Lip fillers are not painful, but you can initially feel discomfort. Cosmetic doctors use a topical anaesthetic to reduce the discomfort. The lip filler procedure takes 30-45 minutes. This article highlights everything you need to know about lip fillers, including what they are, the types available, and the side effects of this procedure.
Facial features can diminish volume due to ageing and medical conditions. You can use lip fillers to improve lip volume and feel more refreshed. People get lip fillers for various reasons, including but not limited to defining lip borders. Accidents or inborn conditions may leave a scar on the lips; ageing can also contribute to lip thinning. As you age, less collagen is produced; collagen is a protein found in connective tissues, skin, tendons, and cartilage, which maintains skin structure and elasticity. Less collagen in the body contributes to volume loss, and skin inelasticity, making the lips thin and shapeless.
Lip Fillers
Lip filler is a dermal filler specifically for lips. It is injected into the lips to add volume, redefine lip borders and lines, and treat scars due to inborn injury. Lip fillers are mainly temporal although some could last long-lasting. Lip fillers start to wear off after a year or more, depending on the type of fillers used. Aesthetic doctors or cosmetic practitioner do the lip fillers to add volume and restore that shape lost due to aging. Ideally, loss of collage and subsequent skin elasticity is a function of aging (Deshmukh et al.,2016).
Types of Lip Fillers
Polyalkylimide
Polyalkylimide is a common lip fillerused to deliver large lipvolumes. It is temporal filler with less reaction to the body. After a polyalkylimide injection, a thin layer of collagen starts forming around it, and after a month, it will be completely enclosed in collagen.
Polylactic Acid
According to Christen &Vercesi (2020), polylactic acid dissolves into the body to trigger collagen production. It takes about three weeks for collagen to form.
Hyaluronic Acid
According to Dovedytis et al. (2020), hyaluronic acid is a gooey, slippery substance found in the skin, joints, and eyes. It helps maintain skin hydration and smooth movements between joints. Hyaluronic acid filler is used to smooth wrinkles and plump thin lips.
Polymethyl-Methacrylate microspheres (PMMA)
PMMA is a long-lasting filler and is regarded as a permanent fix for deep wrinkles rather than collagen replacement therapy. PMMA is injected in smaller quantities until the desired results are achieved; this can take three months (Dovedytis et al., 2020).
Calcium Hdroxylapatite
According to Shirshakova et al. (2020), calciumhydroxylapatite is a mineral-like substance found in bones and enamel; it helps with bone growth. Calcium hydroxylapatite used in fillers is biosynthetically produced to prevent allergic reactions.
Lip Filler Procedure
The Lip filler procedure is simple and should take at most 45 minutes. The doctor will examine your lips and map the areas to be treated at the doctor’s office. The doctor will then apply a topical anaesthetic to numb the lips before injection. You will then be injected with the lip filler of your choice. After the injection, you will notice changes in your lips.
How Bad Do Lip Fillers Hurt
Lip fillers aren’t painful, but you will initially feel some discomfort. Cosmetic doctors use a numbing cream on the areas to be injected to reduce the discomfort. After injection applying a prescribed anti-inflammatory cream and taking pain killers will also help reduce any pain you may feel.
Benefits of Lip Fillers
Youthful Look
Using polylactic acid filler will trigger collagen production. More collagen in the body means that you will have fewer wrinkles, improved volume, less skin sagging and enhanced facial features. More collagen will also give you a youthful look.
Fuller Lips
Lip fillers add volume to your shrinking lips. Lip fillers can treat skin scars and redefine lip lines and borders.
Minimal Risks
Lip fillers are minimally invasive procedures; the procedure is safe when done by qualified personnel like a cosmetic doctor.
No Downtime
Lip fillers offer immediate results, unlike other procedures where you wait until you heal. Lip fillers take two weeks to settle, and during this recovery period, you can resume work.
Side Effects of Lip fillers
Lip fillers are generally safe when done by qualified personnel like an aesthetic doctor. After the injection, you can experience some swelling and bruising. The lips are very vascular, which makes it difficult to avoid fracturing capillaries. You can prevent bruising by avoiding thinning medications or using anti-inflammatory cream.
Cost of Lip Fillers
The cost of lip fillers depends on the type of filler, the cosmetic doctor’s experience and location, and the number of syringes you will need. Long-lasting fillers are pricier than short-lived ones. Medical covers do not pay for cosmetic procedures, making them relatively expensive.
FAQs about Lip Fillers
How Long Do Lip Filler Bruises Take to Heal?
Lips get bruised because they are vascular; thus, the needle fractures the capillaries causing blood to leak into the surrounding tissues. The bruises will take a week to heal; anti-inflammatory creams will speed up the healing.For lip fillers, you should avoid thinning medications because they worsen bruising.
After How Long Should I Redo Lip Fillers?
Lip filler starts wearing off months after injection. Depending on the type of filler used, it will take a year or more for the fillers to wear off completely. The best time to redo lip fillers is mid-way into the filler’s life span.
What Is the Recovery Time for Lip Fillers?
Lip fillers take two weeks to fully recover, depending on the number of treatments you had. During the first 48 hours, you should avoid the heat, sweating, and heavy workouts.
After How Long Should I Kiss After Lip Fillers?
Exerting pressure on treated lips can dislocate the filler. You should avoid kissing or applying lipstick on the lips 48 hours after injection.
Are Lip Fillers Painful?
Lip fillers are not painful, but you will initially experience some discomfort. Doctors use a topical anaesthetic to treat the area to reduce pain.
Conclusion
Lip fillers are not painful, but you can initially experience some discomfort. Cosmetic doctors use a numbing cream on the mapped area to reduce the discomfort. Pain, swelling, and bruising are the common side effects of lip fillers. The lips are very vascular; thus, it is hard to avoid fracturing capillaries;the cosmetic doctor may use a tunnel needle which makes one entry point. The patient may also prevent bruising by avoiding thinning medications. Anti-inflammatory creams are used to speed up the healing of bruises. The common lip fillers are hyaluronic acid, polyalkylimide, polylactic acid, PMMA, and calcium hdroxylapatite. Depending on the filler, they can last for a year or more.
References
Christen, M. O., &Vercesi, F. (2020). Polycaprolactone: How a well-known and futuristic polymer has become an innovative collagen-stimulator in esthetics. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 13, 31.
Deshmukh, S. N., Dive, A. M., Moharil, R., & Munde, P. (2016).Enigmatic insight into collagen. Journal of oral and maxillofacial pathology: JOMFP, 20(2), 276.
Dovedytis, M., Liu, Z. J., & Bartlett, S. (2020). Hyaluronic acid and its biomedical applications: A review. Engineered Regeneration, 1, 102-113.
Shirshakova, M., Morozova, E., Sokolova, D., Pervykh, S., &Kayumova, L. (2021).Cosmetic Syndrome Correction with Calcium Hydroxylapatite-Based Filler in Patients with Connective Tissue Dysplasia. Dermatology research and practice, 2021.
MS, University of Latvia
I am deeply convinced that each patient needs a unique, individual approach. Therefore, I use different psychotherapy methods in my work. During my studies, I discovered an in-depth interest in people as a whole and the belief in the inseparability of mind and body, and the importance of emotional health in physical health. In my spare time, I enjoy reading (a big fan of thrillers) and going on hikes.
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