Do you want noticeably filler lips? If you're not proud of your pout, take a look at everything you need to know about lip injections.
What Are Lip Injections?
Whether both of your lips are naturally thin, you have age-related thinning, or you want to even out your pout, injectable filler products can change lip shape and volume.
Unlike other cosmetic procedures, lip injections don't require surgery or stitches. But, also unlike some surgical or invasive cosmetic procedures, fillers aren't permanent. Lip fillers are primarily made from hyaluronic acid. A qualified doctor injects the filler product directly into the lips to create temporary fullness.
How Long Do Lip Injections Last?
Even though lip injections don't provide permanent lasting changes, fillers typically create added volume for months. The results may last for between six and eight months, according to American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).
Hyaluronic acid fillers dissolve naturally; your body reabsorbs the injectable product gradually. The specific amount of time it takes your filler to dissolve may vary by weeks or months.
Are Lip Injections Popular?
According to the ASPS Plastic Surgery Statistics Report, millions of Americans used hyaluronic acid injectables in 2019. This makes lip injections (along with other hyaluronic filler uses) one of the more popular, minimally invasive cosmetic procedures in the United States.
Do Lip Injections Provide Immediate Effects?
You are likely to see a change in your mouth's shape and lip volume soon after the injection appointment. It's common to have swelling or redness at the injection site. This means your lips may look dramatically fuller immediately. However, you shouldn't expect injection-related fullness to remain. While your lips will look different (in comparison to the pre-procedure shape) days and weeks after the injection, excessive swelling should go down.
Do Lip Injections Take a Long Time to Perform?
Lip injections aren't an all-day procedure. This minimally invasive cosmetic treatment won't require anesthesia or a long stay in an operating room. Injectables are given in the doctor's office, and the process takes typically between 15 and 30 minutes, according to the ASPS.
Can You Go Back to Your Normal Day After an Injection?
Yes and no. Talk to your doctor about your individual health and physical needs before you return to any type of regular routine after your procedure. In general, most healthy adults can return to work or their daily routine after the injection. Again, some people experience swelling and redness. If the look of extra-swollen lips makes you uncomfortable, you may want to take the rest of the day off.
Even though you can return to your office job, go to the grocery store, or get together with friends after your procedure, you shouldn't visit the gym. Strenuous exercise can elevate your heart rate or blood pressure, increasing the risk your lips will swell and bruise. Talk to your doctor about when it's safe to return to your normal gym or exercise routine.
How Should You Care for Your Lips?
An ice pack can help ease some of the swelling or minor discomfort. Your doctor may recommend pain relief medications to use following the procedure. For example, your doctor may suggest an acetaminophen-based or other type of over the counter pain relief option. Always follow your doctor's directions. Discuss any medication you'll take after your procedure with the doctor.
You should also call your doctor immediately if you experience persistent swelling, bruising, or pain. The doctor may need to examine your lips in the office or may have a recommendation that provides temporary relief.
Are you ready to change the look of your lips? Contact the office of
Ronald C. Barry, MD, for more information.
