Lips are the defining feature of the face. Even though they make up such a small portion of the face, lip fillers can significantly affect a person’s overall appearance. Angelina Jolie’s lips will not look natural on everyone’s face. That’s why it’s essential to consider things like facial structure and the patient’s end goal.
People get lip fillers for different reasons.
Full lips are trendy right now. I am not sure who started this fun trend. Everyone from the Kardashians to your favourite model, socialite or makeup artist on Instagram is getting lip injections to augment their lips.
Some people opt for lip injections to correct an asymmetry or give their lips more structure other than augmentation. The added structure can help prevent the dreaded “lipstick bleeding”. Hyaluronic acid (also known as HA) fillers are the ideal choice whether you want to correct or enhance your lips.
The structure of the patient’s lips is extremely important to consider. The filler injection placement can affect the results of the intended correction. For example, building a cupid’s bow or philtrum columns where someone lacks them can create an elegant pleasing effect, overall.
What about duck lips?
Do not make the mistake of seeing an inexperienced injector. Instead, the injector should consider your facial anatomy to determine how much volume should be added.
The goal should be to enhance your lips without causing an unnatural look. Providers who make their clients look unnatural to have missed the mark. Look for the benefits of HA fillers to see what can be done.
It is also important to not let outliers that have had a poor result influence your opinion about lip enhancements.
How to avoid unwanted results
Start by going to an experienced lip filler injector. Talk to them about your end goal, but also listening to their suggestions will go a long way towards reaching your lip augmentation goals.
There are different kinds of temporary lip fillers.
Restylane, Restylane Silk, Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra +, Juvederm Volbella are all Hylaronic Acid fillers. The favourites that I prefer to use are Juvederm Ultra + or Juvederm Volbella.
If you want super plump lips, use Juvederm Ultra +, which is hydrophilic, meaning water-loving. HA fillers can hold 300% of their weight in water, causing the desired plum lip.
Suppose you want the “New England look”, meaning a very subtle change and are more interested in structural fixes rather than plumping. In that case, use Juvederm Volbella, a more structural filler but not as hydrophilic.
One of the benefits of using HA fillers is that there is an “antidote.”
Hyaluronidase can be injected and melt the filler away if, for some reason, the result was not what you were looking for.
Costs can vary between $400 and $675 per syringe.
Sometimes more than one syringe may be needed depending on what your end goal is. (For example, I think that Kylie Jenner’s lips most likely have 2-3 syringes of HA in them). Cost can vary depending on geographical location as well.
HA fillers are FDA-approved to last up to a year.
Truthfully, everyone metabolizes fillers at different rates. Most people come back as soon as four months, but most come back around eight months later.
I get mine re-done every eight months, and even at that time, I still have a little bit left from the time before. However, by adding a minute amount of Botox to that area, I have noticed that it can decrease product loss from constantly moving your lips and preventing peri-oral lines.
One significant aspect of lip filler is you will see the results almost immediately!
Your lips will be a little swollen and red after the injection, but after 24-48 hours, you will get to enjoy your beautiful natural result. Even though I take careful measures to prevent bruising, I usually suggest scheduling it at least a week before an event.
The procedure may be slightly uncomfortable, depending on your pain tolerance.
The procedure starts by applying a topical numbing agent, then using ice and other comfort measurements to help alleviate the pinching sensation of the injection. The product is also pre-mixed with lidocaine(a numbing agent) to help with continued comfort during the procedure.
Try to avoid consuming anything that can thin your blood.
The list includes fish oil, vitamin E, Ibuprofen, Motrin and Aleve. Thinner blood will make the area prone to bleeding during the procedure and bruising after.
There are measures you can do to speed healing and reduce post-filler bruising and inflammation.
Arnica is a herbal medication that can be taken orally to help with bruising and swelling. In addition, fresh pineapple (not pineapple juice or canned pineapple) has an enzyme called bromelain that can help with bruising.
Lip filler is not permanent.
Your lips will return to their original state in 5 to 10 months if you stop treatment. Your lips will not turn into wrinkly deflated lips if you control them; however, HA, in theory, can help jumpstart your collagen production, so after numerous treatments, you might find that your lips might be slightly fuller naturally.
There are risks associated with lip fillers.
Although the safety profile of hyaluronic fillers has made them so popular, there are risks a patient needs to consider, such as vascular occlusion, bruising and swelling.
Semi-permanent and permanent fillers such as silicone are not recommended.
They have a high incidence of granuloma or nodule formation (lumps and bumps on your lips). In addition, your facial anatomy is constantly changing with your age. For example, if your lips are thin due to age, but the filler remains precisely where it was put, it will look bizarre.
