Perfect Your Pout: The Nexx MD Guide to Lip Fillers

Lips are one of the very first facial features people will notice when meeting someone new. Your lips (and your smile) are what people remember you by! Every lip type is distinctive and beautiful in its own way, and if you’d like to enhance yours, we’d love to tell you about lip fillers - one of our most popular treatments. 

What are lip fillers?

Facial fillers are dermal substances that are injected into the deeper layers of the skin to either create volume or flatten unwanted wrinkles. Lip fillers specifically are mainly made from either Hyaluronic Acid or Collagen.

Here at Nexx MD, our Medical Director, Dr. Tashakkor, will typically use Restylane Kysse which is an extremely high-quality type of Hyaluronic Acid, though not every case is the same. With that in mind, Dr.Tashakkor will adapt each treatment based on each patient’s needs. This means he may sometimes also use other fillers such as Stylage M and Restylane Refyne which are perfect for mature clients needing more hydration.

4 benefits of lip fillers

Choosing lip filler as a cosmetic treatment allows you to create symmetry and gain any lost hydration. We know lip filler helps us enhance our smile and feel more confident… but did you know there are even more benefits? 

Here are 4 additional benefits of lips fillers that are useful to know:

• You can achieve natural looking results. If you’ve struggled with a lack of volume on your lips for most of your life, you’ll find this procedure to be a great option. Lip fillers are mostly made from Hyaluronic Acid which is a naturally occurring sugar in the body. Because it’s a substance that you already have in your body, the results are much more natural-looking.
  
  
• It may take time to achieve your goals. At first glance, this might sound like the opposite of a benefit, but let’s consider the implications of it. When choosing to perform a facial altering procedure such as lip fillers most patients’ objectives are a more natural and subtle outcome. The ability to slow down the process allows you to control what the process is looking like and if you’ve reached your limit sooner than expected.
  
  
• Side effects are almost nonexistent. Short of some possible bruising and swelling, lip fillers come with virtually no side effects. The one exception to that is potential allergic reactions, which is why it’s so important to attend a consultation with a reputable injector first. This should be something that comes up during that initial conversation.
  
  
• Very little recovery time. For those that might need to squeeze the procedure into a busy schedule, lip fillers offer the benefit of needing very little recovery time. Pain will generally disappear after 12-24hs, and swelling or bruising will fade shortly after.  

Lip fillers: Then and now

There weren’t always as many lip filler formula options as we have today. 

Initially, Collagen was the only option available. While it was a great option when it came to smoothing skin - its ability to add volume wasn’t ideal. On top of that, Collagen allergic reactions were much more common.

Over time and with a lot of research, scientists have developed and synthesized Hyaluronic Acid as an alternative option. Given that it was something our bodies already produced it meant a much lower chance of allergies. And as a bonus, it turned out to be the perfect product to add volume, plumpness, and smoothness to the lips.   

The key to a natural looking enhancement 

For those who are new to the treatment, we might assume that Instagram model type lips are the norm in what lip filler can look like. 

While that specific look may work well for some people, it’s also possible to achieve a much more natural outcome. 

To accomplish this, the key is working around the patient’s natural features. Creating facial symmetry should be at the forefront of the injector’s approach, and so finding a reputable practitioner is also key when it comes to looking as natural as possible.

Filler isn’t forever

Because the dermal fillers used to perform the treatment are made from substances your body naturally creates, it also means that they won’t stay forever. 

As time goes by your system will metabolize the filler and you will need to come back for a reapplication. Specific timelines when it comes to topping your filler up will depend on each individual case, but on average you will have to return every 6 months to a year. This essentially means that if you find lip filler wasn’t what you were expecting you won’t be stuck with it long term. 

Another point worth mentioning about lip filler and how long it lasts is that you can also actively have it dissolved. Whether it’s done in order to fix something done by a less experienced practitioner, or simply to revert back to your original lips, this is accomplished by injecting Hyaluronidase into the area. Because Hyaluronidase is the same substance your body uses to dissolve the filler in the first place, all you’re doing is speeding up that naturally occurring process.

How to prepare for your appointment

Before you arrive for your appointment, it’s important to prepare yourself as much as possible as this will ensure a smooth injection process. 

Here are some tips on how to prepare for your appointment:

• Refrain from drinking alcohol for at least 24 hours prior to your appointment. 
• Stop the application of topical Retinol, Retinoid, Trentinoin, and any chemical exfoliators for 48 hours before. 
• No hair removal procedures of any kind for 2 days prior. 
• Avoid taking blood-thinning medication for one week prior. 

Lip filler aftercare

As with any other non-surgical procedure, there are certain aftercare measures you must follow in order to ensure the best outcome possible. This includes:

• Sleeping with your head elevated to help prevent swelling.
• Staying away from intense pressure on the area for up to a week after.
• No alcohol or anti-inflammatory medications (including Alive and Motrin).
• If the swelling and pain are too much to handle, you’re welcome to take pain relievers such as Ibuprofen.

Conclusion

The choice of going ahead with getting lip fillers is not the taboo subject it might have once been. Gone are the days of duck lips and comically large results. Today lip filler procedures can offer a natural and discreet solution to lack of volume, hydration, and definition. 

As always when it comes to cosmetic procedures it’s imperative to research your practitioner and find a reputable, experienced, and educated person who can give you the results you always wanted. 

Book a consultation today.