Everything you wanted to know about anti-aging lip correction, but were afraid to ask

• lip augmentation techniques – video, before and after photos,
• choice of drugs, patient reviews,
• errors and complications
• how much does lip augmentation cost in Moscow and St. Petersburg?

Not all people can boast of full, well-defined lips, but in addition to anatomical features, age-related changes also play a large role in this. The fact is that with age, the width and volume of the lips tend to gradually decrease, which is due to a decrease in the volume of muscle tissue and subcutaneous fat in them. Smoking and exposure to sunlight also have a significant impact on the severity of these processes.

In addition, age-related atrophy of the bone tissue of the upper jaw, which occurs with the early removal of the front teeth, also affects the decrease in the expression of the lips. Before the advent of hyaluronic acid fillers, it was possible to increase lip volume mainly only through surgical plastic surgery (although in some cases it is still relevant). But today the simplest, most effective and safest method of lip augmentation is injections of gel based on “stabilized” hyaluronic acid, i.e. filler.

Lip augmentation: before and after photos

The patient in the photos above had 2.0 ml of Hyalax Light filler used. The work was carried out by Dr. Kamenskikh K.V. (author of the article). The choice of material was dictated by the budget, because... Hyalax is still difficult to work with and is not very suitable for working with the lip contour, but the result speaks for itself and, in our opinion, the lips look quite natural.

A little about the anatomy and aesthetics of the lips -

In young people, the shape of the lips is maintained by tension in the surrounding muscles. The main muscle of the lips, on which their volume largely depends, is the orbicularis oris muscle. But with age, not only the volume of the lips can change, but also their shape (for example, due to the lowering of the corners of the mouth). A cosmetologist’s good knowledge of the anatomy of this area, as well as contouring techniques, can not only increase the volume of the lips and change their shape, but also at the same time slightly raise the corners of the mouth.

Reviews for lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid are often negative. The most common complications are swelling of the lips, hematomas, the formation of dense nodules in the thickness of the lips, and the development of herpes after the procedure. But about half of all complaints are patients' dissatisfaction with the appearance of their new lips. Most often, such complaints are associated with the asymmetry and unnaturalness of their shape. Therefore, during correction, it is important to maintain certain physiological relationships between the upper and lower lips.

For example, when correcting the upper lip, you need to avoid its excess volume, because... At the same time, the natural profile of the face changes significantly. When viewed in profile, the upper lip should protrude 2.0 mm further than the lower lip. In this case, the lower lip itself should always be thicker than the upper: the height/volume of the upper lip in relation to the height/volume of the lower lip should be in a ratio of 40:60. However, for some ethnicities there are different proportions, for example, for African-Americans the ratio is 50:50.

A very important area is the so-called “Cupid’s bow” arc (Fig. 8). This term refers to the contour of the upper lip (the border of the skin of the lips with the red border). The middle part of this arch is located slightly lower than the side sections, which looks like an inverted letter W. With age, the central part of the Cupid's bow flattens, so the age that can be given to your lips will largely depend on the correct correction of this zone. To summarize, it is very important to maintain the natural proportions of the lips, and their volume should be in harmony with your face.

Lip augmentation: reviews, photos and videos

In video 1-2 below - you can see how the procedure for lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid goes, and see quite good results. Unfortunately, we have to admit that most cosmetologists are bad at achieving a natural effect when enlarging lips. This is due to both hypercorrection (excessive removal of material), and the resulting incorrect proportions of the upper/lower lips, as well as the use of a filler that is not entirely inappropriate for this type of filler for the procedure. Below we will also tell you about techniques for increasing volume and creating lip contour.

Lip augmentation: video

Anesthesia –

If they tell you that lip augmentation with filler does not hurt, then this will not be true. It will be painful even with anesthesia, which is most often carried out using various creams and gels containing lidocaine (in different products - from 5 to 12%). The Parisian sponge technique will be the most painful, because... it involves more needle injections. Less commonly, infiltration anesthesia is performed with anesthetics - Ultracaine 1:200,000 or Lidocaine, but few cosmetologists are proficient in this anesthesia technique. Infiltration anesthesia provides a significantly better analgesic effect, but, as a rule, only surgeons and dentists use it.

Many filler options may additionally contain 0.3% lidocaine. But you shouldn’t indulge yourself in the illusion that this will somehow noticeably reduce the pain. The fact is that for lip augmentation, techniques with retrograde removal of material are used, that is, first the needle is inserted into the tissue and the material is removed only when it moves backwards. You must understand that the main pain occurs precisely at the moment the needle is inserted into the tissue, when the material with lidocaine has not even been removed.

