How Long Between Lip Fillers?

How long lip fillers last is greatly affected by various factors determining how frequent patients should do other filler injections. This article explains how long it can take to do another filler injection after the first one, factors affecting how long fillers last, and the advantages of lip fillers.

Lip fillers are dermal filler injections that add up the volume of your lips. They are one of the types of dermal fillers. Dermal fillers can be injected into the face beneath the skin tissues to add volume. Lip fillers help improve the look of one’s lips; therefore, onehas to consider how one wants their lips to look when deciding whether to get lip fillers. Patients should have the good mental and physical health to be considered candidates for lip fillers. A Lip filler procedure is preferred over surgery because it is simpler and has a shorter recovery time.

How Long Can You Stay Before Getting Another Lip Filler Injection

It is important to note that lip fillers are not permanent. They can last approximately between 6 to 12 months and then wear off. After this period, the procedure is repeated. It is greatly affected by the type of filler used. Most fillers are made of hyaluronic acid, which becomes an integral part of the skin tissue after injection. Hyaluronic acid is a bacteria substance that attaches itself to water molecules in the skin to increase the volume of the lips. There are different brand names of hyaluronic acid in the market, each taking extra time to wear off. According to Cheng et al. (2016), lip filler will slowly degrade a few months after injection. Still, the effect will not be visible at this time because filler can dissolve in water. One will notice a decrease in the volume of lips towards the midpoint of the filler longevity. It is explained that doing a filler addition at this point can help improve the effectiveness of the filler and sustain it longer.

Factors That Affect Lip Filler’s Longevity

Mouth movement

Bonds hold lip fillers. Constant movements may cause the adhesive to break.

The Metabolism Rate

Age affects Metabolism; young people have a higher metabolism rate than older people. Therefore, Metabolism is affected by age, where young people have more metabolism rate compared to older people. People with high metabolism rate experiences a shorter effect of lip filler.

Amount of Filler Injected

Because of the varying filler content, the filler’s longevity may differ. The more the amount injected, the longer the effect.

Regular Injections

According to Funt & Pavicic (2013), having more than one injection improves the effect of filler on the lips by making the body produce more protective collagens around the stuffing.

Reasons for Lip Fillers

• To correct lip asymmetries. Lip filler is a remedy if one has one lip side that does not resemble the other in fullness.
• Smoothen wrinkles at the sides of your mouth when you smile.
• As you age, your lips may get smaller or thinner. Lip filler can help regain the previous shape and size. They restore the size of the lips. According to Vashi et al. (2016), smoking, sun damage and genetics may affect the dimensions of lips; therefore, injections are required in this case.
• They are defining lip shape. Strategic injection of lip filler can define lip dimension resulting in a perfect cupid’s bow. It is for patients whose lips boards flow into the surrounding skin.

Details of Lip Filler Procedure

Before the Procedure

The first step is to schedule an appointment with a cosmetic doctor. During the appointment day, the patient will explain to the doctor how they want the lips to look. The cosmetic doctor will note the current appearance of the lips. At this stage, the doctor’s main aim is to get relevant health information about the patient, like any preexisting health complications like allergies or whether the patient has any prescribed medication.

During the Procedure

To numb the lips, the cosmetic doctor will apply a topical anaesthetic on your lips. Then some injections may be injected inside the mouth to numb the top and bottom parts of the lips, and numbing take 15-30min. When the lips are completely cool, the cosmetic doctor injects the filler into the lips. This process may take 30min to 1 hour. The cosmetic doctor may apply an anti-inflammatory ointment on the lips after the procedure to minimize bruising and swelling.

Afterthe Procedure

The cosmetic doctor may take a few minutes to massage the lips to absorb the filler. At the same time, they will monitor the patient to see any possible side effects. One may note some red spots on the areas where the needle was inserted. Lips may feel different because of the presence of the filler. Some patients may swell after the procedure, but it may take 24-48 hours for the swelling to go away. Bruising may also occur and may take a week to disappear.

The cosmetic doctor may give some tips after the procedure as follows:

• Patients should drink a lot of water
• Patients should avoid vigorous exercise
• patients should avoid any makeup on the lips 24hrs after the procedure.
• Patients should avoid touching their lips after the injection procedure.

Advantages of Lip Fillers

• The risk of getting complications after a lip filler procedure is minimal.
• Abduljabbar & Basendwh (2016) stated that lip fillers are reversible. If a patient is not pleased with the outcome of the injection, the cosmetic doctor can inject hyaluronidase enzyme into the lips to dissolve the filler.
• Even though fillers do not have a permanent effect, hyaluronic acid can be injected gradually to achieve the desired outcome.
• Customization. The filler injection can be based on the patient’s needs. You can decide to add volume only on one lip.

Conclusion

Lip fillers’ effects decrease with time. It is why there is a need to retouch to improve or maintain the volume of the lips. To achieve the desired result, one should choose the best cosmetic doctor. A competent cosmetic doctor’s choice helps minimize possible complications and side effects. Responsible cosmetic doctors assist in monitoring the condition of their customer’s lips after injection, and they can advise on the best time to get the next infusion. It is also important to follow after-procedure tips given by the cosmetic doctor to make the whole procedure successful from the start to the end.

References

Abduljabbar, M. H., & Basendwh, M. A. (2016). Complications of hyaluronic acid fillers and their management. Journal of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery, 20(2), 100-106.

Cheng, L. Y., Sun, X. M., Tang, M. Y., Jin, R., Cui, W. G., & Zhang, Y. G. (2016). An updated review on recent skin fillers. Plastic and Aesthetic Research, 3, 92-99.

Funt, D., & Pavicic, T. (2013). Dermal fillers in aesthetics: an overview of adverse events and treatment approaches. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 6, 295.

Vashi, N. A., Maymone, M. B. D. C., & Kundu, R. V. (2016). Ageing differences in ethnic skin. The Clinical and aesthetic dermatology Journal, 9(1), 31.