What Are Lip Fillers?
Lip fillers. Take a look around the beauty scene today and you can barely move for mention of them. Between celebrities like Kylie Jenner enhancing their pout and articles about how they’re the treatment of the moment, it’s not surprising that everyone’s asking about them.
But so few people seem to know what they actually are!
They obsess over failed procedures from the past that were done using methods that no one in their right minds would use today. Pointing at Lesley Ash like some kind of cautionary tale and saying ‘but it could all go wrong!’
As usual, that’s all clickbait nonsense. Modern fillers don’t use the same permanent ingredients, let alone the same procedure (done by a ‘mother of a friend’, probably not the best way to choose your cosmetic treatments!)
Permanent fillers like the ones you’ll see in horror stories are a thing of the past in the UK. The only lip fillers available from qualified cosmetic nurses such as myself are temporary ones, using naturally occurring substances, not silicone.
The science behind them
Modern fillers are made of a substance which is found naturally in the body, and essentially just replaces what we lose as we age. Youthful skin is full of it, which is why it’s plump and lovely. It’s called Hyaluronic Acid (or HA) and is nowhere near as scary as it sounds. It’s an incredibly useful skincare substance, which is why you’ll find it in most of your products and creams if you check the ingredients on the back. On top of this, because our bodies naturally produce it, it gets happily accepted once injected into the skin and is easily broken down naturally over a couple of months. Which is why it is safe and non-permanent.
Unfortunately, there’s only so much it can do above the skin, as it can’t get through to have an instant and noticeable effect. Some brands even go so far as using low molecular weight HA, to try and force it deeper into the skin. But changes like that are expensive, and still are nowhere near as effective as a little needle.
Is it safe?
Because the treatment involves a needle it’s incredibly important to only allow someone trained in their use like a cosmetic nurse such as myself to perform the procedure. Many beauty salons now offer the treatment at cut prices due to the lack of UK regulation of the industry, but without training these cheap versions can lead to at best a waste of money, and at worst damage to your skin.
If you’re unhappy with the results, I’m able to dissolve the HA instantly with another injection. Again, this is something a beautician can’t do. If you’re tempted by an offer at a salon, just don’t risk it. It’s shocking that botox and fillers are even available in salons.
Is it painful?
Believe it or not most people say the treatment isn’t painful. Again, the clickbait horror stories likely arise from poor information or just the experiences of those who make the mistake of going to salons for a medical procedure.
Of course you might feel a little discomfort, but that’s a very different thing to actual pain!
The numbing cream is also pretty great (don’t lick it, you won’t be able to feel your tongue for a couple of hours), and there’s even a dose of the painkiller lidocaine mixed in with the HA in the syringe which gets to work as soon as it’s in your skin.
How to get it done?
If you’re curious, the easiest way is to send me a quick Facebook message. I can then book you in for a treatment, or answer any other questions you have. I’m active all the time, so if you want to chat just ask!