Creating a lip contour –

If your lips have their own clearly visible contour, it is important not to overdo it, otherwise a clearly visible roller will be visible along the contour, and your lips will look artificial. However, in patients with an unclear contour or visible signs of aging of the perioral area, it is necessary to work with the contour. Some patients have vertical purse-string wrinkles on the skin of the lips, some of which (near the red border) can be smoothed out when forming the contour.

To form the contour, a linear-retrograde technique and a 12-13 mm long needle are used. Injections are made sequentially along the border of the red border. At the moment of puncture, the needle is first immersed 1-2 mm deep, and then it is guided along the surface of the red border for the entire length (12 or 13 mm). The material will be withdrawn only with retrograde movement of the needle. Moreover, depending on the elasticity of the filler, the material can be removed either more superficially or deeper. An important point is that the appearance of the contour of the red border will depend on the elasticity of the filler.

For example, there is such a material as “Juvederm Ultra 3”. This is the cheapest material from the Juvederm filler line, and on the good side, it can still be used to increase the volume of the lips, but it is much less suitable for shaping the contour. Many patients want Juvederm, and cosmetologists buy Ultra 3 material - at a price of only 6,200 to 7,000 rubles (for 1 syringe with a volume of 1.0 ml). This material is too dense for the lip contour, and besides, it has a needle diameter that is too large - marked 27G. A large needle diameter results in the output of a too wide track of material, and therefore the outline will look like a clearly visible roller along the border of the red border.

You probably already realized that not all fillers can effectively shape the contour of the lips and at the same time increase their volume. There are 2 excellent materials for this in the Juvederm line - “Juvederm Ultra Smile” and “Juvederm Volbella”, but the cost of 1.0 ml is noticeably higher, and therefore cosmetologists try not to offer them to their patients. But the cost of the excellent “Restyline Lip” filler is already about 9,500 rubles per 1.0 ml. All of these preparations have a 30G needle diameter, which is considered the best option for creating lip contour. Pay attention to the photo below - on the first contour it is made with a soft filler with a thin needle, on the other two - with a denser filler and a thicker 27G needle.

Type of lip contour (depending on filler density and needle diameter) –

Conclusions: thus, denser fillers like “Juvederm Ultra 3” are best used only to add volume to the body of the lips, although if, on the contrary, you like the “roller” effect along the edge of the red border (Fig. 10-11), then this is your option. It is also worth considering that denser fillers, even when they are injected deep into the tissue to add volume to the lips, can be felt as denser inclusions in the thickness of the lips. Therefore, both to create a contour and to increase volume, it is better to use softer, elastic filler options that will not only give results, but also maintain a natural feeling.

A very important point that you must understand: people will notice that you have enlarged your lips precisely because of their unnatural contour. Therefore, in addition to a clear lip contour without a roller and a lip contour with a roller, you can choose a third option. You can ask the cosmetologist to only increase the volume of your lips, without touching their contour at all, or almost without touching them. Below you can see several before and after photos, where the lips after augmentation look natural and very attractive, and without contour work. At the same time, if you need an eversion of the upper lip, then this can be done not only with filler (see below).

Well, the last important point - if you have a thin upper lip, then the correction of its contour should be carried out very carefully, with a minimal portion of material, using only soft elastic fillers. Correcting the contour of the upper lip in such patients can very easily lead to it looking like a “duck beak”.

Adding volume to the body of the lips –

To create volume in the lower lip, different techniques are usually used: “Cherry” technique, “Hollywood lips” technique, Bolus technique. The first 2 techniques involve the use of a fan filling technique, i.e. From one injection point, several passes are made to the depth of the needle, and the material is removed with a retrograde movement of the needle. These techniques differ only in the direction of correction, i.e. Cherry involves moving the needle in a vertical direction, and with the Hollywood sponge technique, filling the lips is carried out by moving the needle horizontally (several passes in the direction from the corners of the lips to their center).

Using the fan technique is great for adding volume. The bolus technique involves injecting a large volume of filler into just two points on the lower lip (i.e. without evenly distributing the gel throughout the lip tissue). For some reason, some patients like to feel such “boluses” in their lower lip.

