The Technique Behind Youthful Lips: What Are Lip Fillers?

Scarlett Johansson. Megan Fox. Angelina Jolie. Incredibly beautiful women, with incredibly beautiful lips. With the bar set so high, how can most of the rest of us hope to compete? Unless you happen to be genetically blessed, the best most of us can hope for is some cunning makeup manipulation to make our lips seem bigger and fuller than they really are.

But there is a way around this.

Because so many women feel the same way, a clever technique was developed to offer the luscious lips they dreamed of. I’m not going to lie, it isn’t cheap. Ah, but such is the way with cosmetic enhancements, we pay a high price for overcoming our genetics. But the results are spectacular.

Lip and dermal fillers: What are they, and what’s the difference?

Put simply? Lip filler is just dermal filler in your lips. Sometimes multiple terms get used for what is basically the same thing, and this is one of those cases.

As for dermal fillers themselves, they are materials that are frequently used to correct scarring, wrinkles, and other depressions in the skin. The most common Dermal Filler used for the lip area is a gel-like substance naturally occurring in our bodies known as Hyaluronic acid. Don’t let the ‘A’ word scare you! This substance is also used as a component in many medical treatments – it is safe and reversible.

When to Consider Lip Enhancement

Lip fillers aren’t for everyone. You might find yourself perfectly happy with your lips as they are, and if so, good for you! We should always celebrate when we feel happy with our bodies. But if any of the following has caused you to worry in the past, you might benefit from trying out lip fillers.

• Your lips have always been thin and disappear when you smile.
• As you age, your lips have become thinner and less full.
• You feel self-conscious about how your lips look.
• Having fuller lips will help balance out your face.

After all, they’re harmless, reversible, and don’t commit you to refreshing them. You can choose to just try them and see how they feel.

Is the procedure painful?

The lip is a sensitive area, and saying you won’t feel it would be lying, and I would never do that. Some say it stings a little, others that it’s simply an irritating feeling, or uncomfortable. A range of anaesthesia, such as ice packs, numbing cream and dental nerve block can be used if you feel nervous about it, but I would describe it as slightly annoying, rather than outright painful.

Will I see the result immediately?

This is the great part of lip fillers, yes you will see an immediate change! Some of the initial effect will be swelling, which will go down over the next day or so, so don’t worry if your lips seem slightly too big. They’ll settle down into the plump juicy things you wanted soon enough!

How long will the result last?

The result generally last between six to 12 months. How long these treatments last depends on a range of things specific to yourself. Remember, the treatment is long lasting, but fades quickly enough to keep you in step with changing taste and fashion. Which is a perfect little balance, I think.