Adding volume to the lips can help balance a disproportionate face or correct a lip shape that can cause a nasal-sounding voice. Contact Lip Fillers San Diego now!
The procedure begins with a consultation, and the doctor will apply numbing cream before using fine needles to inject filler. Ice can also be used to ease discomfort and reduce bruising and swelling.
Hyaluronic acid fillers
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a naturally occurring substance that helps retain skin moisture and plump wrinkles and folds. It is a viscous glycosaminoglycan that can hold up to 1,000 times its own weight in water molecules. It can also stimulate the production of collagen, which is an essential building block of healthy skin.
HA fillers are injected beneath the surface of the skin to add volume and restore hydration to the area. The injections can smooth lines and wrinkles or give the appearance of fuller lips.
When used by an experienced cosmetic injector, hyaluronic acid lip fillers are safe and effective for most patients. Generally, there is only mild swelling, redness and tenderness at the injection site in the days following treatment. Patients who have a history of bleeding disorders, scarring, or a tendency to form keloid scars should not receive hyaluronic acid lip fillers.
Reputable plastic surgeons will have extensive experience with a variety of hyaluronic acid filler formulations, so they will know which product is best suited for each patient’s needs. These include Restylane, Restylane Silk, Restylane Lyft, Restylane Refyne, Restylane Defyne, and Restylane Kysse.
These fillers contain sodium hyaluronate, which is produced in a facility that is FDA-certified. It is purified using a series of procedures that ensures there are no proteins or endotoxins. Once the HA is pure, it is cross-linked to create a gel formula.
Once the HA has been injected, it bonds with water molecules and acts like a support structure for the lips. This gives the appearance of fuller, more youthful lips. HA fillers are temporary, but they can be removed with a simple enzyme called hyaluronidase.
HA fillers are also popular for correcting more subtle nasolabial folds, marionette lines, and creases around the mouth. The more pronounced wrinkles and folds can be addressed with other types of fillers, such as poly-L-lactic acid or calcium hydroxylapatite. These fillers require a more thorough medical evaluation, since they may require a higher dosage of the product to achieve the desired results and can cause a longer recovery period.
Collagen Fillers
With age, the skin’s natural collagen production slows down. This results in thinner, less elastic skin that wrinkles and sags easily. Collagen fillers can help restore the body’s collagen to give skin a firmer appearance. They can be used to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, plump lips, and even reduce the appearance of scars.
There are several types of collagen fillers available, including calcium hydroxylapatite, poly-L-lactic acid, and polymethyl methacrylate. These are similar to hyaluronic acid fillers, but they differ in how they work. Unlike HA fillers, which are instant and permanent, these products stimulate the production of natural collagen in the body for a longer-lasting effect.
These fillers are designed to treat static lines, which are those that are visible when the face is at rest or expressionless. They are often used to smooth out the vertical lines above the mouth (nasolabial folds).
Like hyaluronic acid fillers, these products are made from a gel-like substance that is injected into target areas of the face with a cannula or needle. These products can also be used to volumise hollow areas of the face, such as the temples and cheeks.
Although these fillers are not permanent, they offer a more natural look than Botox and have a lower risk of complications. Most patients will need touch-ups a few times a year for best results.
A highly skilled doctor can use these fillers as an artist’s brush, sculpting the face to create a youthful shape. They can also correct asymmetry and address other imperfections of the face, such as sunken cheeks or an underdeveloped jawline.
Collagen fillers are not the best option for people who want immediate or dramatic results. They are a gradual treatment, so it takes a few weeks for the product to integrate into the tissues and provide a full result. Some patients need multiple treatments to see optimal results, especially for larger volume deficits like in the jawline. When properly used, however, collagen stimulators can last upwards of five years compared to two or more years for hyaluronic acid fillers.
Mineral Fillers
Mineral fillers reduce cost and enhance performance. Carefully selected mineral fillers can help improve thermal conductivity, shrinkage, impact, dimensional stability and reduce molding cycle time. However, the effects of mineral fillers on the properties of a polymer are dependent on particle shape, size, solubility and surface properties.
In papermaking, talc, mica and ground calcium carbonate (GCC) are commonly used fillers because they are inexpensive, do not interfere with polymer colorants and have high mohs hardness and low refractive index values. These characteristics make them desirable in applications where a high level of gloss and surface hardness are required.
These same characteristics are also advantageous in a wide variety of other applications where the added benefits of increased stiffness, stiffness modulus, tensile strength, and notched impact resistance would be beneficial. In fact, studies have shown that mica and talc-filled polymer composites have higher moduli than unreinforced PBS at equal filler levels.
In addition, some mineral fillers have special attributes that can be very useful in certain applications. For example, graphite fillers (natural flake or synthetic) provide electrical conductivity and lubricity, making them especially useful in the manufacture of friction-reducing gears and seals.2
Other mineral fillers increase the density of a plastic compound, adding metal-like heaviness to consumer products such as food containers and cosmetics/personal care packaging. These properties are particularly attractive when quality is valued, but the use of metal is expensive or impossible for environmental or manufacturing reasons.
Inorganic mineral fillers are typically mined from natural rocks and ground to the desired particle size. These particles are then separated from other minerals and other impurities by physical processes such as screening, milling and grinding. These processing steps guarantee that the resulting mineral fillers have relatively uniform particle size distributions, which are essential for many industrial applications.
Fat Transfer
A fat transfer is a surgical option that can be used to increase lip volume for a more youthful appearance. The procedure involves using fat cells from another part of your body that have been purified. This is a more extensive process than with dermal fillers, but it can be more permanent.
Fat transfer is a popular way to restore lost volume in the lips and reduce fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth. This includes the nasolabial folds that run from the corners of the nose down to the lips, as well as the marionette lines that run from the corner of the mouth down to the chin. It can also be used to add definition to the cheeks and chin for a more defined look.
This treatment works by taking a small amount of fat from another area in your body, typically the abdomen or inner thigh. This is usually performed with a syringe, and the doctor will then place this fat into your lips via injections. This is a more invasive procedure than with dermal fillers, and recovery will take longer.
The fat used in this procedure will not last as long as fillers that contain hyaluronic acid, but it does offer the advantage of being completely natural. This is particularly important for people who have allergies or who may experience an allergic reaction to a synthetic filler. Additionally, a fat transfer is considered a permanent procedure, so it is ideal for those who are looking to avoid the need to undergo repeated treatments in the future.
Lastly, fat transfers are an excellent solution for those who want to add more permanent definition to the jawline and cheeks. The results of this treatment are often better than those achieved with dermal fillers. However, it is important to note that weight fluctuations can affect the results of a fat transfer, so patients will need to plan ahead and maintain a stable weight.
If you’re interested in improving the shape of your lips and reducing fine lines and wrinkles, contact us at Beyond Beautiful to schedule an initial evaluation with one of our qualified team members. We will discuss your needs and provide recommendations for how we can help you achieve the smile of your dreams!