Lip Filler
A lot of people have said to me they’ve considered lip filler but are frightened of looking like a trashy reality tv star. Lip fillers are not meant to look like that!
Fillers are designed to replace volume that’s been lost as part of the ageing process through increased skin laxity, loss of facial fat and bone reabsorption.
Read on to learn more on what fillers are actually about.
Fillers used to be made from a variety of different materials. These days pretty much every filler in the Australian market is made of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acid – or HA – is a molecule that naturally exists in our bodies to draw fluid into a particular area and provide it with hydration. This is why is often an active ingredient in skin care.
The difference between HA in skin care and in dermal fillers is cross linking. In dermal fillers, the HA molecules are modified in a lab to different strengths. This means that some will have the texture or a soft gel and some will be very firm and hold their own shape.
This is one of the problems that you often see in those bad Bunnings sausage lips – not only too much product but too firm. Filler around the mouth area should always be soft enough to allow for dynamic movement. Firm filler is to be used in areas that require real structure and stability such as cheeks and jaw line.
Risks
The good news is that the chance of allergic reaction is incredibly low, given that HA is a naturally occurring molecule in our body. The only added ingredient is lignocaine, a local anaesthetic included for patient comfort.
But, dermal fillers are a medical procedure and do carry some risks.
The most common risk is bruising. The lip is a highly vascular area and getting a bruise is almost unavoidable. Patients can minimise bruising by avoiding substances that will dilate their blood vessels or thing their blood immediately prior and post treatment (e.g. caffeine, alcohol, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and fish oils) and apply ice or cold packs after treatment to bring down any bruising or swelling that may occur.
Patients that are susceptible to cold sores are advised to take a prophylactic anti-viral to avoid getting a cold sore as a stress response to the injections.
The most serious risk, but thankfully the most rare, is that the filler enters and blocks a blood vessel in the lip. If left untreated, this can have very serious consequences leading to tissue necrosis. This is why it is so important to have your treatment with an experienced injector who educates you on the risks, knows the signs to assess for and treat vascular compromise. If it’s diagnosed quickly, it can be 100% treatable and resolved.
It is very important to keep the area very clean after treatment so as to not risk any bacteria from the skin entering through the injection sites and creating a bacterial infection.
Cost 0.5ml = $350 1ml = $550
Duration of procedure – 30mins
How long will it last? 6-9months depending on product choice and patient’s metabolism.