What You Need To Know About Lip Fillers

The quest for fuller lips is one shared by many women across the country. Thin lips are out and plump lips are the fashionable choice these days. Before patients get any filler put in their lips, there are a few things everyone should know before having their lips injected.

One of the most popular fillers currently on the market is hyaluronic acid (HA). Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance produced by the human body that helps to increase volume in the lips. Some of the brand names used for HA include Restylane and Juvederm.
One of the advantages of hyaluronic acid fillers is the fact that they can be erased if the patient is not happy with the final results. A dermatologist can inject an enzyme called hyaluronidase that will dissolve the initial filler in around 5 or 10 minutes.
If the patient is happy with the fillers in their lips, the results should last between 4 and 6 months. The final results vary per patient but 4 to 6 months is the overall average.
It won’t take long for the patient to decide if the results look good (or not) because the results are visible almost immediately. There will be some extra swelling of the lips for the first day or two but this swelling should disappear sooner rather than later. Once the extra swelling goes down, the final results of the lip fillers should easily be seen by the patient.
There is no extra pain involved in having fillers injected into the lips. It might sting a little bit but nothing too painful will occur during the injections. The actual procedure takes about 15 or 20 minutes to perform. If the patient is worried about pain, the doctor can use a topical anesthetic to numb the area before the injections. Once the fillers are injected, the doctor will put some ice on the lips to help with the stinging. Other than that, the patient is ready to go about their regular activities.
Patients should avoid any activities or exercise that will increase the blood flow to the face for at least 24-hours after the procedure.
There is no need to panic if there is some visible bruising after the procedure. This is perfectly normal and the bruises should fade within a week of the procedure.
The overall price of getting lip fillers varies across the country. Some of the factors that go into the total price include the amount of filler used by the doctor, how many areas of the lip were injected and what area of the country the patient is located. Overall, the price can run from $500 to $2000 for lip fillers.
If the patient is not completely sure about having lip fillers, the entire lip area doesn’t have to be treated. Depending on how much work the patient wants performed, both lips or only the bottom lip or even just the middle area of the upper lip can be injected
One of the most important things to remember before getting lip fillers is to have the injections performed by a doctor who has experience in the procedure. A cheaper price doesn’t mean that the patient will get professional results for a lower price. Doing proper research and finding an experienced and professional physician is the best thing a patient can do when planning to get lip fillers.
It is okay to bring examples to the doctor of the kind of results the patient is looking for with the fillers. Photos of family members and celebrities can help the physician visualize what size lips the patient is looking for from the lip injections. The photos will also help the doctor determine whether or not the patient is entering the procedure with realistic expectations. It’s best for both parties to be on the same page when it comes to what they expect from the final results.
The results are not permanent. Follow-up procedures will need to be performed once the filler starts dissolving naturally after 4 to 6 months. If the patient decides not to have further injections, the lips will return to their original size. There is a chance that the HA that was injected into the lips will cause further production of hyaluronic acid to be produced by the body. If this happens, the patient will see the lips remaining a little larger but nowhere near the lip size from the injections.