Lip Fillers: 8 Facts Everyone Should Know

Are your natural lips not quite filling your expectations? If you are considering plumping up your pout with a lip enhancement treatment then read this first. Our head clinical practitioner, Dr Dan, shares his top tips on how to make the most out of your treatment.

1. There are many types of formula used in lip fillers.

Different doctors will have preferences over certain types of filler to use whilst giving treatment. It’s important to find out which one they use before progressing with treatment. For example, hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are often considered to be the easiest to use and the most natural. One of the great advantages of HA fillers is that the effects can be reversed. If after your treatment, you are unhappy with the new appearance of your lips then there is no need to panic. Your clinical practitioner can inject an ‘eraser enzyme’ which effectively dissolves the filler. Your lips will back back to how they were previously in just 5 minutes. Most people don’t need to utilise this feature but it is still good to know that you have a back up option should you not like how your lips look after your treatment.

2. Filler won’t last as long in thinner people.

In general, lip fillers will last around 6 months. However one of the key facts about lip fillers is that if you have a high metabolism then the filler will be broken down more quickly. Generally those with a body on the thinner side will tend to have a higher metabolism causing the lip filler to be broken down more quickly.

3. Enhanced lips still feel the same.

Assuming your doctor knows what they are doing, your lips should not feel any different in sensitivity compared to prior to your treatment. This means that you shouldn’t have any trouble talking, or going about your every day life as you were previously.

4. You can request your lips to be numbed.

If you are concerned about the feel of the treatment process then you do have a couple of options. Firstly you are able to have an anaesthetic injected into your gum much like your dentist would give you if you are having a dental procedure. If that’s still not for you then there is the option to have a special numbing cream placed onto your lips. This contains a dental nerve block which will stop you feeling any discomfort from the lip filler injections.

5. No need to worry about downtime.

The procedure, all in all, does not take much time at just 15 to 20 minutes. The numbing will then wear off after about 15 minutes and you will be good to resume your every day routine! There is a chance that you may experience a little bruising and so it is recommended not to plan any big events for a few days after your treatment just to be on the safe side.

6. No exercise!

What’s that? I hear you say. Yes, for once, exercise may be a bad thing. It is highly suggested that you don’t do any exercise on the day of your procedure. Anything that will increase the blood flow to your lips and face needs to be avoided. This includes gym sessions, massages and head stands.

7. Avoid these 10 days prior to your treatment.

There are some things you need to avoid having in your system when it comes to your treatment time. These include; painkillers, fish oil and vitamin E. All of these make your blood thinner and thus increase the chances of bruising post treatment.

8. Your lips won’t turn into shrivelled wrinkle bags if you stop getting lip filler treatment.

Many people suggest that if you stop getting treatment every 6 months then the filler is broken down leaving the stretched skin on your lips to wrinkle and become saggy. In fact, the HA will naturally break down and your lips will go back to how they were before. The skin on your lips is very elastic and so is not affected negatively by the size of the lips increasing. It has been documented that the injection of HA fillers actually promotes the growth of more HA at the injection site. Hence, the extra plump in your lips may last slightly longer than expected!

There you have it – our 8 most important facts about lip fillers. After reading through this list you should now be armed with the information needed to make the decision about what type of lip filler to go for and how best to prepare for your treatment. If you have more in depth questions about the treatment then please feel free to get in touch with our head clinical practitioner here.