Clinic in Seoul. For each one we explain what the photo shows and what it does not. We also share the answers our medical director, Dr. Park Hwonham (DR.BAQUO), gives patients in consultation. Dr. Park is a surgeon trained at Seoul National University Hospital. The rest of the article covers how long lip filler lasts, swelling and lumps, dissolving with hyaluronidase, aftercare, and how to plan lip fillers in Korea around your flight home.

Lip Filler Before and After: 6 Real Cases from Seoul

All six patients had lip filler at Kondae PPEUM Clinic. In the three cases titled “Lip & Lip Corner Filler”, a small dose of toxin was also placed at the mouth corners, so those results reflect the combination, not filler alone. Our records for these photos do not include the product, the amount (cc), the number of sessions or the exact time between the two photos, except where a label on the photo says so. We therefore describe only what is visible. Gloss on the lips, lighting, hair and expression can all change how full the lips look in a photo. Results vary between people.

Case 1: Thin upper lip, close-up

• Before: the upper lip is thin, the lip border is soft, and the two lips look close in fullness only at the centre.
• After: both lips are a little fuller, the upper lip shows more of its pink part, and the outline of the upper lip is easier to see. The mouth corners keep their position and the overall shape looks like the same mouth, slightly plumper.
• Keep in mind: the lips look glossy in the after photo and the small red spots above the lip are less visible, so lip product or lighting may add to the impression of a fresher mouth.

Case 2: Lip & Lip Corner Filler, front view (Case 5 in our portfolio)

• Before: the lips are thin and pale, and the mouth corners sit flat to slightly low.
• After: the upper and lower lips are visibly fuller, the upper lip projects a little more in front view, and the corners look slightly less downturned. The rest of the face, at the same angle and background, looks unchanged.
• Keep in mind: the lips are pinker and glossier in the after photo, which can come from lip product or early post-injection redness and swelling.

Case 3: Lip & Lip Corner Filler, downturned corners

• Before: the lips are thin with a faint outline, and the mouth corners point slightly downward.
• After: the lips are fuller, the upper lip border is clearer, and the corners look more level, so the mouth reads more relaxed at rest.
• Keep in mind: the cap in the before photo and loose hair in the after photo change how the face outline looks, so compare only the mouth area.

Case 4: Lip & Lip Corner Filler, mature lips

• Before: the upper lip is very thin, the lips look flat, and the mouth corners turn down.
• After: more of the upper lip is visible, the lower lip is fuller, and the corners look a little less downturned. The folds beside the mouth and chin look much the same, since only the lips and corners were treated.
• Keep in mind: the after photo shows a glossy finish on the lips, which makes them look fuller than they would bare.

Case 5: Lip filler, photographed soon after treatment

• Before: pale, fairly thin lips with a soft outline.
• After: both lips are fuller, especially the lower lip, and the lip border is more visible.
• Keep in mind: small red injection marks are visible at the lip border, so this was taken soon after treatment and swelling is part of the fullness you see.

Case 6: Lip + Lip Corner Filler, right after treatment

• Before: lips with moderate natural volume and a soft upper border.
• After: the lower lip is rounder and fuller and the upper lip outline is a little more defined.
• Keep in mind: the photo is labelled “right after treatment”, so it includes swelling and the gloss changes the colour; the settled result is usually smaller.

Across the six cases, the change is a modest gain in volume and outline rather than a new lip shape. That is what most patients ask for. For a broader look at how lip shape is planned, see our Korean lip filler guide.

DR.BAQUO’s Answers on Lip Filler

Dr. Park Hwonham, Medical Director of Kondae PPEUM Clinic, gave these answers in October 2026. They respond to the questions patients ask most often about lip filler and about fixing filler afterwards.

What Lip Filler Is, and How It Differs from a Lip Flip

Lip filler is a hyaluronic acid gel. Hyaluronic acid molecules are linked together (crosslinked) into a gel that holds its own volume. How strongly they are linked and how big the particles are decide how firm or soft a product is. Hyaluronic acid belongs to the same family as a substance your body already has, so the gel is absorbed slowly over time. If needed, it can be reversed with a dissolving injection.

BeforeFillerRight afterAbout 2 weeks

In Korea, cosmetic filler is regulated as a class 4 medical device, the highest of classes 1–4. In the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) database, checked in October 2026, hyaluronic acid fillers are listed as “tissue-repair biomaterials”. Juvederm (AbbVie Korea), Restylane (Galderma Korea) and Neuramis (Medytox) are among the approved products, and the same item name returned 1,031 approvals. MFDS describes filler as a product that holds its own volume without any pharmacological action. Its approved purposes are improving facial wrinkles and facial volume.

