There are many types of filler for lip injections. Each one of these comes with pros and cons. Let us find out about them and everything else we need to know in between, as we try to figure out which filler is the best for you!
It is normal for us women to feel insecure about how we look. With the standards of today’s society, we cannot help but try our best to meet these standards just so we could elevate our self-esteem. This is why you would find cosmetic products and surgeries here and there. While some people believe that there is something wrong about this apparent trend, I do not think that there is something wrong about wanting to look and feel good about ourselves.
There are many enhancement procedures nowadays, especially when it comes to the face. One of the most common enhancement procedure is lip augmentation. This is a procedure that improves your lips as it makes them fuller and plumper using fillers.
Table of Contents
Types Of Lip Injections
1. Permanent
- Artefill
Artefill is the successor of Artecoll. It is an all-new and improved version, resulting to softer and more natural results. It is probably one of the most cost-efficient permanent lip augmentation fillers available today. Not to mention, the procedure also takes relatively less time.
- Fat Transfer
Fat transfer ensures that your resulting lips are aesthetically proportional as it helps contour and/or smooth your tissues. Effectively, this restores a youthful look.
With this procedure, liposuction is first performed to extract fat from another part (s) of your body. The fats may then transferred into your upper and/or lower lips, vermilion border, and subtle irregularities around your lips.
Since the fats come from your own tissues, there will be no tissue reaction of any kind at all. In fact, it also improves your skin, given the rich stem cells content in your fats.
Overall, it is relatively more practical than other lip injections as time goes by. Depending on certain factors, you may need to have repeated fat transfer procedures between six to 12 months to achieve the best result you desire.
The only problem with this method is that there are varying results and greater risks than temporary lip injections. For example, the swelling may last for weeks after the surgery. Also, of course, it is relatively more expensive.
- Polyacrylamide Gels (PAGs)
The good thing about PAGs is that they are removable. They are also natural and safe, but they have not yet been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Nonetheless, they are available and approved in Europe and other countries.
2. Temporary
- Collagen
As we all know, collagen is one of the most popular dermal fillers. It makes you look youthful as it brings out your natural glow. It is also used as a filler for lip injections. However, nowadays, it is used relatively less often.
As a temporary filler, its result lasts for six weeks up to three months. Sometimes, it is supplanted by hyaluronic acid to produce better results.
The common ones used for lip augmentation include the following:
- Cosmoplast;
- Isolagen;
- Zyderm; and
- Zyplant
- Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance in your body. When used in lip injections, it adds volume to your lips. It also adds shape and structure, making your lips look perfectly proportional. The result may last from three to eight months. However, there is no need to worry. You can undergo the procedure as often as needed to maintain your enhanced lips.
The surgery used to be more painful than using collagen. However, local anesthetics are now applied before the surgery to numb the patients from the pain and to ease them of any possible discomfort. A lot of hyaluronic acid derivatives already come with numbing agents, particularly lidocaine. Some of these include Captique, Hylaform, Juvederm XC, Restylane, among others.
One of the latest derivatives is Belotero. This is known for yielding beautiful results, especially around your eyes. It reduces the risk for the Tyndall effect, where the water retention capacity of the substance causes it to swell, leading to a swollen look with a bluish tinge around your eyes.
Another good thing about lip injections using this method is that the procedure is reversible. The reverse process only requires the hyaluronidase enzyme.
Some great examples of hyaluronic acid derivatives include the following:
- Belotero Balance;
- Captique;
- Hylaform;
- Juvederm Ultra;
- Prevelle Silk; and
- Restylane
Personally, I think of hyaluronic acid as the best filler for lip augmentation even if it is just temporary by nature. Let me tell you why.
Advantages Of Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
1. Gradual Process
With hyaluronic acid, you have the option to book different appointment dates for a gradual treatment procedure. You can have the lip augmentation administered gradually until your desired results are achieved.
2. Less Risks
Relatively, there are less risks associated with this method. Also, the risks are less serious. For example, the bumps and lumps that form post-surgery as you move your lips dissolve immediately. Moreover, there is less bruising associated.
3. Lip Volume Control
The amount of the filler can be adjusted or controlled, depending on what you need. This means that your doctor can control your lip volume as he or she strives to achieve your desired results. This is really important because anything too much or too little can make or break your looks.
4. Long-Lasting
Reasonably and relatively, lip injections using hyaluronic acid produce long-lasting results. By this, I simply mean that it is good for a temporary solution. You cannot really expect it to last forever, but a good half a year is enough. This means that you only need to maintain it and undergo the process twice a year.
5. Non-Allergic
Since the filler is made from a natural substance in your body, there is no reason for you to suffer from allergic reactions. You are only likely to have allergic reactions if you are allergic to lidocaine and the formula of the filler contains lidocaine.
6. The Procedure
Generally, lip augmentation procedures are done quickly. Of course, this is with the exception of fat transfer since liposuction has to be performed before the actual lip enhancement surgery.
When conducting the surgery using hyaluronic acid, a topical anesthetic is first applied. Another numbing technique is using nerve block injections, which are similar to the numbing injections administered during dental procedures.
Then, your doctor marks the areas to be injected. Fine needles are used to inject the derivative into your lips.
To ease the discomfort and prevent swelling from getting worse, you may apply ice on the affected areas. Make sure that you also avoid using lipstick or any product on your lips until they are healed completely. After a few days or weeks, expect your newly enhanced lips to feel natural.
7. Side Effects
The side effects of this procedure only last for a few days. Also, there is no need to be alarmed once you experience any of these side effects. Here are they:
- Bruising;
- Cold sores reactivation in the lips and/or around them;
- Injection site bleeding;
- Injection site redness and/or tenderness; and
- Swelling
Some serious risks may also occur, but the occasions are extremely rare. These may include the following:
- Infection;
- Itching around lip area;
- Lip asymmetry;
- Lip irregularities;
- Lip swelling;
- Lumps
- Tissue loss due to injection to blood vessels; and
- Ulceration
You may also suffer from prolonged and/or serious bruising and swelling for up to 10 days. If these side effects are not gone by then, make sure that you contact your doctor.
Cost Of Lip Injections
Lip augmentation may cost a lot, depending on several factors. These may include the following:
- Amount of material required to provide your desired results;
- Doctor’s experience;
- Location; and
- Type of procedure
The average range is $500 to $2,000 per syringe. Typically, one to two syringes are enough to meet the needs of one person.
Eligibility For The Enhancement Process
When undergoing lip enhancement surgery, regardless of what filler is used, you need to meet certain requirements so as not to compromise your health.
To be eligible for the treatment, make sure that you are in excellent health condition and not smoking.
To Sum It Up… Lip Injections
One of the first things other people notice about us are our physical features, particularly the face; and one of the most prominent features of our face is the lips. As much as possible, we want them to appear proportional because the shape of our lips may affect our overall look.
With the availability of lip injections here and there, it is now easier for us to deal with our lip insecurities.
There are two major types of lip enhancement procedures:
1) permanent;
2) temporary.
Under these major types, different types of substances are also used. However, for me, hyaluronic acid fillers are the best even if they do not provide a permanent solution.
It is safe and comes with relatively less risks. The substance can be found in our body, which means that you are less likely to react badly to it.
Moreover, it is not as painful as other fillers. Thanks to numbing agents, which are either applied topically before surgery or come with the hyaluronic acid itself.
Are you thinking about getting your lips enhanced now? Have you tried any of the fillers I have mentioned here?
Let us know; we would love to hear from you!
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