Few among us are blessed with a set of full, voluptuous, and perfectly shaped lips. If you have longed for plumper, smoother lips, you may have considered lip augmentation in the past. Many people are concerned about a fake or unnatural-looking outcome. Dermal fillers are one of the most proven and effective ways to improve your lips with no unwanted results. Those who were not born with a full pout and a cupid’s bow shaped by Greek gods themselves, can take advantage of one of the most popular (and noninvasive) ways to temporarily achieve the plumper, fuller, and more shapely lips of our dreams with hyaluronic acid lip fillers.
Let us start with addressing what hyaluronic lip fillers are: Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a clear, thick, sugar derivative that your body naturally produces to keep your joints, eyes, and skin hydrated. Hyaluronic acid can attract and retain up to 1,000 times its own weight in water, which is what makes it ideal for use as a dermal filler.
Lab made HA dermal fillers go to work on the areas of your face where there is volume loss, fine lines, and wrinkles; both hydrating your skin and plumping it for results that last months at a time. And the beauty of going with hyaluronic fillers is that, should you be unsatisfied with your results for any reason, your doctor can dissolve the fillers with hyaluronidase injections.
There are a variety of different types of hyaluronic acid fillers to choose from, each product differing in thickness, longevity, and specialty in treatment type. All HA lip fillers are temporary, but it is likely that if you were to google “How long do lip fillers last?” you could look at 10 different articles and get 10 different answers. The reason for the variation here is that the answer is not exactly straightforward. The longevity of lip fillers depends on a variety of factors that range from the initial choices you make, such as the dermal filler brand injected and the amount of filler used, to more abstract factors such as your metabolism, and how you move and use your lips every day. To put it simply− it is different for every body. That said, a reasonable estimate for how long you can expect the results from lip fillers to last (for any product) is a minimum of 4-6 months and, depending on the product, a maximum of 12 months.
Most people automatically assume that dermal fillers for the lips are solely for achieving plumper lips. While plumper lips are one thing fillers can do for your kisser, it is not the only thing they can do. Lip fillers and lip augmentation procedures are for anyone who wants to improve the overall appearance of their lips, whether that be by plumping them, getting rid of fine lines, balancing uneven volume (in one or both lips), correcting the lining of the lips, or expanding the lip line. Injections into the body of your lips can be done to improve the overall volume or to turn back the clock on any fine lines (perioral lines) that create the appearance of wrinkles. Injections around the lining of your lips can enhance the borders of your lip or reshape the lip line to your liking. When concentrated around the corners of the mouth, fillers can lift the edges of lips, literally turning a frown upside down.
Patients can expect mild bruising, swelling, and soreness after treatment. It can take up to two weeks for lip filler to settle in completely, though most patients report that filler settles after a few days. Bruising and swelling can be treated by gently holding an ice pack to the lip area for short periods of time. The cost of lip augmentation procedures range from $450 to $900 per syringe. You’ll most likely need at least one syringe, and fillers can be done gradually to build up to your desired lip shape over a few appointments.