Ask The Experts

Are Lip Fillers For You?

Amish Patel

woman having lip fillers

In this latest article, our columnist and Award-winning Aesthetics Artist Amish Patel talks about whether lip fillers are for you and the pros and cons of this popular procedure.

Are Lip Fillers For You?

Lip fillers are fantastic for rejuvenating and replacing lost volume in ageing lips. As we age, our lips lose volume, and lips become more wrinkled, and we often start to see ‘smokers’ lines around the top of the lip appearing as a result. Lip fillers artistically applied can restore lost volume and help diminish the appearance of lip lines. Injecting the lip area is probably the most uncomfortable of all the injection areas in the face due to sensitivity in this area and nerves. Fortunately, we can apply topical numbing cream ahead of injecting, which can help soothe some discomfort.

Facial Symmetry Is Important

We have had clients who have pointed to wanting an over large pout in our consultation. As a clinic specialising in natural-looking results, increasing the lip size can be done but needs to be done to suit the face. During our client consultation, we will discuss and analyse the client’s face, and it may be that having that size of volumised lips will distort and unbalance their facial features. However, artistically emphasising the cupid’s bow and adding more volume along the tubercle area can subtly enhance the size and look of the lips and complement the face. An experienced aesthetics practitioner should always look at your face as a whole, rather than just focusing on one area of your face, because that one area has an impact on the whole of your face!

What To Expect From Lip Fillers

If you are planning to get lip fillers (or any filler for that matter), avoid drinking alcohol for 24 hours before your treatment and in the week leading up to your treatment, avoid any blood-thinning over the counter medications such as painkillers. Supplements such as St John’s Wort, Primrose Oil, Garlic, Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba and Vitamin E should also be avoided two days before your appointment. We recommend that you avoid using retinol, glycolic acid and tretinoin around your lip area and don’t wax, bleach or use hair removal products around your lip area. Your lips are likely to swell, and possibly have a little bruising, so some clients like to take arnica to help. After your treatment, we recommend that you don’t apply make-up for at least 24 hours and don’t massage the area after treatment or touch your face and lip area without washing your hands. You can cleanse the skin as usual, but we recommend gently, allowing the filler to settle and any swelling or bruising to subside. Some clients don’t experience any swelling the following day after treatment, whilst others can notice swelling up for up to a week. If you plan a big event or have a holiday booked, we recommend having your lip filler at least three weeks before the date to ensure you have the perfect pout!

Woman's lips

The Results

Lip filler can last up to around 3 – 6 months depending on several factors; your age, metabolism, genes, filler product used and injection technique. As with any aesthetic treatment, please do your homework before sitting in the chair; What brand of filler do they use, how experienced are they doing lip fillers, what examples of their work do they have to show and do they work in a medical environment with emergency access to medical supplies.