To create volume in the upper lip, either the fan technique, puncture technique, or the “Parisian lips” technique are also used. With the help of the latter, you can not only increase the volume, but also turn out the upper lip. But this technique is the most traumatic and painful (involves a large number of needle injections along the entire upper lip at a distance of 1.0-1.5 mm from each other), and most patients, without the use of full local anesthesia with injectable anesthetics, cry silently during the procedure.

Eversion of the upper and lower lips -

If you need to turn out your upper lip, then this is definitely the Parisian sponge technique. But the filler must be quite elastic and soft, because... the drug is not injected into the thickness of the upper lip, but only to a depth of about 3 mm along its surface. Typically, the required volume of filler for the upper lip with this technique is no more than 0.6 ml. You need to turn out your thin upper lip very carefully, because... with an excessive amount of filler, the thin upper lip can take on the appearance of a duck’s beak (24stoma.ru).

But you can turn out the upper lip not only with fillers, for example, if you do not want to increase the volume of the upper lip or change its contour, then it is better to use the technique of everting the upper lip with botulinum toxin. This technique involves 4 injection points - 2 on each side of the upper lip (1 unit of, for example, Botox is removed in each). Injections are made along the contour of the red border in the direction of the body of the lips. It works by relaxing a portion of the orbicularis oris muscle along the contour of the red border.

If you only need an eversion, then it is also more economical, because... will cost you only 1000-1200 rubles 4 units (at a price of 250-300 rubles per 1 unit). As for eversion of the lower lip, it is much easier to perform than the upper lip. To do this, you need to increase the volume of the lower lip + add filler along the edge of the red border of the lower lip (especially in its center).

Lifting the corners of the mouth –

With age, the corners of the mouth droop, which gives the face a sad expression.
Using the Mona Lisa technique, you can achieve lifting of the corners of your mouth. In this case, the injection points are approximately 0.7 cm above and lateral to the corners of the mouth. Next, from one injection point, a passage is made, first along the red border of the lower and then the upper lip. The material is left retrograde (as the needle is withdrawn). This is the most effective technique for raising the corners of the mouth, although when watching videos on YouTube, one gets the feeling that most, even teachers, simply do not know how to do it properly. And in general, before the procedure, we advise you to take a close look at the before and after photos and videos that many cosmetologists proudly post, although when you look at the “duck beaks” and “saucers” they made, to be honest, it becomes even awkward to comment on their results. Below we will also show a few before and after photos, where lip augmentation does not interfere with the natural appearance of the lips.

If you have purse string wrinkles -

If in the perioral zone you already have so-called “purse-string wrinkles” on the skin of your lips, then you need an integrated approach. That part of the vertical wrinkles that directly approaches the lip contour can be smoothed out only by working with the lip contour (linear-retrograde technique along the entire contour). Wrinkles that are located away from the contour can be treated using several methods.

Firstly - again with the help of filler, but only using a cannula, not a needle. In this case, only 1 injection is made on each side (not far from the corners of the mouth), and using a fan technique with tissue separation, filler is laid out. The second option is biorevitalization procedures, which will certainly smooth out purse-string wrinkles. The third option is botulinum toxin injections, but you need to be careful with this method.

There are also hardware methods for correcting purse-string wrinkles; in addition to professional laser resurfacing procedures, there are hardware techniques for home use. This could be the use of the DermaPen device or a simpler option - using a mesoscooter. These options also work and will certainly help you smooth out fine lines and reduce the appearance of wrinkles (and not just in the perioral area).

Lip augmentation: before and after photos

Below you will see photos of patients before and after the lip augmentation procedure with hyaluronic acid. Please note that the emphasis was placed specifically on increasing volume (without hypercorrection of the red border contour). Recall that in patients with a thin upper lip, excessive contour correction would result in the upper lip becoming duck-billed.

In some cases, lip augmentation is not effective - applying fillers to the lips does not always lead to positive results. There are cases when it is simply impossible to enlarge lips using fillers. For example, to restore a practically “absent” upper lip, only surgical intervention (direct upper lip lifting technique) will be effective.

Reviews for lip augmentation will depend entirely on the competence of the cosmetologist, the correct choice of the drug, and the patient’s compliance with simple rules of behavior in the first days after the procedure. It is quite obvious that the patients whose photos are posted above were satisfied with the result of the procedure. However, in some cases, undesirable consequences are also possible (we will also talk about them below), and here we must admit that 90% of cases of undesirable reactions after lip augmentation are associated precisely with mistakes made by cosmetologists during the procedure.