A lip flip is a different treatment. It uses toxin (botox), not filler. The director-reviewed source we write from does not study the lip flip itself, so we do not quote results or durations for it here. What we can set out is the general difference between the two products:

	Lip filler (hyaluronic acid)	Toxin (botox)
What it does	Adds volume by the amount injected	Briefly relaxes a muscle
When it shows	Right away	A few days to two weeks
Reversible?	Yes, with a dissolving injection (hyaluronidase)	No, you wait for it to wear off

In three of the cases above, a small toxin dose at the mouth corners was combined with lip filler. That is why we label those results as a combination. Toxin and filler are often given on the same day because they do different jobs. More on toxin itself is in our guide to botox in Korea.

Lip layersGel placedRight afterSettled

Natural Lip Filler vs Russian Lip Filler

"Russian lip filler" is a name for a particular lip style and injection approach that many people see online. Our source does not evaluate it, so we will not compare techniques or claim one is safer. What applies to any named style is what Dr. Park says above. Natural is partly subjective, and lips have to suit the whole face. A shape that looks beautiful in someone else's photo can look out of place on your own face. Whatever style you bring as a reference, the useful questions at a consultation are the same:

• Start small: clinical studies worked this way too, with a top-up around 30 days after the first treatment if needed. Adding once the swelling has gone makes the shape easier to control.
• Look at the whole face: the balance between upper and lower lip, the mouth corners, and how the lips relate to the chin and nose.
• Aim for "just slightly plump": many people want volume that is noticeable but not awkward. That is what subtle, natural lip filler usually means in practice.
• Do not judge in the first days: lips swell a lot, so the early shape is bigger and less even than the result.
• Mention lip herpes if you have had it: rarely (0.6% in a meta-analysis), herpes can flare up again after treatment.

How Long Does Lip Filler Last?

Two kinds of studies give a realistic picture for the lips:

Study	What held
Meta-analysis of HA lip filler	Lip volume improved by at least one grade in 91% at 2 months, 74% at 6 months and 46% at 12 months
Randomised study, 225 people, HA lip product (VYC-15L)	Response rate 80.3% at 3 months, and above 60% through one year (a top-up at 30 days was allowed)

Before

About 2 weeks later

In other words, lip results often hold from six months to about a year, and for many people the effect is fading by the one-year mark. The products and the ways results were measured differ between studies, so the numbers do not transfer directly to your lips. The product, amount, depth and your own metabolism all change the answer.

The visible effect and the filler still being there are not the same thing. In an MRI study of 33 people with HA filler in the mid-face (not the lips), filler remained for more than two years in everyone and was still visible up to 15 years later. If you keep adding filler at short intervals because the effect seems to fade, it can build up. Before your next top-up, know your previous record: product, amount and area. Filler for other areas follows its own timeline; see our dermal filler guide and the nasolabial fold filler cases.

Lip Filler Swelling, Lumps and Side Effects

No treatment is free of side effects. For the lips, the meta-analysis above gives the clearest numbers:

How often	Reaction	Worth knowing
Very common	Tenderness (88.8%), swelling (74.3%), bruising (39.5%)	Usually settles within a few days to one to two weeks
Sometimes	Lumps (nodules), asymmetry, filler moving past the lip border, discolouration	Nodules were the most common complication in a review of lip filler cases; lasting lumps or shape problems can be adjusted with a dissolving injection
Rare	Foreign-body granuloma (0.6%), lip herpes (0.6%), angioedema (0.3%)	Tell the clinic about past cold sores and allergies
Later	A red, swollen lump weeks or months later (delayed inflammatory reaction)	About 1 in 2,000 people per year; median onset 3 months (range 2 weeks to 12 years); varies with the filler's crosslinking technology
Rare but serious	Blocked vessel leading to skin necrosis, vision loss or stroke	Needs treatment immediately

For lip filler lumps you can feel, Dr. Park's view is that, as long as the design itself is not the problem, they improve within days to weeks with good care. A shape problem that stays after the swelling has gone is different, and that is a reason to go back to the clinic.

The US FDA calls unintentional injection into a blood vessel the most concerning risk of filler. In a Japanese study of 290,307 hyaluronic acid injections, serious complications such as infection and vascular occlusion occurred in 12 cases (0.0041%). MFDS also lists itching, inflammation, pain, leakage of material, movement to unintended areas and skin nodules among possible side effects. It advises choosing a doctor experienced in injections and not deciding on impulse.

