Lip fillers are a fast, pain-free way to get the fuller, sexier lips you’ve always dreamed of. And today, lip fillers are one of the most talked about— and most popular— cosmetic treatments. If you’re among the many people who have considered trying lip fillers to enhance your lips, you may be wondering what getting lip fillers is like. In this post, we’re answering all the most frequently asked questions about lip fillers. We’ll cover what fillers are, what getting fillers is like, whether or not they are safe, and where you should get them.
What Are Lip Fillers?
Before we talk about what to expect if you get lip fillers, we’ll first talk about what lip fillers are to help you understand how they work.
Lip fillers are a non-invasive, temporary treatment that augments the shape and size of the lips. There are actually a number of different types of lip fillers, but when you hear people talk about lip fillers today, they’re usually talking about hyaluronic acid lip fillers.
Hyaluronic acid lip fillers are a sophisticated, modern type of filler. These fillers are sometimes called HA fillers or go by their brand names, such as Juvederm or Restylane. The active ingredient in these fillers is hyaluronic acid, which is a substance that naturally occurs in the body. Hyaluronic acid is a substance that keeps the skin plumped and hydrated. When hyaluronic acid is injected into the lips, the body recognizes it and naturally accepts it. The hyaluronic acid in lip filler then creates a plumper, fuller look in the area in which it’s injected.
As mentioned above, hyaluronic acid fillers are temporary. While the body accepts hyaluronic acid, it does, eventually, gradually clear it from the body. Because of this, lip fillers can last anywhere from 6 to 18 months, depending on the type of filler used and how quickly each patient’s body naturally processes hyaluronic acid. Though lip fillers are temporary, the results of lip fillers can be maintained with regular additional appointments.
What is Getting Lip Fillers Like?
Getting lip injections is quick and painless. Each session takes only 15 to 20 minutes and the results of the treatment are instant. Before a treatment, you’ll have a consultation with your doctor, during which you’ll discuss your aesthetic goals. Then, during treatment, your doctor will strategically inject your fillers to get you to your desired cosmetic result.
Fillers are not painful but patients may feel a “pinching” feeling, as it is an injectable treatment. Many fillers, including the one we use at our office (Juvederm Ultra XC), contain a small amount of the numbing agent lidocaine to reduce discomfort during treatment.
After a lip injection treatment, little to no downtime is needed and you’ll see the results of your lip injections right away. If you’d like to maintain the look of your lip injections, you can simple return to your doctor for an additional treatment when the results of your last treatment begin to fade.
Are Lip Fillers Safe?
Yes! Hyaluronic acid lip fillers such as Juvederm are FDA approved and are safe when performed by an experienced, licensed physician. Serious side effects or allergic reactions with HA fillers are very unlikely and, additionally, these types of fillers are easily dissolved and removed if the patient is unhappy with their results.
Where Should You Get Lip Fillers?
In our last section, we mentioned that hyaluronic acid lip fillers are considered safe when performed by an experienced, licensed physician. And “experienced, licensed physician” is the key term here. We always advise against getting lip injections at places like beauty salons or getting them done by anyone who is not a cosmetic doctor.
While HA lip injections carry very little risk when done by an accredited doctor, they can be risky when done by someone who isn’t trained to provide cosmetic treatments. Places like beauty salons may offer lip fillers but if they don’t have a cosmetic doctor in house (and they generally do not), they’re unlikely to be trained about proper sanitation or what should be done if something goes wrong during treatment.
Additionally, you want to get lip fillers from an experienced provider who has an artistic eye. Lip fillers are a cosmetic treatment and each treatment will need to be tailored to the individual patient to get optimal results.
At the Z Center for Cosmetic Health, all of our lip injections are done by Dr. Zadeh himself. Dr. Zadeh is an award-winning Board Certified Surgeon, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and an experienced provider of lip injections. You can see examples of Dr. Zadeh’s work on our lip injections page.
If you’re considering lip fillers, contact our office today to schedule a consultation appointment with Dr. Zadeh.