The Journey to Great Lips

Lip enhancements are one of the most sought after aesthetic procedures. I do more consultations on lip filler than anything else. Today, I decided to blog about what lip filler is all about, what to expect, and how to maintain your pout.

Do your research

Choose an injector wisely. Look at credentials, but don’t stop there. An experienced injector will have clients that will vouch for their work and tons of before and after photos. Make an appointment for a consultation. Your injector should be knowledgeable about facial structure, the product she/he is injecting, and spend a good amount of time answering all of your questions. A good aesthetic clinic will follow-up with you to ensure you are pleased with your results or alleviate any post-treatment concerns.

What is filler made of?

Filler is made up of hyaluronic acid. Your own skin and body is rich in hyaluronic acid, a substance that binds water, thereby giving it volume, hydrating the tissue, and promoting softness and facial fullness. As we age, hyaluronic acid diminishes, causing a loss of volume. When injected, HA is eventually absorbed and broken down through osmosis. Results can last between 9-18 months, depending on the choice of filler.

Maintenance

As I said above, filler will last anywhere from 9-18 months depending on the type of filler injected. Do the math, however. At anywhere from 4.5-9 months, half of your filler will have already been absorbed by the body. At this point, you want to protect your initial investment of 500-700 dollars and go in for a touch-up to bring your lips back to the volume you experienced when initially injected. Touch-ups are necessary to maintain the volume and size you like and typically involve just a small amount of filler, approximately 0.5ml.

What will happen at my appointment?

When you arrive for your appointment, have a list of any additional questions ready. It’s important that you feel confident in what you are about to spend your hard earned money on. You will be given an ice pack, or ice roller, to apply to your lips to minimize swelling and bleeding. You will have before and after photos made. These are very critical as it gives a record of what your lips initially looked like pre-treatment and will serve as a guide. They are also fun look at and see your transformation! Your injector will thoroughly clean the site before injecting. The entire process takes 20-30 minutes!

Will it hurt?

It is a little pinch; I’m not going to lie, however filler also has lidocaine in it. After your initial injection, the lidocaine will go to work making it pretty painless.

Will I bruise and swell?

Immediately after your Lip Enhancement procedure, you will experience some swelling; however, swelling is usually minimal and hardly noticeable. The next day, you can expect a little more swelling, but don’t panic. You are several weeks away from your final result. In a few days, you may notice that your lips look slightly smaller than they appeared immediately after the injections. I jokingly tell my clients, “Don’t panic in the morning. You will have some swelling, but in a couple of weeks you will want more to get them back up to the original post-injection size.” Happens, 9 times out of 10. Occasionally, you may have more bruising and swelling than the normal person, but there is no reason for alarm. Injectors have no way whatsoever of knowing whether you will be the unlucky one who visibly bruises. There are literally hundreds of tiny capillaries in the lips, and the lips are very vascular. We have no way of missing them all… Many factors can contribute to bruising and swelling: alcohol consumption, sodium consumption, certain medications, post treatment activity, etc. You will be advised after your appointment to forget your workout for the day, ice as frequently as possible, avoid sodium and alcohol, and sleep slightly elevated.

Follow-up

Your follow up appointment will typically be 2-4 weeks later. At this time, your injector may touch up a little if any asymmetry is noted (lips begin to swell some with the initial injection so it’s not always easy to determine absolute asymmetry while injecting). This time period allows time for all residual swelling to dissipate (you may think you aren’t swollen after 3-5 days, but residual swelling is hardly noticeable.) At this time, you may want to add a little more, or you will be satisfied with your final result and schedule an appointment for a touch-up about 6 months out.

Hopefully, I’ve covered most bases. If you battle small lips, vertical lip lines, “disappearing/gummy smile”, a downturned mouth, or just want some volume for fun, lip filler may be for you!

You have witchcraft in your lips.- William Shakespeare

Edie Price RN