Lip Filler Dissolve: When Hyaluronidase Is Used

Hyaluronic acid filler can be dissolved with an enzyme injection called hyaluronidase. It is used when you dislike the shape, and also to treat complications. A 2024 review sets out two very different situations:

• Non-urgent: a lump you can feel, a bluish tint from filler placed too shallow, or a hypersensitivity reaction is treated with a low or moderate dose. The bluish tint is commonly called the Tyndall effect, though one analysis suggests the optics behind it are actually different.
• Emergency: a blocked vessel or vision problems need a high dose immediately.
• Limits of the evidence: in arm and back skin studies, filler dissolved in proportion to the dose. However, there are no randomised studies yet on dissolving facial filler, so the dose and number of sessions are decided by the doctor based on what they see.

The dissolving injection is still an injection, so swelling and bruising can follow at that spot. Hyaluronidase dissolves only hyaluronic acid. Fillers made of other materials, such as calcium (CaHA), PCL or PLLA, do not respond to it and are hard to reverse. Always ask what was used before.

Do not dissolve and refill straight away. Right after dissolving, swelling and leftover filler make it hard to judge the real state of the lips. As Dr. Park says, watch how things settle for at least two weeks before deciding whether to refill, and how much. On a short trip, that usually means dissolving on this visit and deciding on a refill later.

Lip Filler Aftercare

• Expect swelling for the first few days. Lips swell more than most areas, so judge the shape after one to two weeks.
• Do not rub or press hard, and do not massage the lips yourself unless the clinic tells you to.
• On the day, avoid things that increase swelling and bruising, such as a sauna, heavy drinking or hard exercise. Clinics commonly advise this.
• Makeup: advice differs between clinics, but many say to skip it on the day so you do not rub the injection points.
• Do not wait on skin colour changes, severe pain or vision problems. Get help right away.
• Keep your record: the product name, the amount (cc) and the areas treated.
• Do not use needle-free filler pens or filler you bought yourself. The FDA warns these pressure devices can cause serious damage to the lips or eyes.

Tell the clinic before treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have inflammation or lip herpes where the injection would go, or take aspirin or blood thinners. Mention it too if you have had filler in the lips before (especially non-HA filler), or have allergies or an autoimmune disease. Whether and how to treat may change.

Getting Lip Fillers in Korea on a Trip

Lip filler shows right away, but the real result shows only once the swelling settles. Plan your trip around that window.

• Get it done early in the trip. One to two weeks is when the shape settles and when a lump or asymmetry would show. Early treatment leaves time to go back to the same clinic for a check.
• Do not plan dissolve-and-refill in one short stay. Wait at least two weeks after dissolving.
• Some reactions show after you are home. Delayed inflammatory reactions start at a median of three months. The warning signs above apply wherever you are, so see a doctor locally and show them your record.
• Bring the record home. Ask for the product name, the amount (cc) and the areas in writing. Your next doctor, in Seoul or at home, needs it to top up or dissolve safely.

When you compare lip filler offers in Korea, line up the same conditions:

1. Which product: the product name, imported or Korean, and whether it is MFDS-approved
2. How many cc, and what happens to any leftover
3. Whether a sealed, genuine product is opened in front of you
4. Whether a top-up is included, and until when
5. How dissolving is handled if you dislike the shape or a problem comes up

Kondae PPEUM Clinic is directly connected to Konkuk Univ. Station Exit 1. If this is your first treatment abroad, our Korea medical tourism guide covers the practical side of booking and travel.

Lip Filler Price in Korea

Kondae PPEUM Clinic's published standing prices for lip filler:

Item	Price
Lip filler package, first-visit price	KRW 69,000
Domestic (Korean) filler 1cc, first-visit price	KRW 59,000
Domestic (Korean) filler 1cc	KRW 150,000

First-visit prices apply once, to first-time patients, and prices are subject to change. cc (mL) is the amount of filler injected. The same 1cc makes a bigger visible change in a small area such as the lips than in a wide area, so cc alone does not predict your result. The total depends on the product and how much is needed, which is decided at the consultation.

FAQ — Lip Filler Before and After

Q: When should I take my lip filler "after" photo?

A: After one to two weeks, once the swelling has gone down. Photos taken right after treatment, like Cases 5 and 6 above, include swelling and look fuller than the settled result. Use the same light, angle and bare lips for both photos.

Q: How long does lip filler swelling last?

