While some people are born with thin lips, most people notice their lips are less plump and smooth as they get older. This can be caused by less collagen and elastin production, smoking, alcohol, sun exposure, and dehydration. Lip fillers are a short-term solution to improve wrinkles and increase the volume of your lips. They’re made with ingredients that are safe for the body and create natural-looking results.
Lip augmentation is a minimally invasive procedure that injects dermal fillers into a patient’s lips. The gel in the fillers helps support and shape lip tissue. Most dermal fillers are made from hyaluronic acid, also known as HA fillers. HA fillers are similar to a substance that’s found in our skin, making lip fillers safe to use. In addition, you’re also less likely to experience an allergic reaction to these types of fillers.
Lip augmentation is an elective surgery. If you are considering lip fillers, you should check if you can safely undergo the procedure. If you are a smoker or have lupus, diabetes, an infection like oral herpes, or blood-clotting issues, you may not be a good candidate for this procedure. If you’ve ever had oral herpes in the past, you should mention it to your doctor, as well as any allergies to medications and any supplements or medications you take every day.
For your health and safety, you shouldn’t let anyone inject you with dermal fillers unless they are a medical professional like a dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or nurse practitioner. To ensure you get good results and undergo a safe procedure, do your homework on practitioners you are considering. Make sure that the medical professional you end up choosing is reputable and has the necessary credentials to give the injection.
You should check if lip augmentation is within your budget in your area. It is priced per syringe, but the practitioner will only use one or two syringes. The total price ranges from £300-£1500 depending on where you live in the UK.
Each doctor has their own preference for what kind of HA filler they use. Some common brands are Juvederm Ultra, Juvederm Ultra Plus, Restylane, Restylane-L, Restylane Silk, Belotero Balance, Elevess, Prevelle Silk, Captique, and HylaForm. Your doctor will decide what filler is best for you and your needs. Some fillers work to create more volume in the lips while others smooth fine lines or improve the shape of the lips. In the past, fat injections and collagen were used as lip fillers but are not used very often anymore. Compared to HA fillers, collagen is not as safe and the effects don’t last as long. Using liposuctioned fat is a longer process than using HA fillers and there’s a higher probability of side effects.
Like most medical procedures, you might experience some side effects. Some of the most common side effects are bleeding, swelling, bruising, tenderness, redness, and recurrence of cold sores. More serious side effects include infection; severe swelling for up to 10 days after the injection; asymmetrical lips; lumps; tissue loss from the filler being injected into a blood vessel; an allergic reaction that causes itching, redness, and swelling around the lips; and ulceration, scarring, and stiffening of the lips. You should contact your doctor if you experience extreme swelling and/or fever.
At your consultation, ask to see their patients’ before-and-after photos. These pictures should help you decide whether this practitioner can give you the results you are after. Remember that you should go into your consultation with realistic expectations. Don’t expect your lips to resemble a certain celebrity’s once they have been injected.
Everyone’s anatomy is different, and your doctor will be able to fill your lips to complement your facial features.
There are a few things to keep in mind when you schedule an appointment. Ten days before your procedure, avoid anything that will thin your blood. Don’t take painkillers, vitamin E, and fish oil. This will help lower the chance of bleeding and bruising. If necessary, you can use Tylenol during this time. To get the best results and minimise side effects, refrain from anything that will stimulate blood flow on the day of your procedure, like exercising, massages, or facials. After undergoing lip augmentation, avoid putting any lip product on your lips right away.
Lip augmentation is a quick procedure that takes about 15-20 minutes. You will suffer a slight pinch as the needle goes in and a slight stinging while the filler is being injected. To avoid this, you can have a dental nerve block or a topical anaesthetic applied. You should see results immediately, and your lips should feel no different from natural lips. You can go about your day afterwards, but it is normal to experience some bruising and swelling, which should go away within 24 hours.
If you’re not happy with your results, you can return to your doctor and have them inject an enzyme called hyaluronidase. This enzyme will dissolve the filler within five minutes. Lip fillers can last 4-6 months, but this depends on how your body absorbs the filler and the type of filler used. This is not a permanent procedure, so once you stop getting regular injections, your lips will return to their natural look.
Related Articles:
- Dermal Lip Fillers FAQs
- Youthful Appearance with Dermal Fillers
- The Specifics Of Lip Augmentation
- Lip Augmentation for Thin Lips: Q&A