Lip Filler: 7 Essential Facts About This Treatment

If you’d love fuller, plumper lips, our lip filler treatments can be a perfect option to consider. Whether you crave a dramatic look or just want your lips to have a bit more volume, the team at Thaxton Plastic Surgery is always here to help you achieve your beauty goals. Let’s take a moment to discuss some important facts about lip fillers and what we can provide.

1. Lip Fillers Contain A Natural Substance

The dermal fillers we use for your lips contain hyaluronic acid. This might sound scary, but hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally present in our skin & bodies. This acid is found in a huge variety of skincare products, as well as fillers. We use this filler because it is generally very safe, and also because we can dissolve them if needed.

While issues with hyaluronic acid fillers are very rare, if you are dissatisfied with your look, we could provide injections of hyaluronidase, and this would help the lip filler dissolve very quickly and restore your lips to their previous state.

Again, our patients typically love the way their lips look after treatment, and we are careful to provide a plumper and fuller, yet natural look. But it can be reassuring to know that there is nothing permanent about this procedure.

2. Lip Filler Can Last Up To A Year

Of course, now that we’ve told you that these lip injections are not permanent, you likely are wondering – how long does it last? In some patients, it can last up to a year, but generally, most of our patients will return for a new treatment at about the eight-month mark. Because we talk, smile, laugh, eat, drink, etc., that lip month is constantly active and that will cause the lip filler to dissolve over time.

While eight months is fairly common, some of our patients do return sooner, especially if they are aiming for a more dramatic lip. Often people start with a small amount of filler at first to get used to the procedure/results and then we help them build larger and more dramatic lips over time. Often, we will do one lip filler treatment and then schedule another about two weeks later to enhance the effect of the initial treatment.

2. Ultrasound Increases Safety

Anything we can do to make our patients safer, we will do, and using ultrasound helps improve our safety profile. We use ultrasound to guide where we place the lip injections. This ensures that we avoid blood vessels or arteries.

While we have a deep knowledge of human anatomy, every person is unique, and some people have arteries closer to the surface of the skin than others. Using ultrasound ensures we inject in the best spots to generate the best and safest results.

3. We Can Adjust Our Technique

Because every person’s face is unique, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to lip filler and we can adjust our filler technique as well as the type of dermal filler we use (and the amount) depending on your specific needs and goals. Juvéderm is our preferred brand of lip filler, as it’s a safe, tried-and-true product that delivers excellent results.

We also have the option of doing fat transfer for your lip injections. For this process, we remove fat from another area of your body and inject this into your lips. This does tend to last longer than using Juvéderm or other dermal fillers, and it can be a great option to consider if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in Juvéderm or other filler brands. It is a more invasive procedure and there is a longer recovery time, so it’s important to keep that in mind.

4. The Pain Level Is Low

While there may be some mild discomfort associated with lip augmentation, our latest formulation of topical numbing creams has decreased the amount of pain our patients report with injections. Every person’s pain threshold is unique, but generally, most of our patients only experience mild discomfort with these lip injections.

Lip fillers also tend to have few side effects, and allergic reactions are rare. There can be some visible swelling and bruising after the injections, but typically this fades away in just a few days. Of course, the results of lip fillers produce nearly immediate results, which can be exciting. In some cases, because of swelling, your lips might appear fuller than you expected, but generally, this swelling will go down in just a few days or a week at most.

5. Be Sure To Follow After-Care Advice

With lip fillers such as Juvéderm, you can typically go back to your normal routine immediately, with a few caveats. For instance, it can be smart to avoid vigorous exercise for 24-48 hours to help reduce swelling at the injection site.

We also recommend gently applying ice to your lips for about 24 hours after the procedure. This will help with swelling but be sure to wrap the cold pack in a cloth so that you avoid direct contact with the skin.

It’s also wise to avoid heat exposure after lip filler injections, this includes avoiding sun exposure and tanning beds, but also don’t head to the sauna or your hot yoga class. Avoiding hot beverages also is recommended as heat can prolong swelling in the affected areas.

We also recommend that you avoid touching your lips as much as possible for several days and don’t use makeup on the treated areas for several days. Staying hydrated and sleeping slightly elevated also can help reduce swelling and speed up the healing process.

If yo opt for fat transfer, your list of after-care instructions will be longer, and you will need to rest for several days after the procedure. While minor tenderness is associated with hyaluronic acid lip injections, the pain level after fat transfer procedures tends to be more significant.

Usually, over-the-counter pain relievers can reduce this discomfort and lessen swelling although NSAIDs (ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.) should be avoided as they can increase bruising. Generally, though, with either procedure, you will be pain-free and embracing your fantastic new look in just a few days.

Follow Us & Learn More!

We encourage you to follow us on Facebook & Instagram to see some of our lip filler before & after pics! On Instagram, you can check out our #TPSlips to see a collection of our lip filler results. You also can check out some pictures and learn more about our lip fillers here. We also highlight any current discounts and special events on our Facebook and Instagram pages, so be sure to keep up with us on social media.

In addition to our lip filler treatments, we offer a myriad of surgical and non-surgical procedures to help you look and feel amazing. Whether you are interested in injectable treatments such as Juvéderm, Botox or Daxxify, or want to refresh your look with Morpheus8, SkinPen, Fraxel, Ellacor or another cosmetic procedure, we encourage you to schedule a consult to determine which options are the best fit for your beauty goals.