Today we’re going to talk about lip injections and how they are used to restore volume, shape, and definition to your lips. As we age, we lose volume. It’s common, don’t worry about it—it’s normal, it happens to everyone. These lip injections are a wonderful way to restore that volume and provide a more youthful and aesthetic facial appeal.
Understanding Lip Anatomy
Before we talk about the fillers that would be appropriate for you to get lip injections, I think it’s important for me to emphasize the basic anatomy of our lips, so that you feel a little more educated when you go to a cosmetic doctor to get these injections.
Here are some of the basic anatomical structures we have:
Upper Vermilion: The upper lip
Lower Vermilion: The lower lip
Vermilion Border: The border between the red part of our lips and the white part
Cupid’s Bow: The curve at the top of the upper lip
Philtrum and Philtrum Columns: The groove between the upper lip and the nose
These are all areas where filler can be injected, so understanding the structure is important.
Influences from Celebrity Lips
I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of Kylie Jenner’s lips or other well-known celebrities with huge lips. Now, are bigger lips sexier lips? I don’t know about that. I think we’re really moving towards a movement where we want more balanced lips that fit our facial structure.
It’s important to remember that everyone’s face is different. You don’t necessarily want to have the same lips as your friend or that celebrity. You want lips that fit your face. If your lips are too big and you have a small nose or a big nose, it might not be appropriate. When you come to our practice, we look at your eyes, nose, chin, and profile to find out what structure and balance of your lips would be appropriate for you.
Ideal Lip Symmetry
If you’re a Caucasian patient, you want to have a 1:1.6 ratio of your lips. That means your top lip should be slightly thinner than your bottom lip, and your bottom lip should be thicker. If you’re someone of color, it might be a 1:1 ratio. This is why I emphasize that we really have to consider your cultural background and facial structure when figuring out the appropriate amount of filler to put into your lips, so that we achieve a balance that’s appropriate for you.
Lip Injection Procedure
One of the first things done before your lips are injected is applying an anesthetic numbing cream, so that when you get your lips injected, you should have minimal pain. In our practice, we use something called a cannula, which actually has a blunt tip. We prefer this over using a needle because it requires fewer injections into the lips. It also allows us to reach certain areas of the lips more easily, and it results in less bruising and swelling, with a faster recovery time.
Now, you should expect swelling and bruising for at least two days, and up to two weeks, after you get your lips injected.
When you do get your lips injected, we focus the filler on the middle parts of the lips. If filler is applied too heavily to the outer parts, your lip may drop. Typically, the fillers come in one-milliliter syringes, which is a lot of filler for your lips. Remember, the goal is not to make your lips bigger—it’s to create balance and promote the natural shape of your lips.
Using Minimal Filler for Best Results
In many cases, at least in my practice, we want to try to use the minimal amount of filler to create balance. We can use the remaining part of the syringe to fill in other areas of your face where you may have volume loss. Keep in mind, when you go for lip fillers, you don’t have to use the entire syringe on your lips. Otherwise, you might achieve a goal you don’t want—like overly large, unnatural lips. What you want is balanced, beautiful lips that fit symmetrically with the rest of your face.
Popular Fillers and Ones to Avoid
Fillers typically last anywhere from 4 to 12 months, and the cost can range from $500 to $2,000, depending on who is injecting you.
There are certain fillers you should avoid at all costs, including:
Silicone
Bellafill
Artificial Fillers
These fillers are not reversible and not FDA-approved. Another filler that I don’t think is appropriate for most patients is the original Juvederm or Juvederm 3 and 4 (Juvederm XC). Juvederm is very hydrophilic and can attract six times its weight in water, which can cause an unnatural look. It’s also migratory, meaning it can travel beyond the vermilion border. However, in some cases, it may be appropriate if you have very thin lips or conditions like scleroderma.
Best Fillers for Lip Injections
The best filler for your lips is a hyaluronic acid filler, which is made up of a polysaccharide that naturally occurs in your body. It creates hydration, elasticity, and movement in your lips. The great thing about hyaluronic acid fillers is that they are reversible. If you don’t like the results, or if there’s an asymmetry you don’t like, it can be fixed with an enzyme called hyaluronidase.
Some of the appropriate fillers include:
– Restylane
– Restylane Silk
– Restylane Refyne
– Restylane Defyne
– Restylane Kysse
– Juvederm Volbella
– Juvederm Vollure
In our practice, we prefer to use Restylane because we feel it provides the best balance, contour, and natural look for our patients.
The Importance of an Experienced Injector
At the end of the day, what matters more than the filler is who’s injecting your lips. You want to go to someone with a lot of experience—whether it’s a cosmetic doctor, dermatologist, or plastic surgeon—who has done this procedure hundreds of times and knows where to inject to minimize bruising and swelling.
There’s no perfect injector, so even with experience, complications can occur. However, you can reduce complications and achieve beautiful results by paying for experience. Don’t just buy a $500 Groupon deal for lip fillers—pay extra for someone who knows what they’re doing.
Final Thoughts
I hope you found my explanation of lip injections informative. I’d love to hear about your experience if you’ve had lip injections before. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below. I’ll make sure to answer them, and I look forward to seeing you in my next post!