If you have been dreaming about fuller, plumper, more defined lips, you have probably thought about getting lip injections. But, you may have some questions about the procedure first – does it hurt? How much do lip injections cost? Are lip injections right for me?
Lip injections are gaining popularity for their relatively low cost, minimal downtime, and effective results. Since lip injections are performed using hyaluronic acid (a substance naturally occurring in our bodies), there is a very low risk of allergy.
Fillers can subtly or dramatically change the shape and fullness of your lips, and make going under the knife seem like a thing of the past.
Getting Lip Injections – What Do I Ask For?
Bigger is not always better! We have all seen those unfortunate, overfilled lips that look completely unnatural and frankly, unappealing. There are a lot of factors for your injector to consider, but mainly, you want your lips to feel in-proportion to the rest of your features. Keep in mind, lip injections will not dramatically change the general shape of your lips (for the most part) – they will enhance your natural shape.
The doctors at our clinic are trained to understand the ideal balance of the facial features, and can help “design” a lip shape and volume that will look the best on each individual face.
Volume loss in other areas can affect the way the lips appear (especially the chin). This can affect how you see the lips and the balance between the lower lip and the upper lip. Sometimes, a little filler to the chin, jawline, or nasal-labial lines can improve the look and proportion of the lips without changing them at all! This is why we recommend selecting an injector that has the training and experience to give you the absolute best results, which may not always be the most obvious to the untrained eye.
Lip injections don’t always have to look like Kylie Jenner’s (but they can!). This means that you don’t have to be in your 20’s to get lip injections. If you are in your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s, or 60’s, the focus of lip injections will be different than if you are in your 20’s.
The important piece here is balance.
When you are in your 20’s or 30’s, adding projection, definition, and volume to your pout is the most common goal. However, making sure the size of your lips is harmonious to the rest of your features is essential. Your injector should help you decide what the most ideal approach for dermal fillers is for your face.
If you are in a more mature age range, then a refreshed, hydrated look of your lips, as well as the skin around your lips, will help you to look revitalized and youthful. It is important for your injector to assess your face and analyze what part of your face could benefit the most from the added volume, projection, or smoothing abilities of dermal fillers.
It may be that a bit of smoothing around the lips (“smoker’s line”), as well as some definition around the lips, is exactly what you are looking for. For others, volume around the mouth, chin, and marionette lines may improve the overall appearance of your face most successfully.
If you only need a half syringe to achieve the look you want, you can ask for the last half to be added to the chin or jawline to enhance your other features, and avoid overdoing the lips just to finish the product. You will be amazed at what a little filler added to strategic points can do for the overall proportion and appeal of your face!
Do Lip Injections Hurt? Are There Any Side-Effects of Lip Fillers?
Your injector will apply a numbing cream to the area beforehand to ease some of the pain. It still isn’t painless, but most would describe the pricks as being uncomfortable rather than painful. Luckily, the discomfort won’t last too long—each procedure will take only 30-40 minutes.
Lip Injection Side Effects
Immediately following your appointment, your lips will be red, swollen, and perhaps bruised. Keep in mind, we do not swell symmetrically! You may notice that one area looks bigger than the other, or overall your lips look lumpy for a few days and up to a couple weeks.
You will get a sense of the final result once the swelling goes down. Once the swelling subsides, your lips will not be as large as they were right after your lip injections, which can be disappointing. Once you lay eyes on your new luscious kissers, you might wish the swelling would stick around for that extra plump!
With any injections, bruising, bleeding, and infection are all possible. While bruising and bleeding are very common, infections are not common as your licensed injector will use an antiseptic topical cleanser to remove bacteria and disinfect the skin.
Lip Injection Risks
Vessel Occlusion
In very rare cases, dermal fillers can be injected into or too close to a vessel. This is known as an occlusion. When a blood vessel is blocked, it restricts blood flow to the area of the face that it supplies, which can lead to tissue damage. Although this is extremely rare, it is essential to know all of the risks of lip injections as well as work with a licensed provider who knows how to handle complications if they happen.
