Lip Augmentation

… for “Luscious Lips”

We Offer Two Pain-Free Techniques To Create ‘Beautiful Lips’:

1:  Our Special Needle Technique; and

2:  Our Special Cannula Technique which DRAMATICALLY reduces the chances of ‘Lumpy Lips’ and Bruising!

LOVE YOUR LIPS!

Full, plump lips are considered feminine, sensual and sexy.

Lip Augmentation is one of our most commonly requested procedures because adding volume and shape to the lips adds sensuality to the entire face.

While everyone’s lip shape is slightly different and we may not all have what we consider to be the perfect pout, it’s easy to enhance what is already there.

How We Do It Differently In 3 Easy Steps!

Bear in mind that anyone can inject you with a Dermal Filler and create bigger lips. However, bigger lips alone are not necessarily sensuous lips. Sensuous lips need shape, definition and proportion – not just volume – and this only comes about from a sense of artistry on the part of your Injector.

The procedure is performed by an experienced Cosmetic Surgeon and takes around 30 minutes. We do not have ‘Nurse Injectors’.

Step 1: Making Your Treatment Painless:

Regardless of whether you choose to have your lips enhanced by a needle or a cannula, the first consideration needs to be making the injection of the lips a PAINLESS experience. Unless you prefer to not have your lips numbed, we achieve this by first injecting a local anaesthetic to numb the nerve to the lips (similar to a dental block).

Please note: ‘Nurse Injectors’ are not allowed by law to administer local anaesthetic ‘nerve blocks’ so any treatment by a Nurse could prove quite painful. Some Nurses use Emla Cream or ice instead, but they’re never as effective as a ‘nerve block’.

Step 2: Injecting the Dermal Filler:

Most importantly, we do not inject every patient the same way.  Instead, our doctor will work with you to plan, customise and deliver the very look you’re after. Our doctor will always ask you to describe exactly how you want your lips to look before any treatment is started and discuss which of the following techniques might best achieve this.

A. The Needle Technique:

Using a very fine needle, your preferred Dermal Filler is injected precisely where it needs to be to deliver the’ look’ and shape you’re after.

B. The Cannula Technique:

In contrast, the Cannula Technique uses an ultra-fine cannula to inject the filler, NOT a sharp needle.  These cannulas do not come with the Fillers, they are made in Paris, France and we purchase them separately in order to deliver the beautifully smooth, natural-looking results we’re known for.

The advantages of our Cannula Technique are:

• IT DRAMATICALLY REDUCES THE CHANCES OF BRUISING because the cannula tip is rounded, not sharp like an injecting needle, and therefore is much less likely to tear the tiny blood vessels in the lips and cause bruises.
• NO PART OF YOUR LIP SURFACE IS PIERCED. Instead, the cannula is introduced through one tiny entry point in the skin at each corner of the mouth. Both upper and lower lips are accessed through this same tiny hole.
• IT DELIVERS FINE ‘THREADS’ OF FILLER, NOT ‘CLUMPS’ OF FILLER LIKE A NEEDLE DOES thereby delivering a smoother result.

Step 3: Final Adjustments & After-Care:

• Before injecting all the Dermal Filler, our Doctor will pass you a mirror for your feedback and whether you want the remaining amount injected in any particular part of your lips.
• The Fillers we use are all ‘hydrophilic’ – meaning they temporarily attract water from the surrounding tissues. Accordingly, mild and temporary swelling of the lips is usual for the first 7 days with most of it setting over the first 4 days. Once the treatment has been completed, you will be given ice to apply to the lips and you should continue this at home over the following days. The value of applying ice is to reduce the amount of water attracted to the Filler from the surrounding tissues. All Dermal Fillers commonly used for Lip Augmentations have a natural ability to attract water to themselves and that is why lips will always look more swollen over the first 7 days. This water attraction then settles down and the volume of the lips will then reflect that produced by the Dermal Filler alone.
• We advise all patients to avoid any significant pressure to the lips in the first 7 days such as biting on hard items such as apples, hard applications of lipstick, and passionate kissing.

Which Dermal Fillers Are Suitable For Lips?

There are many brands of Dermal Fillers approved in Australia but they are not all suitable for Lip Enhancement. Lip Fillers do vary noticeably in feel’ to the touch as well as duration and so some are more suited to Lip Augmentation than others.

Accordingly, it is important you choose one that has the reputation and ‘track-record’ of being safe, natural to the ‘touch’ and long-lasting.

One major concern is that currently there are some cheap, non-approved and illegally imported ‘counterfeit injectables’ being offered in Australia. These counterfeit Dermal Fillers have been reported to contain impurities that can cause serious complications.

Therefore, always ensure you choose a reputable clinic, an experienced doctor and a genuine Dermal Filler by adhering to the following criteria:

• Check that your doctor is well experienced in Dermal Fillers and don’t be afraid to ask how long they have been injecting them.
• Ensure the product being offered to you is approved. Ask to see the packaging of the Dermal Filler prior to any treatment.
• Be very cautious about ‘cheap injectable deals’ as they may reflect a cheap, illegally imported and unsafe product.
• If you’re intending to be treated by a Nurse Injector, remember that it is ILLEGAL for a Nurse to inject a Dermal Filler unless you have first had a consultation with the Doctor of that practice. This should be a face-to-face consultation, not a Skype consultation. And remember, Nurse Injectors are not legally permitted to perform local anaesthetic ‘nerve blocks’ so your treatment could prove quite painful.

