More people than ever are looking to enhance their facial features through dermal fillers and as one of Scotland’s premier cosmetic clinics lip filler treatments are now some of our most popular procedures.
Lip fillers can provide balance to your face, increasing volume, smoothing wrinkles, and help you achieve the fuller, healthier looking lips of youth.
The benefits of lip fillers are fantastic, but as with any cosmetic procedure it is important to do plenty of research before committing.
This article will answer some of the most common questions that we get from clients about lip filler treatments and give you all the information that you need to make an informed decision.
What are lip fillers made of?
The majority of dermal fillers used in cosmetic procedures are made from a synthetic version of hyaluronic acid, a substance similar to the hyaluronic acid produced naturally within the human body.
This is a huge positive for those concerned about having cosmetic work down as the fact that the ingredients within fillers are already naturally occurring within the human body means that the risk of an adverse reaction to the addition of more is extremely unlikely.
Hyaluronic acid is already used in a wide variety of different healthcare products and has a proven history of successfully helping to eliminate wrinkles, and rejuvenate the skin.
What are lip fillers used for?
Increased volume
The main reason that people choose to have dermal fillers injected into their lips is to counteract the thinning of lips that occurs naturally as we age.
Over time, the sides of the mouth will stretch, and you may see the plump lips of youth become slightly less so.
Fillers can help to resolve this, adding volume and improving the aesthetics of your face.
Fuller looking, healthy lips are considered a highly desirable asset for those of all ages and lip fillers help you to achieve this.
Balancing facial features
Your lips play a major role in determining the overall aesthetic of your face, and any changes that are made will be a significant difference.
Another common reason that people choose to have lip fillers injected is to create a more balanced look, tackling asymmetry and eliminating unequal areas.
Just a small amount of a hyaluronic acid-based filler will add balance to the sides and top/bottom of your lips, highlighting the natural contours of your entire face and making you feel far more self-confident about your appearance.
Smoothing wrinkles
As well as adding volume to revive the appearance of youth, dermal fillers will also help to tackle some of the other common signs of aging.
Our mouths are one of the most heavily used parts of our entire bodies, almost constantly in use talking, eating, yawning, laughing, and smiling,
Over the years this will result in the mouth losing some of its natural elasticity and age lines and wrinkling will begin to appear.
As volume is added to your lips, the skin around the mouth will smooth out and these wrinkles will be smoothed out.
Furthermore, the introduction of hyaluronic acid will prompt the body to produce collagen at a faster rate.
This will improve elasticity and prevent wrinkles from reforming again in the near future.
How often do you need to have lip fillers injected?
As hyaluronic acid is a biodegradable substance, your body will naturally break down lip fillers over time.
In around 6-9 months the effects of lip fillers will begin to wear off and you will need to return for a further treatment.
This may, at first, seem like a bit of a pain, but the ‘temporary’ nature of lip fillers actually reassures many of our clients as they know that if the final result does not look quite the way that they expected, they will not be stuck dealing with them for the rest of their lives.
Furthermore, if you are really unhappy with how your face looks following lip fillers, your clinician will be able to break down the fillers and return your lips almost instantly to their original condition.
Are there any side effects?
Lip fillers are some of the least invasive cosmetic treatments you can get. Taking under half an hour to implement, and requiring only local anaesthetic, lip fillers are known as the ‘lunchtime cosmetic procedure’ and will require little to no downtime.
You will be able to return to normal activities just 24-48 hours after having a lip filler treatment.
For the vast majority, the only side effects of lip fillers are minor bruising, swelling, and sensitivity around the injection site that disappears within a couple of weeks.
In very rare circumstances, other potential side effects include:
- Filler leaking into unwanted areas
- Tissue death
- Cold sore breakouts (For those who have suffered in the past)
- Bleeding