Over the last few years, lip fillers have rapidly become one of the most popular cosmetic procedures. This is an exciting trend that brings cosmetic procedures within the price range of many more of us. However, here is what you need to know before you go ahead with the procedure…
What are lip fillers made of?
First and foremost, you need to know what it is that will be injected into your lips. Typically, lip fillers contain either collagen or Hyaluronic Acid (HA). Both substances cause the lips to plump up and maximise their potential. HA, in addition, retains water in the lips to help provide a more natural look.
How much lip filler do you need?
Lips cannot simply be pumped up as if blowing a balloon. In fact, in some cases, it can take multiple treatments before achieving the optimal result. This is because an experienced Aesthetic Doctor will be extremely careful to avoid lips that look too large and having several treatments over a period of time is the best way to do that. That being said, a noticeable yet natural-looking improvement is usually seen after a single treatment.
Are lip fillers painful?
Generally, dermal filler treatments have very minimal discomfort, but for such sensitive areas as the lips, expert clinicians will use a local anaesthetic cream over the lips. There are several types available and they can work extremely quickly and wear off within an hour or so leaving your lips feeling normal again.
How long do results last?
Immediately after a procedure, the lips will be very mildly swollen, but this will settle rapidly and the results will be clear 24 hours later. The substance used to fill the lips and also the age of the patient affects the results, but there is also a degree of person to person variation as well. For a first treatment, a softer HA filler may be used, giving an effect that may only last up to 6 months. This is useful as it gives the chance for the individual to see how they like the new look and then to decide whether to repeat it with a longer acting HA filler or whether to go back to their original look. In contrast, collagen fillers may have a far longer effect, but if the patient has second thoughts they can be much harder to remove.
Do lip fillers feel natural?
In expert hands, there will be minimal discomfort or swelling post procedure. The lips should feel very natural and definitely very much still a part of you rather than a foreign object. Many people ‘forget’ that they have had them done, although, in some cases it is always possible that they may feel slightly lumpy, depending on the product used. When done well, your lips should not really feel any different than before.
Can lip fillers go wrong?
No medical or cosmetic procedure is 100% accident-proof but lip fillers are considered to be very safe if performed by an expert in Aesthetic Medicine. The risks with dermal fillers include allergic reaction, bruising, asymmetry, granuloma or necrosis due to injection into a blood vessel. Anything more than a minor side effect is extremely rare and the safety profile from injection with dermal fillers is far better than any surgical procedure.
What can I do if I don’t like it?
It is very difficult to remove or modify Collagen fillers if the result is not as was desired. In contrast, HA fillers can be removed by injecting an enzyme called hyaluronidase, if there is a problem with treatment (although in practice this is seldom required). Another advantage of HA fillers is that it can be added to over a period of time in order to achieve the perfect look, without doing too much too soon. The main downside to HA fillers is that they are not a permanent treatment and will gradually dissolve by themselves over time.
How much do lip fillers cost?
Prices for 1ml of HA filler start from £350, but vary depending on the brand of filler, the location of the clinic and other factors such as the experience of the clinician and of course the quantity of filler required. For touch up treatments where less than 1ml is required the prices may well be lower, however, in some cases where significantly more is needed the price may exceed £500.
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