The patient needs to know that she will be injected

When a girl chooses a lip filling procedure, she must know exactly what she will be injected to enlarge her lips. A modern preparation for contour and volume modeling is synthesized hyaluronic acid, identical to human one and of biosynthetic origin. This means that a special bacterium has had its genetic code changed, and when it eats wheat hydrolyzate, the bacterium itself synthesizes human hyaluronic acid. This process is similar to the synthesis of insulin, which is now prescribed to patients with diabetes.

Anna Khorina: A breast lift for a woman is an opportunity to regain self-confidence

There are a huge number of hyaluronic acid preparations on the market. They differ in density, ease of work for the master himself, and most importantly, in the purification of this hyaluronic acid from the bacterial wall and from drugs that stabilize the substance itself from decay in human tissues.

#poll#

Therefore, when choosing a clinic where a patient wants to undergo a procedure for lip augmentation and changing their contour, you need to ask what brand of drug is used.

There are a lot of questions about the certification of these drugs: how they are certified here and in the world, whether they have American certification. We are especially interested in FDA certification - this is the American federal department for food and drug control, i.e. US State Pharmacy Committee. It is one of the most serious in the world and can initiate, at its own expense, research on the safety of all drugs. At the moment, so many fillers based on hyaluronic acid are registered in the world: these are woven ones, such as Juvederm, Restylane, etc.

Next, before you enlarge your lips, consult with a specialist who will perform the procedure directly.

He must have a medical education and a certificate of completion of courses in contouring and volumization, i.e. volumetric modeling.

Side effects and complications –

Below we have listed the main undesirable effects that occur during or after the lip augmentation procedure with hyaluronic acid:

• 
  hematomas (Fig. 17),

• edema,
• reactivation of herpes,
• sensation of lumps of material in the thickness of the lips,
• movement of the filler in the thickness of the lips,
• excessive correction (hypercorrection)
• lip asymmetry,
• less often - granulomas, ischemia, necrosis, abscesses.

How long does swelling last after lip augmentation: swelling is a natural reaction of tissues to injury, and after the procedure it can last from 2 to 7 days, which will depend primarily on the traumatic nature of the lip augmentation technique used. For example, fan techniques are less traumatic to tissue, but the Paris sponge technique is one of the most traumatic. Small hematomas occur due to injury to small blood vessels and this is normal, but the occurrence of large hematomas is already associated with improper injection technique, which often leads to injury to large vessels. If injury to large vessels occurs during the procedure, the procedure is stopped immediately.

The problem may be the so-called migration of filler in the lip tissues, i.e. its movement. This complication occurs due to the erroneous injection of filler into the muscle layer of the lips. Also, many patients complain of clumping, which occurs due to uneven distribution of filler in the thickness of the lips and/or due to the use of fillers that are too dense. In most cases, it can be eliminated by massaging the lips in the first days after the procedure. Some patients also complain of an uneven surface of the lips, which may be due to the superficial injection of too dense a filler.

Sometimes whitening of the lip (ischemia) occurs, which is a consequence of compression of the artery or its embolism. If help is not provided immediately, ischemia will end in necrosis of the lip tissue. Rarely, but still there are cases of inflammation associated with a violation of asepsis, which can even result in the formation of an abscess and the need to open it (corticosteroids and antibiotics are prescribed in parallel).

There is a group of complications that occur delayed (1-4 weeks after the procedure). This includes, for example, granulomas, the appearance of which is the body’s reaction to a foreign body. In this case, granulation tissue forms around the filler fragments. Granulomas are treated by injecting the lips with the enzyme hyaluronidase, which breaks down the filler. Delayed hypersensitivity reactions may occur, which is manifested by the formation of inflammatory nodules. Often this reaction occurs to residual substances in the filler used to stabilize/crosslink hyaluronic acid molecules.

The most toxic such component is BDDE (1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether). The recommended residual concentration of this substance is 0.9-1.0%, and exceeding it increases the risk of developing hypersensitivity reactions (according to the Benjamin Ascher monograph). Therefore, you need to be very careful when choosing a filler, and always look at the BDDE content in it. If the filler contains BDDE and the manufacturer does not indicate its concentration, which often happens in cheap fillers, in our opinion, it is not worth the risk using such a product.