To simplify your understanding of all the Dermal Fillers currently available in Australia for Lip Augmentation, you must first appreciate that all Dermal Fillers can be broadly divided into two categories based on how long the correction should last:

1. ‘Non-Permanent’ Fillers: average durations 6-12 months.

In this ‘Non-Permanent’ category, we only recommend those Dermal Fillers that contain the same polysaccharide (complex sugar chain) present in ALL human and animal skin. By injecting the same Filler found naturally in your skin, the risk of an allergic reaction is so negligible that no pre-treatment skin testing is required.

We believe that the Dermal Fillers in this group are by far the best choice for general use because they:

• provide excellent correction
• have a proven safety record
• are not of animal origin
• require no pre-treatment testing for allergy
• deliver worthwhile durations of correction:

Unfortunately, and despite the fact that these fillers are already well known to the public, current Australian Government regulations prevent us from mentioning their names on websites or in print. However, we can mention them by name if you contact us personally and enquire about them.

2. Permanent / Semi-Permanent Fillers

‘Permanent’ & ‘Semi-Permanent’ Fillers of various brand names are the other type of Dermal Filler on the market.  The active ingredients of these Fillers are not identical to those found in human skin and may therefore be considered ‘foreign’ to the human body. They initially deliver volume but then have an ongoing effect of depositing collagen permanently around the particles of Filler.  Based on the very way in which these Fillers work, they do have a risk of Foreign Body Granulomas (hard red lumps) which would then require cortisone injections and possibly surgical excision.

In the best interests of our patients, and based on both anecdotal and published reports of permanent complications with this group of Fillers (Report: American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery Vol. 23, No3, 2006) we have never used or recommended these Fillers.  Although possibly tempting for some patients, the increased risk of adverse reactions compels us to advise patients to exercise caution if considering their use.

How Much Filler Do I Need?

Most brands of Lip Fillers come in syringes containing 1ml – which is actually less in amount than 1 TEASPOONFUL which holds 5ml. Although one syringe is sufficient for most patients, if you prefer even fuller lips, a second syringe can be injected but this is best done 7-14 days later when the first amount has completely settled and it can be more accurately determined where any additional filler should be placed.

How Long Does It Last?

The average duration of correction is 6-12 months depending on the brand of Filler you choose. In any event, a top-up can be performed whenever desired.

 

 

CONSUMER AWARENESS GUIDE

DON’T DECIDE ON WHERE TO HAVE YOUR LIP AUGMENTATION DONE UNTIL YOU’VE READ THE FOLLOWING!

The use of Dermal Fillers for all facial work, including Lip Augmentation, is a huge growth industry.  As such, more and more doctors and an increasing number of nurses are entering the field.  So, before you decide who will inject your lips, consider each of the following:

• The Experience Of The Injector Is Paramount:  Anyone can inject a Filler into your lips but it’s knowledge, experience and a sense of artistry on the part of the doctor as to how much and exactly where the filler needs to be placed in order to get the desired ‘look’.
• An Increasing Number Of Clinics Are Employing Nurses To Inject Dermal Fillers but in the best interests of patients, we remain a ‘DOCTOR-ONLY’ CLINIC. Dermal Fillers are classified by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration as S4 Products and accordingly IT IS ILLEGAL FOR ANY NURSE TO INJECT YOU WITH A DERMAL FILLER UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN FIRST ASSESSED BY THE DOCTOR OF THAT PRACTICE.  Moreover, Skype Consultations are not a reliable substitute for a face-to-face assessment by the doctor.
• Your Treatments Should Be Essentially Painless: Please note that Nurses are NOT permitted by law to inject Local Anaesthetics, so without a Local Anaesthetic Block, your treatment could prove quite painful.  Some nurses apply EMLA cream as an alternative to a ‘block’ but it’s never as effective.
• We Also Offer Our Special Cannula Technique For Lips because it dramatically reduces the chances of bruising and “lumpy lips” that can result when a sharp needle is used.
• Don’t Choose Your Injector Purely On Price and end up going for the cheapest quote.  Experienced doctors may charge slightly more but this is usually a reflection of their skill and experience.  And it’s skill and experience that sets one result apart from another!
• Make Sure The Dermal Filler You’re Being Offered Is GENUINE AND APPROVED. There have been many reports and warnings about serious complications from cheap, counterfeit Dermal Fillers illegally imported from overseas.  The packaging may suggest that the Filler is genuine but if it isn’t and is just a clever copy, it may contain impurities capable of causing serious complications.  The safest approach is to only go to reputable clinics and not be tempted by cheap injectable ‘deals’ which could reflect a product illegally imported and potentially unsafe.

 Remember, YOU are the consumer, YOU are spending your hard-earned dollars and you deserve the highest professional standards and the best possible results for your money.  Don’t accept anything less!