Define Your Lip Shape

However, lip filler isn’t just all about adding volume – the benefits of lip augmentation also include improving the lips’ shape, look of hydration, balance, and symmetry. Lips’ shapes can be modified to make certain features more pronounced, and a skillful injector can help you create the lip shape you have always wanted. Lip filler can provide you with a fuller upper or lower lip, accentuate or soften the peaks of the cupid’s bow, correct uneven lips, line the outside border of the lips for greater definition, fix drooping corners, and so much more!

Restore Lost Volume

Outside of the benefits already mentioned, restoring lost volume to more mature lips is also possible using lip filler. Lips tend to be one of the first areas to lose their youthful fullness as skin loses elasticity and moisture. Through the aging process, the body naturally produce less hyaluronic acid (which binds to moisture), causing lips to gradually look more deflated and less hydrated. This can create a dry, thin, “smokers line”-type appearance. Filler can help to correct this by restoring the volume that was lost and filling in vertical lip lines surrounding the lips, returning lips to a more youthful, hydrated state.

Improve Facial Balance

The benefits of lip augmentation don’t stop there— we can actually give an overall more cohesive look to the face by creating a more flattering lip shape and proportion. This is where facial balance comes in to play; your and why your injector will pay special attention to your lips’ relation to your other features, such as the chin, jawline, nose, eyes, and shape of the face. It’s not just about making your lips look beautiful; it is also about how changes made to your lips will enhance or detract from other features of your face.

Finally, one of the best benefits of lip injections: the added lipstick real-estate!

Our Approach

The expert injectors at Donaldson Plastic Surgery take a meticulous approach to filling the lips and restoring lost volume. We take our time to use precise injection techniques that enhance beauty, while maintaining facial identity. We inject with an eye toward optimizing your face’s natural beauty. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to lip filler, which is why a customized approach to each patient’s anatomy is important.

Building Subtle, Natural Volume

Building up the lips gradually is a common technique that we often employ. If we are looking to add significant volume, your treatment plan may involve more than one session. We may address adding underlying structure of your lips first, and then employ a series of several different techniques to build the lips up over time. This gradual method results in very beautiful volumization — lips that look natural and not “overdone”.

A common misconception about lip filler is that it invariably leads to artificial, “duck”-like, or inflated lips. While this look is achievable, the techniques used by an experienced injector can enhance and manipulate the natural shape of the lips without distorting your natural features.

Lip Augmentation Consultation

When you come in for a lip filler treatment, you first will meet with one of our highly-trained injectors for an initial consultation. If this is your first visit to the office, they will spend some time getting to know you and introducing you to our practice and philosophy. Through one-on-one conversation, their goal will be to gain an understanding of what brought you in, and your unique desires for your lips. They will explain why fillers are a good option for you, introduce how injections are performed, and answer any questions you have about the treatment. They’ll go through a customized treatment plan (and quote) with you that they form based on your discussion, and you can receive your treatment that same day.

Lip Augmentation Procedure

Before a lip augmentation is performed, you will be numbed using a topical numbing cream for 15 to 30 minutes. While your lips are numbing, your injector will explain what they will be able to do with your natural lips and how they will be injecting. They will talk to you about the structure and viscosity of the filler chosen, and they will also verify with you the kind of swelling and downtime you can expect. They may feel your lips, take measurements, create marks around your lips with a temporary pencil, ask you to smile or speak so they can evaluate your lips’ natural movements, or point out the areas that you would most like to correct. All of these measures will help your injector to make sure you have the best treatment possible!

After that, your injector will remove the numbing cream from your lips and sterilize the area before the first injection. As they inject, they will inform you of the areas they are going to treat before introducing the needle. Depending on your treatment, the injecting will likely only take a few minutes. Overall, the whole process takes somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes.

Does Lip Filler Hurt?

You may feel minor discomfort during the injections, but this will be temporary. There is a numbing agent inside of the filler for your comfort, so your lips will feel fully numbed once the first injection is administered.

Most of the discomfort with lip injections is caused by the swelling response. The lips are a highly sensitive area, and you may feel like your lips feel stretched and sore from the swelling. This will dissipate, and can be managed with proper aftercare.

Immediately after your treatment, your injector will provide you with a complimentary iced compress to alleviate any discomfort. Aftercare is usually minimal, and typically involves icing to reduce post-injection swelling.

For the best recovery after lip fillers, see the following instructions for after your treatment:

• Use an ice pack or cool compress intermittently to keep swelling at bay.
• Limit sun exposure and drink plenty of water in the days following treatment.
• Arnica gel (available for purchase in the office) can also be applied to your lips to reduce the potential for swelling and bruising, or arnica tablets can be taken by mouth to the same effect.

Generally, lip augmentation is a procedure with minimal risk. However, low-risk does not mean no risk, which is why the medical professionals at Donaldson Plastic Surgery are committed to providing all procedures in safe environment, and prioritizing patient safety above all else.