A: Swelling, bruising and tenderness usually settle within a few days to one to two weeks. In a meta-analysis, swelling occurred in 74.3% of people and bruising in 39.5%, so some swelling is expected.

Q: Can lip filler be dissolved if I don't like it?

A: Yes, if it is hyaluronic acid filler. Hyaluronidase dissolves it, with the dose decided by the doctor. Dr. Park recommends waiting at least two weeks after dissolving before deciding on a refill.

Q: Is a lip flip the same as lip filler?

A: No. A lip flip uses toxin, while lip filler is a hyaluronic acid gel that adds volume by the amount injected. Toxin wears off on its own rather than being dissolved. Some of our cases combined lip filler with a small toxin dose at the mouth corners.

Q: Will my lips look worse once the filler wears off?

A: Hyaluronic acid filler is absorbed slowly, and the lips return toward how they were before treatment while natural ageing carries on. Filler can also stay longer than the visible effect, so adding a lot at short intervals can build it up.

Q: Are Korean lip fillers approved products?

A: Hyaluronic acid fillers in Korea are approved by MFDS as class 4 medical devices, the highest risk class. Ask for the product name and check it is sealed and opened in front of you.

Q: How do I see the full-resolution before and after photos?

A: Create a free DR.BAQUO account. Members can view every case in this post without blur.

Related Before & After Cases and Guides

• Forehead Filler Korea Before and After: Real Seoul Case
• Nasolabial Fold Filler Korea: Before and After
• Nose Filler Before and After Korea — Barbie Nose Filler Results at Kondae PPEUM Clinic
• Cheek Filler Korea: Get Natural Volume in One Day
• Double Chin Treatment Korea: Seoul's Most Effective Fix
• Before & After gallery (members)

Sources

• Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), Medical Device Information Portal. Tissue-repair biomaterials (class 4); Juvederm, Restylane, Neuramis approval information. emedi.mfds.go.kr
• Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) via Korea.kr policy briefing. What to watch out for with cosmetic filler, 2019. korea.kr
• U.S. FDA. Dermal Fillers (Soft Tissue Fillers). fda.gov
• U.S. FDA. Dermal Filler Do's and Don'ts for Wrinkles, Lips and More. fda.gov
• Czumbel LM et al. Hyaluronic Acid Is an Effective Dermal Filler for Lip Augmentation — A Meta-Analysis. Front Surg, 2021. PubMed 34422892

Show 8 more sources

• Geronemus RG et al. Safety and Effectiveness of VYC-15L, a Hyaluronic Acid Filler for Lip and Perioral Enhancement — One-Year Results From a Randomized, Controlled Study. Dermatol Surg, 2017. PubMed 28157728
• Diwan Z et al. Evaluation of Current Literature on Complications Secondary to Lip Augmentation Following Dermal Filler Injection. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol, 2023. PubMed 37560504
• Master M et al. Hyaluronic Acid Filler Longevity in the Mid-face — A Review of 33 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies. Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open, 2024. PubMed 39015357
• Kroumpouzos G, Treacy P. Hyaluronidase for Dermal Filler Complications — Review of Applications and Dosage Recommendations. JMIR Dermatol, 2024. PubMed 38231537
• Borzabadi-Farahani A et al. A Scoping Review of Hyaluronidase Use in Managing the Complications of Aesthetic Interventions. Aesthetic Plast Surg, 2024. PubMed 36536092
• Rootman DB et al. Does the Tyndall effect describe the blue hue periodically observed in subdermal hyaluronic acid gel placement? Ophthalmic Plast Reconstr Surg, 2014. PubMed 25192332
• Seo J et al. Incidence and Characteristics of Delayed Inflammatory Reactions Secondary to Hyaluronic Acid Filler Injections — A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Aesthet Surg J Open Forum, 2026. PubMed 42781409
• Tamura T et al. Serious Complications of Hyaluronic Acid Fillers — A Retrospective Study of 290,307 Cases. Ann Plast Surg, 2025. PubMed 40358958

Photos are real patients of Kondae PPEUM Clinic, shown with eyes blurred where the eyes are in the frame. Results vary between individuals and one case does not predict another. Doctor's answers: Dr. Park Hwonham (DR.BAQUO), Medical Director, Kondae PPEUM Clinic, October 2026.

DR.BAQUO | Hanlim Tower 2F, 229 Achasan-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul | Konkuk University Station Exit 1 (Line 2) | Google Maps | LINE: @364kbfyj | global.drbaquo.com