Lip Fillers: Before, During, And After Your Lip Augmentation8 min read
Caroline Hedges
They say eyes are the window to our soul and a firm handshake is the sign of a confidant personality. What is said of the lips? “The curves of your lips rewrite history,” wrote Oscar Wilde. Are you concerned your lips’ curves will rewrite history with miserable resting face?
As we age, we lose the collagen and fat in our face and lips, making our faces sag and our lips thin and pursed. We start to look like we’ve been puffing on cigarettes for the last decade of our life and our friends and family constantly ask if we are happy – because we look like the end of the world is coming all the time!
It isn’t just older people who don’t like the way their lips look. Many younger people want full, poutalicious lips too. Think Kylie Jenner and Angelina Jolie: beautiful, curvy lips that make you want to buy bright red lipstick and pout all day long for selfies.
Scientists Have Spoken
Face scientists (yes, it is a thing) suggest lips help determine personality and certain lip shapes produce the same personality traits. Jean Haner in her book The Wisdom of your Face says that naturally full lipped ladies are empathic, maternal types who value relationships above everything else. All lip types (such as cupids bow, full bottom, etc.) have positive attributes attached to them apart from the thin lipped ladies. Thin lipped women are loners and timid by nature, introverts who are OK with being alone. Lip filler anyone?
Fortunately, there are choices to pull you out of Lonersville and drive you straight towards Plumptown. They are quick, relatively pain free and won’t take your life savings. You only need to decide how pouty you want to be and for how long.
Lip Augmentation Before And After Photos
What Kind Of Fillers Are Available?
There are a number of facial fillers products on the market right now. The granddaddy of luscious lips was the collagen injection – but no reputable plastic surgeon will use it for lips these days. So what do they use? Hyaluronic acid fillers are now the most widely used injection to create fuller lips. Hyaluronic acid is a gel-like substance made from bacteria. It has been tested and is FDA approved. There are a number of brand names, each with their own pros and cons.
- Juvederm: This is one of the most common injectibles and lasts around 9 months. It is great for lips because it is softer so is less likely to be lumpy.
- Voluma: This is another popular choice and can last up to 2 years. This is a great choice for above and below the lips and can help with fine lines.
According to new data released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), more than 27,000 lip procedures took place in the U.S. last year, with a lip procedure being performed every 20 minutes—a new record!
What Kind Of Filler Should You Have?
This will depend on what you want done. All good plastic surgeons will have free consultations available to talk through what you want and will advise you on the best product. Bring to your consultation photos of people with lips you admire as well as a youthful photo of yourself. The surgeon can see your lips before lines and the deflation. Be prepared to listen to their advice: a good plastic surgeon will understand facial proportions and advise you on a lip size that will complement the rest of your face.
What Happens On The Day?
So, you have decided on your look and have saved your pennies and are sitting in the surgeons chair. What are they going to do?
Ask you to lie back and relax! They will talk you through the procedure and reassure and answer any last minute questions you have.
Numb your lips. You will thank them for that. Our lips are sensitive and don’t appreciate being stabbed with a needle. The numbing takes about 5 minutes to kick in.
Start the filling. You will feel a sharp prick and then a cooling sensation as the filler enters your lips and lip line. It isn’t unpleasant, just cool. You will have multiple injections on both sides of the lip and in the top and bottom (depending on what you have decided to have done).
Massage your lips. This is to help move the filler around to achieve the perfect look.
Give you an ice pack. Your lips have had some trauma and are going to complain a little later on. The ice pack will help reduce the swelling and bruising that may occur.
Send you away with a smile and instructions. No exercise for 24 hours. Try not to pout too much for the rest of the day. Don’t panic when your lips look larger than the “after” picture you imagined. The extra swelling is temporary! But you may need to use a straw for drinks until the swelling goes down. You should probably not arrange any social occasions the same evening. Have a night in with your favorite TV show for company. There will be plenty of chances to show off those lips later on.
Watch A Live Lip Augmentation Video!
You And Your Lips Live Happily Ever After!
About 24 hours after the lip augmentation, the swelling should go down. Your surgeon may have suggested you massage your lips if you can feel lumps and don’t be afraid to do that. Your lips will need a few days to recover. 2-3 days after the procedure, your lips will look more like you imagined they would.
After about a week, we’ll be you’ve probably checked out your new lips in every mirror and window available, bought the entire lipstick counter at your local store, and blown your phone up with selfies. You love your new lips and want the world to know. Enjoy!
FAQs About Lip Fillers
No, they are temporary and will eventually dissolve into your body. Most last around 6-9 months, depending on which brand you use.
Your lips will initially experience some swelling and look bigger than the end result. After a couple of days, the swelling will reduce, and you will be able to see what your new lips look like. Then it’s time for a new lipstick to celebrate!
Not at all! They are your lips and you get to decide what you want. Do discuss it with your surgeon though, they will be able to advise you on the best course of action.
That depends on the type of filler you get. Most last at least 6 months.
Don’t expect to have enormous lips on the first go. Plump, natural-looking lips is the ideal. If you want bigger lips after the swelling has gone down, you will need to go through the same process as before. But your surgeon may advise against it – too much fullness and your lips will look disproportionate to the rest of your face.
There are possible side effects to any plastic surgery procedure. Although rare, you may experience prolonged bruising and swelling, infections, or an allergic reaction to the filler.
You may have a little bruising, particularly around the injection sites. You may also notice small red dots where surgeon inserted the needles. These will disappear shortly after the procedure.
The cost depends on the lip filler brand and how much your desired look requires. All costs will be discussed during the free consultation with your surgical nurse or surgeon.
Not necessarily, as long as they are experienced and well-trained. The surgical nurses at Aesthetica have many years of experience providing lip fillers and other injection procedures. They are trained to provide the same level of care and attention as Dr. Chang.
Ready for the lips of your dreams?
For those wondering whether lip augmentation might be the best cosmetic solution for you, we invite you to simply come in for a complimentary consultation with Dr. Chang or one of the cosmetic laser and injection nurses to explore whether you would make a good candidate. To find out more whether Aesthetica can help you, contact us online or at 703-729-5553 to arrange an appointment. Dr. Phillip Chang is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Northern Virginia near Leesburg, Virginia and an expert in a wide variety of cosmetic treatments.
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Our office can provide you will helpful information, schedule a free consultation, and suggest the best procedures to help you achieve your desired look.
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