An example of one of the complications after lip augmentation with filler -

Important: but the largest group of complications is patient dissatisfaction with the aesthetics of enlarged lips. For example, this could be lip asymmetry, which occurs due to uneven removal of the material by the doctor. This may be hypercorrection of the contour or volume of the lips (duck beak, saucers), etc. Fortunately, the effect of the procedure is not permanent and is reversible. On average, the effect lasts about 6 months, and if you are unhappy with the appearance of your lips after the procedure, then you will either have to be patient for a while, or use injections of hyaluronidase or longidase enzymes, which will quickly dissolve the filler.

Consequences of the procedure

The consequences of the increase may vary. Basically, the side effects of drugs manifest themselves in the movement of material into other tissues and the creation of an undesirable shape. For example, an area of ​​skin with a bluish discoloration may occur. This occurs due to a reaction to the needle. Local tissue necrosis may occur. In rare cases, even the formation of granulomas caused by tissue infection occurs. As a result, it can be painful to touch the skin.

However, all of the above consequences rarely occur. In general, the procedure is quite safe and effective. Slight swelling and redness of the lips and the skin around them is not a negative consequence of the procedure. This is a normal consequence that occurs to one degree or another in every patient after administration of the drug.

To prevent negative consequences, you need to get tested before injections, cure inflammatory diseases and undergo antibiotic therapy against herpes. This will make lip augmentation an absolutely safe procedure and reduce the likelihood of negative consequences.

Preparations for lip augmentation –

Below we have listed the main hyaluronic acid fillers that are most often used for lip augmentation. Below we have also indicated the purchase cost of the drugs, because there are strange situations when the final cost of the service is almost equal to the cost of the drug. This can only happen in one case - when a cosmetologist uses counterfeit drugs that do not have a certificate of conformity.

• Juvederm® Ultra Smile (instructions) is a very good filler, both for creating lip volume and for working with their contour. Needle diameter – 30G. The effect lasts about 6 months. Each package contains 2 syringes (0.55 ml each), the cost of 1 package is from 9,000 rubles.

• Juvederm® Ultra 2 –

  
  This drug is suitable for those who need to perform only a small amount of lip volume correction and work more specifically with the contour. Needle diameter – 30G. The effect lasts up to 6 months. The package contains 2 syringes of 0.55 ml each, the cost of 1 package is about 9,000 rubles.

• Juvederm® Ultra 3 – optimally used only to increase lip volume. because it is quite dense and has a needle diameter of 27G. The duration of the effect is about 6-8 months. Of the entire Juvederm family, this is the cheapest filler, the cost of which starts at 6,200 rubles per 1.0 ml.

• Juvederm® Volbella is an elastic filler with a 30G needle diameter. The drug is suitable for both increasing volume and correcting lip contour. Juvederm Volbella is made using Vycross® technology, which means the effect lasts about 12 months. The package contains 2 syringes of 1.0 ml. The cost of 1 package is about 16,000 rubles (i.e., the cost of 1 syringe will be about 8,000 rubles).

• Restylane® Lip Volume (instructions) – this gel is designed to both increase volume and create lip contour. Approved for use in persons over 21 years of age. An excellent drug with an effect of up to 1 year. The cost of 1 syringe with a volume of 1.0 ml will be about 9,500 rubles.

• Belotero® Intens - filler Belotero Intens can be used both to create volume and to correct the contour of the lips. It has high cohesiveness (does not migrate in moving areas) and a high elasticity index. The cost of 1 syringe with a volume of 1.0 ml is from 7,000 rubles. The effect lasts about 6 months.

There are a lot of other fillers, among which there are also much more budget ones, for example, Princess and Gialax fillers (their cost is only about 3,500 rubles per 1.0 ml), but it must be admitted that they are significantly inferior in their characteristics to the above listed materials. They are more difficult to work with, they are not as elastic, plastic and cohesive, and their consumption to achieve a similar result will be higher. And all this must be taken into account when choosing. You can read more about comparing different types of fillers in the article -

→ Use of fillers in cosmetology

Lip contouring

The term “contour plastic” refers to all types of injections using various gels that are used in cosmetology. Such fillers are called “fillers”.

Filler is a gel-like preparation that is used as a filler for cosmetic injections. With the help of fillers, you can eliminate wrinkles, smooth out the skin, and change the shape of the lips, cheekbones or nose.

To enlarge lips, cosmetologists mainly use gels based on collagen or hyaluronic acid. They do not cause rejection by the body, are well absorbed and practically do not injure the skin.

