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 you’ve already got.
Lip Augmentation is easily and painlessly performed by injecting an approved Dermal Filler into the lips.
There are many approved Dermal Fillers on the Australian market. However, despite all being approved, they do vary in duration and ‘feel’ to the touch and accordingly some are more suited to lip enhancement than others.
Accordingly, it is important you choose one that has the reputation and ‘track-record’ of being safe and long-lasting. Currently, one major concern is that some injectors are using cheap, non-approved and illegally imported ‘counterfeit injectables’. These counterfeit Dermal Fillers have been reported to contain impurities that can cause serious complications.
Therefore, always ensure you choose an experienced practitioner and an approved Dermal Filler by adhering to the following criteria:
To simplify your understanding of all the Dermal Fillers currently available in Australia for Lip Augmentation, you must first understand that Dermal Fillers can be broadly divided into two categories based on how long the correction should last:
In this ‘Non-Permanent’ category, we only recommend those Dermal Fillers that contain the identical polysaccharide (complex sugar chain) present in ALL human and animal skin. Therefore, having the chemically-identical agent as your skin’s own ‘natural filler’, the risk of an allergic reaction is so negligible that no pre-treatment skin testing is required. Most importantly, these fillers are NOT of animal origin. Instead, the polysaccharide is manufactured synthetically but it is still equivalent to that found in human skin.
We believe that the Dermal Fillers in this group are by far the best choice for general use because they:
Unfortunately, and despite the fact that these fillers are already well known to the public, current Australian Government regulations prevent us from advertising their names on websites or in print. However, we can mention them by name if you contact us personally and enquire about them.
‘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 higher propensity to cause 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 do not recommend these Fillers at our practice. Although tempting for some patients in terms of convenience and the perceived long-term cost advantages of a single or fewer treatments, the increased risk of adverse reactions compels us to advise patients to exercise caution if considering their use.
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.
Our special 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 are known for.
The advantages of our cannula technique are:
The procedure is performed by our Cosmetic Surgeon and takes around 30 minutes. We do not have ‘Nurse Injectors’.
After marking your lips, our doctor will inject administer a local anaesthetic nerve ‘block’ to numb your lips and make your treatment PAINLESS. This Local Anaesthetic ‘nerve block’ is similar to that used by your dentist. Nurses are not legally permitted to inject local anaesthetics, and this is one reason we don’t have Nurse Injectors.
After the local anaesthetic has numbed your lips, our doctor will introduce the cannula from a tiny entry point in the skin at each corner of the mouth to the midline of your lip and deposit a fine ‘thread’ of filler as he withdraws the cannula. This is repeated on each side as many times as necessary to achieve the ‘look’ you’re after. Then, through the same entry point in the skin, the same technique is used on the lower lip.
Most importantly, we do not inject every patient the same way. Instead, our doctor works with each patient to plan, customise and deliver the exact look they’re after. Our doctor will always ask the patient to describe exactly how they want their lips to look before any treatment is started.
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 4-7 days. This swelling largely settles within the first 72 hours but can last around one week. The volume of the lips then returns to the amount produced by the Dermal Filler alone.
The Local Anaesthetic ‘block’ wears off after about 1 hour. Please avoid any firm pressure to the lips during the first 72 hours e.g. biting on hard foods such as apples, hard applications of lipstick, and passionate kissing. Doing so, could cause the filler to move before it has integrated into your lip tissues.
Most brands of Lip Fillers come in 1ml syringes. This is equivalent to less 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 settled and it can be more reliably determined where the additional filler needs to be placed.
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.
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:
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!