Allergies
Since the filler we use for lip injections is made of hyaluronic acid– a substance produced naturally in our bodies–it is very uncommon to have an allergic reaction to the substance. The only potential allergen is the numbing cream applied before the procedure to help with any discomfort caused by the needle pricks. But this can be patch-tested to ensure you won’t react negatively to the cream.
How Much are Lip Fillers?
The cost of lip injections can vary and depends on how dramatic you wish the results to be as well as where you are located. Prices range from clinic to clinic. Beware of prices that seem “too good to be true” as there is likely a reason for this. It could be that the product is not authentic, the injector lacks experience or licensing, or some other questionable reason for offering lip injections below market value – you get what you pay for!.
In general, prices range from $450 to $700 per syringe. Most people will opt for 1 syringe of filler, such as Restylane or Juvederm, to begin with.
At our clinic, we carry the entire Restylane product line. Each vial at our clinic costs $485 to $550 and includes your assessment, the numbing cream, and the actual injections by an experienced doctor.
For the most part, you should always start conservatively with 1 syringe at a time. This is the safest and best option to achieve the most attractive result. Over time, you can add additional syringes to layer on top of your previous filler after 3-4 months.
How Long Do Lip Fillers Last?
Because our lips are continually moving, the hyaluronic acid dermal filler will be reabsorbed into the body quicker than in other areas such as the cheekbones or jawline. Most people can expect the results to last 6-12 months, but for some people, they can last up to 18 months. Some people will get “topped up” after 4 months, to keep a consistent appearance and to not allow the filler to completely reabsorb before the next procedure. It all depends on what works for your desired look and budget.
Using saunas, exercising a lot, or sunbathing can increase how fast your body breaks down your hyaluronic acid lip fillers. Also, some people are naturally quicker metabolizers than others. Over time, as you get more and more lip injections, the results tend to last longer.
What If I’m Unhappy With the Results of My Lip Fillers?
In the case that you are unhappy with the results either due to the appearance of lumps (in rare cases, the lumps may stick around), or the shape or if you feel they are overdone, fillers can be immediately dissolved by injecting hyaluronidase.
This is an enzyme that rapidly breaks down the previously injected hyaluronic acid– into the same area. Nothing about lip injections lasts forever, so it’s a reasonably risk-free decision. But we advise you to wait a few weeks before deciding the results aren’t natural enough and running back to the clinic to have them dissolved. It can take a while for all the swelling to completely subside, so the final results may not be what they seem. In most cases, people love the results and want to add more filler as opposed to dissolving it!
Are Lip Fillers Right for Me?
Everyone has something about themselves that they might like to improve. Lip injections are a relatively affordable way to boost confidence and to achieve either a subtle enhancement that is a noticeable improvement or a dramatic pout that will leave you looking totally transformed.
Each individual will have the opportunity to consult with our knowledgeable doctors about the ways dermal fillers can enhance not only your lips but transform your entire facial geometry.
Make an appointment at Onyx Integrative Medicine to discuss the potential of your pout with our team of experienced doctors!
Lip Injections: Summary
- Lip fillers are gaining popularity for their relatively low cost and high impact results
- Results can last anywhere from 6-18 months
- The cost of lip fillers varies depending on the desired result, but patients typically spend $400-700 per session
- Balancing your lips with your other features is key
- Lip fillers are safe and hypoallergenic since they use hyaluronic acid— a naturally occurring substance in our bodies
- Downtime is minimal, and lips will look normal in a few days and will be completely healed in no more than two weeks
- Risk and side-effects are generally low if you are choosing an experienced practitioner
- The procedure takes only 30-40 minutes, and the application of numbing cream helps ease the discomfort of the injections
Wonderful article!!!! I have been planning to get a lip filler and wanted to know about lip fillers. Thanks for writing this article.