If you really want fuller, more even lips, then it’s time to finally throw out those ineffective plumping glosses and painful suction devices. Lip fillers can help you achieve your dream pout without any of the dangerous side effects that often come with the alternatives. (And they last a whole lot longer, too!)
Still not sure if they’re right for you? Then read on to learn everything you need to know about lip fillers, including how they work, the benefits, aftercare, and much more.
New to Lip Fillers? Here’s Everything You Need to Know
How Will Lip Fillers Help My Lips?
When you think of lip fillers, you may think they’re only used to add volume. But lip fillers are actually extremely customizable and can therefore be used to help address a wide variety of concerns, including:
- Correcting uneven lips
- Smoothing wrinkles around the lips (also known as smoker’s or perioral lines)
- Lifting the corners of the mouth
- Improving definition (around cupid’s bow or vermilion border)
- Adding hydration
It’s important to note that a qualified medical spa (like AESTHETICS 360°) should not be trying to overfill your lips. The goal is to subtly enhance your appearance without completely altering it, and to inject the filler in a way that prevents the appearance of “duck lips.” Your injector should work with you to help achieve the look you want, whether that’s natural or dramatic, or anywhere in between.
What Causes Volume Loss in Lips?
Most of the time, thinner lips are simply genetic. However, aging will also significantly contribute to the appearance of your lips. As you age, you may notice that your:
- Upper lip loses its volume and inverts.
- Lower lip becomes thinner and goes inward
- Cupid’s bow becomes less defined.
- Lips lose moisture and become drier.
That’s because the amount of collagen and elastin in your body decreases as you age. Collagen helps create the framework for your lips so they stay full, tight, and structured. As it dwindles, you’ll experience volume loss that leads to thinner lips.
What Exactly are Lip Fillers Made From?
Lip fillers are made from hyaluronic acid (HA). Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring sugar that’s found in your skin, promoting collagen production and allowing your tissues to retain water to stay plump, full, and firm. (Fun fact: hyaluronic acid can hold 1000x its weight in water!)
If you haven’t heard of it before, you may be surprised to know that you likely have skincare products with hyaluronic acid in your bathroom. However, unlike creams or serums with HA, lip fillers are made with a gel form of hyaluronic acid. The gel allows the hyaluronic acid to stay in place so it doesn’t spread to other areas of your face (just imagine how that would look!). The HA gel pulls water into the lip tissue, which then causes it to expand for amazing, soft, and full lips.
What are the Different Types of Lip Fillers?
Although there are a number of different lip filler types and brands, at AESTHETICS 360°, we use industry-favorite Juvéderm, Restylane, and RHA product lines. These are hyaluronic acid-based injectable fillers that instantly soften wrinkles and enhance your lips, and can also be used on areas like your cheeks, under eyes, jawline, and chin.
Specifically, RHA2, RHA3, and Redensity are injectable fillers for the lips and surrounding area. This product line is an A360 favorite and is produced by Revance Aesthetics. They provide amazing improvement in the lip contour by boosting volume, smoothing vertical creases (smoker’s lines), and achieving symmetry. RHA is a preferred filler for creating natural-looking lip volume while avoiding an overfilled or “swollen” look.
How Long Do Lip Fillers Last?
Depending on the person, lip fillers can last an average of 6-12 months. The gel dissolves gradually over time, so you don’t have to worry about your lips being full one day and then completely gone the next. The other great thing about lip fillers is that even when they dissolve, the hyaluronic acid continues to promote collagen growth, keeping your lips soft and supple.
In order to make your lip filler last as long as possible, we recommend:
- Following the aftercare advice to maximize your benefits
- Reducing direct sun and UV exposure
- Wearing lip balm with SPF daily
- Drinking plenty of water to keep your lips moisturized
- Staying calm and avoiding stress (too much stress can accelerate the absorption process)
- Avoiding smoking/vaping and chemical exposure
In fact, these tend to be good general practices even if you don’t have lip filler!
Let’s Be Honest: Do Lip Fillers Hurt?
For the most part, no, lip fillers don’t hurt. However, at the end of the day, lip fillers are still injections, so you may experience some discomfort from the needle. (Typically, people describe the sensation as a little pinch.) Pain levels tend to vary from person to person depending on the sensitivity of their lips.
The majority of our clients report the discomfort as being totally bearable, with any pain going away shortly after the procedure is finished. Topical numbing will be applied before treatment for added comfort, and there is also lidocaine in the product itself to help with pain relief.
Where Should I Go to Get My Lip Fillers?
The main thing we like to emphasize is to always, always, always do your research. The obvious reason? Well, we’re talking about your lips here, and it’s not like you can hide them if you end up getting a botched service.
For the best results, go somewhere with trained medical professionals who know exactly what to do to enhance your natural beauty. Humble brag moment: at AESTHETICS 360°, we employ only the best, most-experienced professionals in Milwaukee.
What to Expect at a Lip Filler Appointment at AESTHETICS 360°
Step 1: The Consultation
Before you do anything, you’ll want to schedule a consultation so that our Aesthetic Nurse Specialist can learn more about your history, understand the desired look you’re going for, and perform an anatomical assessment. We take time to consider what will work best for your face and will offer our professional guidance if we believe you’ll have better results with a different treatment.
At this appointment, we will also show you before and after photos from our own patient base (with their consent!) and those that have a similar lip shape to yours. This can help you visualize the type of results that you may also experience. Our expert will then go over the process, what to expect, and any potential risks so that you can make an informed decision. There is never any pressure to receive treatment!
If you feel that lip filler is the next step for you, we can schedule a time for a future appointment, which typically takes 60 to 90 minutes. If you let us know in advance that you want to do lip filler treatment immediately after the consultation, then we can schedule more time so that both can happen in the same visit.
Step 2: The Injection Procedure
To get started, a series of “before” photos will be taken. Your face will be cleansed and prepped using aseptic technique, and you’ll rinse with an anti-bacterial mouth rinse to help keep harmful bacteria at bay. Topical numbing cream will be applied for comfort, as well as ice.
The injections may feel like a quick prick upon needle entry. This process is where the art of injecting meets science, as it is a methodical and deliberate process to achieve the best, most natural-looking results. During your appointment, we’ll do everything we can to ensure you’re as comfortable as possible.
Step 3: Post-Injection Procedure
The area will be cleaned after treatment, and an immediate “after” photo will be taken so we have a record of how you looked right after we finished. You will be sent home with sterile gauze wrapped around a small ice pack to apply on and off during the rest of the day.
Right after your treatment, you may notice that your lips look fuller than you want. That is due to swelling, and as time passes, the HA gel will settle, and the swelling will go down. Lips may feel tender, but they should not be touched or massaged. Even though bruising may not be apparent at the time of treatment, it can sometimes appear later.
Your true results will appear and continue to take shape in the following weeks after your lip filler injections. But don’t worry, you will receive full post-treatment care instructions so you know what to expect within the coming days and weeks. A clinical follow-up with your nurse is a crucial part of the treatment process, and a 2-week appointment will be scheduled when you check out.
Trust AESTHETICS 360° for the Best Lip Filler in Milwaukee
AESTHETICS 360° is honored to be the premier med spa in Milwaukee, which is why we offer only the best professional-grade hyaluronic fillers to plump and define your lips. If you’re looking to subtly rejuvenate your face while giving your lips a lift, then we’d love to hear from you. Either contact us or complete a virtual assessment today, and get started on your journey towards experiencing the 360-degree difference!