The most common possible side effects include short-term bruising, swelling, minor lumps and bumps, and discomfort, which are normal to experience after lip injections. This is your body’s natural inflammatory response at work, and the effects will typically subside within a week. Lumps and bumps in the lips will smooth out naturally over the course of a couple of weeks. It is possible that these symptoms may persist longer, or that redness, tenderness, and bleeding may occur. In certain individuals, inflammation after treatment may trigger the appearance of site-specific cold sores or rashes. Other, less common, possible side effects include more serious complications related to vascular occlusion or infection.

How Long Will My Swelling Last?

Bruising and swelling after lip filler depends on the person. On average, most of the noticeable swelling will take anywhere from 4 days to 14 days to subside, but a small amount of residual swelling may take longer to dissipate entirely. As time passes, your lips will continue to settle into their new shape and you will see your true results in about 2 weeks.

Should I Come in for a Follow-Up Appointment?

The answer to this question: only if you want to! Before coming in for a follow-up appointment, we ask patients to wait a full two weeks for swelling to subside. At that point, touch-ups, tweaks, and adjustments can be made to make your filler exactly how you would like it. If you are happy with your treatment, no follow up is necessary!

If, for any reason, you are unhappy with the outcome, please call our office to discuss. Filler can be adjusted, or simply and safely dissolved using hyaluronidase. We ask you wait two weeks before seeking these options.

The type of filler used for your lip augmentation is best left up to your injector. We use high-grade, hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers for lip augmentation. HA is a naturally occurring, clear, gel-like substance that keeps skin looking hydrated and healthy, and is also the base for most dermal fillers. When placed by an experienced injector, they move dynamically with the face, and look and feel completely natural!

Different types of fillers are used to achieve different things. Typically, the best fillers for the lips are soft to the touch; Juvederm Volbella, Juvederm Ultra, RHA 2, RHA 3, or Restylane are ideal for lip enhancement because they can add significant volume, but are flexible enough to mimic natural lip tissue. Your injector will discuss the benefits of each type with you, and they will use their expertise to determine which filler is best to achieve your lips’ best look and shape.

Almost any individual who wishes to enhance the look and shape of their lips can find themselves as a candidate for lip augmentation. Whether you are intending to restore lost volume or make your lips more noticeable, lip filler is popular options because it is quite versatile and accessible to different kinds of people.

The ideal candidate for lip fillers is in overall good health, has a clear understanding of the procedure, and holds realistic expectations for their results. Prior to scheduling a lip augmentation, candidates for treatment must have a consultation with one of our aesthetic injectors to discuss their goals and expectations, which can occur on the same day of treatment.

Same patients with sensitivities to lidocaine, diseases, infections or bleeding disorders may not be good candidates for filler treatment. Please inform your injector of any conditions you may have during your consultation appointment to ensure you are a candidate.

You’ve scheduled your lip filler appointment! Now, what? You can prepare for your consultation by researching the steps for treatment and recovery, and by getting a clear vision of the results you would like. We recommend you gather any questions you have about treatment, and photos of the kind of lips you like to show your injector at your consultation.

In the days leading up to your procedure, drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated and ready to receive the treatment. Discontinue taking aspirin, ibuprofen, multivitamins, fish oil, and vitamin E supplements 3 days prior to your appointment, as they can act as a blood thinner which may contribute to your potential for bruising. Finally, prepare to give yourself downtime — if discretion is important to you, prepare to keep in-person interactions to a minimum for a few days to a week following your appointment. After your immediate swelling and bruising subsides, your friends and family will be thrilled to see your gorgeous results!

Lip filler lasts anywhere from 8 months to a year, on average. Fillers are not permanent and are naturally dissolved over time. Filler’s longevity will vary person to person, and will largely be impacted by two main factors: the type of filler used, and the area the filler is placed. In areas of frequent movement like the lips, filler has a higher likelihood of breaking down quickly. People with higher metabolic rates may also see a shorter lifespan for their filler, due to their body’s tendency to break down substances more quickly. You may find yourself ready for another treatment before your filler is completely gone in order to maintain best results.

How Much Filler is Used in the Lips?

The amount of filler used for a lip augmentation largely depends on an individual’s lip anatomy and goals. However, it is typical to receive at least one 1 ml syringe of filler during your lip augmentation for a subtle, yet impactful, enhancement. This amount may not seem like much product (equivalent to a teaspoon), but proper placement and distribution is an equally important factor that gives the lips a fuller shape and appearance.

Depending on your desire for greater volume, two or three syringes may be more appropriate for you — this can either be performed in a single visit or over the course of multiple visits, based on the recommendation of your injector. Realistically, a more dramatic transformation from lip filler (as popular on Instagram) is achieved with the use of multiple syringes, built up over a period of time.

The average cost for a single syringe of filler can range anywhere from $700-900. During your consultation appointment, the exact cost for your treatment will be determined.