• Collagen fillers are made from animal connective tissue or synthesized human collagen. Fillers based on bovine collagen are often used. Such fillers often cause allergies because a foreign protein is used. Before use, an allergic reaction test is performed, the result of which becomes known only after a few weeks. The risk of allergic reactions and other side effects when injecting fillers based on human collagen is practically absent, so testing is not required. The results of using collagen fillers last up to a year.
• Hyaluronic acid fillers popular all over the world. Today they are the best, since this substance is found in almost all human tissues, which is why this method of lip augmentation is considered the safest. Hyaluronic acid is able to retain large amounts of liquid, causing lips to become voluminous. The substance provokes the production of its own collagen in the tissues and renews the skin not only at the injection site, but also around it. The disadvantage of such fillers is that they dissolve after about six months, after which the session must be repeated. The main advantage is their hypoallergenicity.

• Recently, cosmetologists have been using Botox . The method is not particularly popular, since it is impossible to enlarge the lips with Botox - only to correct their asymmetry, tone and smooth the skin, giving a small amount of volume. The effect of this procedure is quite fast.
• Biopolymer gel is also used as fillers . It is injected under the skin into the part of the mouth that needs to be corrected. This injection is considered the most dangerous; it has already been banned in the USA and European countries. The effect after administration of the drug lasts for several years, so when the time comes to repeat the procedure, there is a possibility that such a drug is no longer on the market. If the injection is not repeated, the lips will look unsightly and saggy.

All injections are quite painful, so anesthesia must be used before the procedure.

How much does lip augmentation cost: price 2020

For lip augmentation procedures, the price will depend on the brand of filler used, as well as its volume. To increase the volume of the lips of still quite young patients, 0.5 to 1.0 ml of the drug is usually sufficient. With pronounced age-related atrophy of lip tissue, as a rule, a larger amount of material is needed - about 1.5-2.0 ml. The required volume of material will also depend on the type of filler. For example, fillers that are not fully hydrated with water will expand in the tissues within a day after the procedure, so they are required in a smaller volume than fully hydrated fillers.

Prices may vary significantly if you have the procedure done at a dermatological center or with a private cosmetologist. For example, the price in the clinic for 1.0 ml of Juvederm Ultra 3 is usually about 13,500 rubles. However, in beauty salons the price can be 10,000 rubles (for the same volume of the drug). In some cases, it must be admitted, private cosmetologists use “gray import” drugs. This will be evidenced by the fact that a cosmetologist offers you a price for a service that is close to the cost of the drug itself.

Price for 1.0 ml in specialized clinics in Moscow and St. Petersburg –

• Juvederm Ultra 3 – about 13,000 rubles.
• Juvederm Volbella - about 15,000 rubles.
• Restylane Lip Volume – from RUB 16,000.
• Juvederm Ultra Smile - about 16,000 rubles (for 1.1 ml), and from 8,000 rubles - for 0.55 ml.

Vacuum pump

Cosmetologists have come up with such an ambiguous thing. As the manufacturer promises, it is capable of showing amazing results in a short time. A special pad is “sucked” to the lips by a vacuum and held in this position for 15-20 seconds. Blood circulation in this place is activated, and swelling occurs. The instructions say that the result will last from 5 to 8 hours. To get a longer lasting effect, you should carry out such procedures every day for 2 weeks.

The vacuum procedure time must not be exceeded. The impact is painless, but cracks or hematomas may form.

Contraindications to the procedure –

Lip augmentation should not be performed in the following situations:

• during pregnancy and lactation,
• in the presence of oncology, if clinical recovery is achieved, at least 5 years must pass and permission from the oncologist must be obtained (hyaluronic acid preparations can stimulate relapse of oncology),
• acute infectious diseases,
• inflammatory processes in the lip area,
• diabetes,
• autoimmune diseases,
• tendency to form keloid scars,
• if fillers of unknown origin were previously injected into the patient’s lips.

Important: if you have a history of thyroid disease, this can also be regarded as a relative contraindication. In this group of patients, tissue filler destruction occurs much faster than it should. Additionally, you should always tell your doctor if you are taking medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen.

What not to do after lip augmentation –

After lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid, they require special care. Recommendations after lip augmentation include the following points. During the first 24 hours you should avoid:

• physical activity,
• You can’t use cosmetics on your lips,
• drinking alcoholic beverages,
• Do not sunbathe or expose yourself to significant heat for several days,
• In addition, it is undesirable to use drugs with paracetamol or NSAIDs (for example, naproxen, ibuprofen, etc.) for several days.

