7 Facts About Lip Injections

If you are dissatisfiedwith the fullness or plumpness of your lips, lip injections can be a fast and easy way to improve the look of your lips. At Thaxton Plastic Surgery, our preferred type of lip injectionis the Juvéderm® treatment, but we also can provide you with what is known as fat transfer lip augmentation. Here are some facts to help you decide which option might be the best for you.

1. Many Lip FillersUse Hyaluronic Acid To Plump Your Lips

Our bodies actually produce hyaluronic acid, which is a sugar that binds with water molecules and helps lock in moisture in our skin, joints, and eyes. As we age, we produce less hyaluronic acid, which makes it harder for our skin to stay hydrated. This is why many skincare products contain hyaluronic acid, as it can help the skin achieve a more youthful look.

Lip injections, such as Juvéderm®, work by increasing the amount of hyaluronic acid in your lips, which makes them fuller and plumper. Hyaluronic acid is safe and has been used for many years as a lip filler as well as injected into knee joints to relieve the pain associated with arthritis. Hyaluronic acid injections also can be injected into the eyes of people who suffer from cataracts. When we have mouth sores, hyaluronic acid often is the effective ingredient in many over-the-counter treatments.

2. Juvéderm Is Our Preferred LipFillerBrand

There are several types/brands of lip injections, but at Thaxton Plastic Surgery, we do use hyaluronic acid for lip injections and our preferred product is Juvéderm®.There are several reasons why we love Juvéderm® over other lip injections. The most significant reasons include that Juvéderm® tends to last longer and provides a more natural, smoother look. Because it contains hyaluronicacid, which your body produces naturally, you don’t need an allergy test beforethese lip injections, as you might with collagen injections.

3.Lip Injections Can Last For Many Months

Hyaluronic lip injections are not permanent. In general, the results of lip injections should last for about six months. We find that with Juvéderm®, the results can last for as long as a year with some patients, which makes this one of the most cost-effective options, although some patients willonly see results for six to eight months.

To preserve the look of your lips for as long as possible, we do recommend that you stay well hydrated and take good care of your lips. Exfoliate the lips with a gentle scrub and apply a lip gloss, lipstick or a lip balm with sunscreen. You also can use a hyaluronic acid serum on your lips to keep them looking their best.

4.Juvéderm® Is A Great Option For First-Timers

While many patients will opt for Juvéderm® again and again, this isn’t the only type of lip filler. Collagen lip fillers are another temporary type of lip filler, but there are two permanent options, including lip implants and fat grafting, which also is known as a fat transferbecausewe take fat from another part of your body and use that to surgically modified your lips.

Typically, using Juvéderm® is recommended before you consider either lip implants or fat transfer because it is not permanent and you may decide that you don’t really love the results after all, and the lip injection results will fade over the course of six or more months. If you love the results, you can keep using Juvéderm or you can look into other options. We do provide fat transfer procedures, and if you are interested in a more permanent lip filler, we can talk about this option.

Fat grafting or fat transfer is a moreinvasive procedureas we have to take fat from your abdomen, purify the fat, and then transfer it to the lip area. It takes about two hours to complete this procedure and we use local anesthesia. The results of fat transfer usually last for about five years and sometimes longer, so if you love the look of lip injections, this could be a good option to consider.

5. Lip Injections Can Be Somewhat Painful

Our lips are a sensitiveareaand while we can numb the area with a topical anesthetic, there may be some discomfort. Some patients find that the injections feel like a little pinch, while others are more uncomfortable. Everyone has a differenttolerance for pain, but most of our patients report that the process is only mildly painful. The good news is that the procedure only takes about 30 minutes, and you definitely won’t be in pain the entire time as it is just the injections themselves that cause discomfort.

6. Lip Injections Require No Downtime

In general, you can return to your daily schedule as soon as the procedure is complete, although we do recommend that clients avoid exercise for the rest of the day. This gives the lips a chance to settle and heal. There may be swelling and bruising for a few days, so if you have a big event, such as a wedding, coming up, we do recommend that you schedule your lip injections about a week or two before the event so that you look your best on that special day.

7. Choose Your Provider Carefully

Many places can provide you with lip injections, but we highly recommend that you opt to have the procedure done at a plastic surgery clinic where the doctors are certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgeons. The lip injections should be performed by a specialist, usually a registered nurse or perhaps a board-certified dermatologist.

At Thaxton Plastic Surgery, our RN is an expert at providing patients with injectable treatments, including Juvéderm® and Botox®. She has the experience and skills needed to provide you with excellent results. Providing lip injections is a bit of an art form, as everyone’s lips and facial features are unique, and you need to create an end result that looks youthful and natural.

Lip injections can be an excellent, quick way to improve the fullness of your lips, but we also have an assortment of other dermal fillers that can help you look and feel your best, including procedures such as our liquid facelift or liquid nose job, which can reduce the signs of aging and provide you with a more youthful look. Take a look at our many non-surgical options and give us a call at any time if you want to schedule lip injections, learn about lip filler costs, or schedule any other procedures.