Posted October 17, 2012 in Blog, Lip Augmentation, Uncategorized
“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”
Audrey Hepburn
When speaking words of kindness are not enough, lip fillers are available. One of the most requested treatments at our office is fuller lips. The most common fear among these patients is that they do want to end up with “Duck Lips”, that is lips that are too big, project outward too far, and may even enter the room at a cocktail party before the owner of the lip does. Like everything else that we do in facial aesthetics, no one should know that you’ve had any work done, though they may ask you why you look so good.
Millimeters of change in lips can be rejuvenating and youthful when done properly with artistic vision. On the other hand, millimeters of change that are asymmetric or improperly proportioned can give the patient the look of a genetic mutant, or “lips on a stick”, pick your favorite “celebrity Housewife”.
Lip contouring is one of our most popular treatments. When lips lose volume and deflate, the appearance is very aging, not only for the body of the lip, but very commonly the vertical “smokers lines” of the lips.
Lips are like snowflakes, none are exactly the same. What is consistent in beautiful lips is the proportion of the upper lip to the lower lip. The upper lip should be about 70% the size of the lower lip. Lips require different amounts of filler, some take a full 1 cc syringe, while others only require a fraction of that.
Before treating lips, they need to be analyzed. While treating lips there must be active artistic visualization. With lip augmentation, less is more. We are conservative. The fillers that are used in lips (Juvederm, Restylane, and Belotero) are hyaluronic acid fillers that actually attract water molecules after they are injected, resulting in slightly more volume 2-3 days after treatment.
The corners of the lips must be addressed as well. By properly injecting the corners of the mouth, the corner of the lip is supported and turned slightly upward, changing the appearance from “sad to glad!”
How long does lip filling last? It seems that today’s fillers are lasting much longer. In many patients their lip fillers are lasting a year or longer. What we are also seeing is that if the lips receive a “booster” injection a month or two after their initial treatment, that the augmentation lasts longer.
Doesn’t it hurt? Lips are popular for kissing for a reason. They are sensitive, but we have mastered comfortable injection techniques. With the use of ice to cool the lip prior to injection, and the addition of local anesthetic to the filler, the injection of the lips is very tolerable, and usually takes about 15 minutes. A few patients choose to arrive about 20 minutes early to have “numbing cream”.
The cost of lip injection is usually the cost of a syringe of filler which ranges from $500-$650.
If you have any further questions or concerns about your lips, please feel free to contact our office. Pucker up and be well!
“Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not color, but to accept God’s final word on where your lips end.”
Jerry Seinfeld
Dr. Michael Persky and Dr. Sarmela Sunder are located in Encino, California and Beverly Hills, California (The Lasky Clinic) but service all of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Including, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Hancock Park, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Calabasas, Woodland Hills, Tarzana, Westlake, Thousand Oaks, Agoura Hills and more. Please subscribe to our blog by clicking the link above, right. Thank you!