General recommendations for lip care after the procedure

• Apply cold compresses for the first few days, they will help relieve swelling and reduce pain faster;
• To resolve bruises, do not use ointments that contain alcohol. Remember that alcohol dries out the skin;
• To quickly heal wounds, treat injection sites with chlorhexidine solution;

• Take paracetamol as a pain reliever. Avoid blood thinners for the first week;
• When sleeping, do not touch your face to the pillow; sleep on your back for the first two weeks. The lip contour should be completely formed;
• avoid injuries, bruises, excess pressure on the lips, as all this can cause deformation of the gel;
• protect lips from exposure to high temperatures and moisture;
• try not to be exposed to sunlight;
• drink as much fluid as possible to maintain fluid balance;
• use moisturizing creams and masks that your cosmetologist recommends;
• avoid intense physical activity, as it will promote rapid resorption of the gel;
• ask a cosmetologist how to properly massage yourself, and massage your lips daily for a week, using Vaseline to soften the surface of the skin;
• A few days after the procedure, start making masks based on fatty dairy products so that wounds heal faster. Wash off the mask with plain water, then wipe the injection sites with chlorhexidine;
• do not smoke for several days after the procedure;

• Do not use lip cosmetics for a week.

Most girls are afraid to enlarge their lips using the injection method, as they remember all the most unsuccessful attempts of celebrities, whose lips after the procedure began to look ridiculous and funny. In fact, these are rare cases that are the result of poor care after augmentation. It also happens that you may be unlucky with a specialist, so many cosmetologists strongly advise choosing a proven specialist who has successfully enlarged the lips of someone you know.

If you follow all the recommendations and regularly care for your lips during the recovery period, your lips will heal quickly and their shape and volume will be properly fixed. The duration of the result depends not on the drug itself, but on how you take care of your lips after the procedure. If improper care is taken, complications may occur; in this case, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Liked? Share with your friends!

Lip augmentation at home –

It is worth noting that the lip augmentation procedure is quite expensive, and patients are looking for ways to get what they want at a lower cost. Due to such demand, products for lip augmentation at home without injections have recently appeared on sale, such as -

• lipstick to increase lip volume,
• balms and creams for lip augmentation,
• various lip masks.

These drugs are an excellent embodiment of meeting the demand to save money on an expensive procedure, and were developed by competent marketers. The only way for these products to increase lip volume is to cause swelling of the lips by irritating the tissues with any chemical in the composition. But as practice shows, the effectiveness of such means tends to zero. We hope that our article on the topic: How to make lips bigger was useful to you!

Sources:

1.

, 2. Personal experience of using fillers, 3. National Library of Medicine (USA), 4. https://aestheticsjournal.com, 4. “Injection methods in cosmetology” (B. Asher), 5. “Anatomy & Lip Enhancement” (Nabila Azib, Jean-Baptiste Charrier).

Advantages and disadvantages

The lip augmentation procedure has a number of advantages and disadvantages. When deciding to have a procedure, all aspects of the procedure and possible negative effects on health and appearance should be considered.

Main advantages:

• Hyaluronic acid is a natural, not a synthetic product;
• The body does not reject the acid because it is completely compatible with human tissue;
• Using this procedure allows you not only to increase your lips in size and improve their shape, but also to make them more youthful, elastic and beautiful;
• Rejuvenation of lip tissue is carried out as a result of normalization of metabolic processes in tissues;
• The injections are carried out with a very thin needle, so it is almost painless. In addition, a special anesthetic cream is used to pre-treat the skin;
• Does not cause allergic reactions, like one cream that has been actively promoted recently;
• You can have injections regularly. After the injection, the acid is completely absorbed by the body and excreted naturally.

There are also certain disadvantages that you need to know before using this method of lip augmentation.

Main disadvantages:

• Short-term acid action. Every woman is interested in how long the effect will last. As a rule, injections last for a year. After the action of the acid has ended, the shape and size of the lips returns to their original form;
• The use of hyaluronic acid is not recommended if other lip augmentation procedures have been performed;
• The drug may cause tissue inflammation;
• Cannot be used if there are scars or scars;
• The cost of the procedure may seem prohibitive. 1 ml of the drug costs about 10 thousand rubles. And the procedure requires 2-3 ml. Therefore, be sure to check how many ml of the drug is required and how much the procedure costs;
• There are a number of contraindications that you need to know before using such products.