Lip Fillers Guide

The aim of this article is to provide you with as much information as possible about lip fillers. This is based on factual info, and Dr Olivia’s opinions.

What Are Lip Fillers?

Lip fillers are a treatment involving the injection of a gel like substance into the tissues of the lip. This can be done in various ways using various types of filler materials. In my clinic, I only use hyaluronic acid fillers, for many reasons. Hyaluronic acid is contained within our skin naturally, and so it is biocompatible (ie our body knows it is safe).  The molecule HA absorbs water, hydrating the surrounding skin.  The substance will naturally wear away as our body performs its natural processes. 

What Lip Filler Do You Use?

Within the vast range of hyaluronic acid fillers out there, there are so many types to choose from. The choice of product could be the difference between a good outcome, and the dreaded ‘botched’ job. Fillers come in varying densities; some are ‘thick’ and some ‘thin’. Thick filler placed in the lips will look and feel unnatural. They are more likely to appear lumpy and ‘duck like’. Thin filler may not produce the result you’re after. The importance of a consultation process can’t be stressed enough, as you should be involved in your product choice and you should be given options. A practitioner using one product only may only have a certain skill set that won’t meet everyone’s needs, so beware!  I favour a special range of resilient hyaluronic acid in my clinic. The nature of its design means it will move naturally with facial expression. The integration into lip tissues is beautiful, and migration into the skin above the lip is unlikely. 

Do Lip Fillers Hurt?

Everything worth doing in life hurts. Just kidding! Lip fillers absolutely can hurt. If done using an aggressive technique, no numbing cream, or using products not containing local anaesthetics- lip fillers will hurt! In my clinic, I want your lip filler experience to be positive, so I take every step to ensure as painless an experience as possible.  At Dr Olivia Clinics I always apply numbing cream before we start to create a numb surface. I use a tiny, miniscule, practically invisible 4mm needle (less than half a centimetre, teeny weeny) to complete the whole procedure. This minimises injection points, reduces trauma to the lip tissue, and reduces the bruising and swelling risk. I can ASSURE you you will be able to tolerate the procedure, even if you are scared of needles.

How Long Will Lip Fillers Last?

Lip fillers lasting times vary according to a number of variables. The thickness and amount of product used will have an impact.  If you have your lips treated repeatedly, you’ll find the product holding longer. If you opt for a very small amount of natural filler, it’ll dissipate a little quicker. As a general guide you should get 6-9 months of lasting time with a gradual reduction back to your natural size. If lip fillers are too stiff and too long lasting, the appearance will be less favourable over time, which we do not want.  Lip fillers can be dissolved in the event this is required.

What If I Don’t Want Big Lips?

You don’t have to get them! One syringe of filler is surprisingly small in terms of volume. A little sachet of ketchup you’d find in a fast food restaurant is usually 10-15ml… a standard syringe of dermal filler is 1ml! The fillers I use at Dr Olivia Clinics come in 0.7 and 1ml for lips. Together we can decide how much you’ll benefit from, and as the results are instant (albeit with mild swelling present), we can stop as soon as you are happy with the size. You can even get lip fillers to make the lips appear more hydrated or defined, without increasing the size. You’ll need to make sure you’re in expert hands for such a result! 

What If I Don’t Like My Lips?

The benefits of the treatment being temporary is that they’ll disappear over time. If you are unhappy with your new look, your lips will gradually return to their original shape. It is very rare, and actually has never happened in my clinic, that lips I’ve placed dermal filler in have left a client wanting them reversed. I have dealt with cases where clients have attended more than one practitioner; these clients are more likely to get unsatisfactory results due to the varied techniques and products used. If you are so displeased you don’t want to wait until natural resolution, the filler can be dissolved using a reversal enzyme. This carries risk, so take care when making such a decision, and ideally don’t go overboard to begin with!

How Do I Get A Full Pout?

If you want a big pouty set of smackers, you’ll need to have multiple syringes of filler placed. If this is done in one go, your results will look unnatural. The filler is likely to spread into the surrounding skin tissue, leaving you puffy. If you gradually have the filled placed into the correct plane of the lip, you can achieve a larger pout. This should be done using careful techniques, and in many cases varying densities of filler to maintain a natural look.

What If Your Lips Disappear When You Smile?

So you show too much teeth or gums when you smile, or your lip seems to disappear. This can be corrected by filler being placed in the body of the lip. If the problem is muscular in nature, ie the lip is being pulled in when smiling, a lip flip can be conducted. This is a procedure using Botox rather than filler. It is quick, easy, and very effective! In my clinic I commonly add this to lip fillers to enhance the result, or use it in nervous clients who aren’t ready to take the filler plunge.

What If Your Lips Are Naturally Uneven?

If this is the case this may possibly be correctable with dermal filler. This is on a case to case basis. It depends on the nature of the asymmetry- is it muscular or due to the amount of lip tissue? Is scar tissue present? In my clinic I will advise you if I think correction is possible, but in any event this is impossible to predict. 

What If You’re Afraid of What Others Think?

Everyone has an opinion on aesthetics treatments, especially lip fillers. My advice would be: do what suits you. If lip fillers are something you’ve always wanted to try but your family and friends friends say otherwise, you should decide based on your own thoughts. If you attend my clinic and I don’t see a treatment as being in your best interests, I won’t do it. In most cases, the results I achieve are so atraumatic and natural, and your loved ones won’t even notice. Do not be afraid of the judgement of others, judge your own character and leave them to it!

Will Lip Fillers Damage My Lips?

Carefully placed HA dermal filler will not damage your lips. The product is compatible with our body and will not invoke a reaction or scar tissue in 99.9% of cases. The needles I use in my clinic as so tiny, you’ll have no marks on your skin, and the underlying tissue will remain undamaged. Of course there will be a small amount of trauma due to the nature of injections, but this is completely temporary and heals like any bruise.

I hope this has sufficiently answered the questions of anyone thinking about getting lip fillers!

Dr Olivia x