Interest in cosmetic procedures is at an all-time high. However, misinformation and stigma still surround plastic surgery patients and the industry. Some cosmetic trends appear seemingly overnight, only to fade as fast. Others tend to gain popularity over time as they evolve into cultural anchors.

The collective love of lip fillers within the beauty universe is going nowhere but up. It is strengthening its spot among other aesthetic Hall of Famers. Lip fillers are popular thanks to their instant results. But what are they, and how do they work? What kind of results can you expect, and what are the pros and cons? It would help if you considered these questions before getting lip injections.

What Are Lip Fillers?

A dermal filler is a popular noninvasive treatment, and the lip is one of the most requested spots to have it injected. Various dermal fillers allow cosmetic surgeons to completely customize their patients’ lip filler treatments with their specific concerns and goals. Some of these goals include:

• Restoring lip volume

• Balancing lip proportion or asymmetry

• Adding hydration to smooth subtle lip cracks

• Sharpening the lip contour

A lip filler is an injectable that can instantly boost lip definition and volume. It can also smooth out wrinkles and lines around the mouth to create a natural, subtle lift to your lips and mouth area. Cosmetic surgeons tailor the filler to the patient, so you can decide how little or how much you want to have.

What to Expect

You may be wondering whether lip filler is permanent. The longevity varies from person to person, but they are not permanent. You can expect your fillers to last anywhere from 12 to 18 months. It depends on the quantity injected, the location, and how quickly your body absorbs the filler.

The discomfort you feel during the treatment is minimal. You may experience temporary pain or a pinching sensation. Your cosmetic surgeon can use a topical numbing agent to minimize discomfort if you are highly sensitive to injections.

The healing process is pretty fast. You may experience bruising, reddening, or milk swelling for a few days after treatment. However, the filler may take up to one month to ultimately settle.

Types of Lip Fillers

If you want to get lip injections, identify the best type of filler for you. The most common fillers include hydraulic acid fillers, Restylane®, Juvéderm®, collagen lip fillers, fat transfer injections, and silicone fillers.

Benefits

Lip injections are a highly effective way to restore or add volume, shape, and structure to thin lips. Lip filling is the safest and most affordable noninvasive form of lip augmentation. Some of the benefits of this treatment include:

• Enhanced appearance

• Gradual progression to achieve the optimum results

• Natural fullness since they use substances naturally produced by the body

• Little to no side effects

• Fast recovery

Possible Side Effects

Some of the risks posed by lip injections include infection, tenderness, cold sore reactivation, pain, and bleeding at the injection site. Other possible side effects include tissue death, lip asymmetry, and migration of the lip filler into other areas of the face.

Since lip filler is a nonsurgical cosmetic procedure, the injections provide temporary benefits. So, regular injections every six to nine months are necessary to maintain the desired results. Semipermanent injections can last about two years.

For more on lip fillers, visit East Bay Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at our office in Oakland, California. Call 510-451-6950 to schedule an appointment today.