Lip augmentation procedures have become among the fastest growing and more popular treatments on our menu. People of all ages come to Maine Laser Skin Care seeking lip enhancement.
Frequently, as we get older, the pink portion of our lips gradually loses volume. The tissue surrounding the lips also changes.
These changes can result in lines radiating out from the mouth that some people refer to as “smoker’s lines,” even if the person doesn’t smoke (which is more often the case these days). In these situations, the volume within the lip and the lines around the lips both need to be addressed to get an aesthetically-pleasing result.
Many assume that those who request these services are seeking more full and youthful appearing lips. However, we have found that the goals of lip improvement can actually vary from person to person.
Patients under the age of 35 tend to want increased volume in order to mimic the larger lip size of some celebrities. Many people in this age group want others to notice the difference in their fuller lips, and they want to look better in their selfies.
Those patients over the age of 35 also want more luscious lips. Mainly, though, they want to maintain a more natural appearance.
No matter what the person’s age is, we here at Maine Laser Skin Care have to make a judgment based on what would look best on that individual patient. We also have to take the patient’s specific goals into account for that area of their face.
The same treatment is not going to work for everyone. Sometimes, a combination of therapies and different types of fillers will need to be used to reach an individual’s goal.
In general, if someone wants purely volume in their lips, we tend to choose Juvederm UltraPlus. UltraPlus is a thicker formulation of filler, and never fails to plump up the lips without looking like the patient has had the more notorious kind of work done.
If someone wants some volume, but a more subtle look with more definition to the lip borders, Volbella is a less thick choice, but its smooth texture looks very natural. Volbella is also the product of choice for “smoker’s lines,” or perioral lines, as it lifts up these thinner lines without looking lumpy.
Although we use fillers predominantly around the mouth, there is a limited but definite role for small doses of Botox in this area. When the muscles around the mouth are very strong, they can cause fine lines to radiate from the lips.
Botox can be injected into these muscles to relax them, and the fine lines become greatly reduced in appearance as a result. If these lines persist even with Botox, Volbella can still be used to complement the effect on these lines.
Downtime is always a concern for our patients, especially in a very visible area like the lips. Swelling and bruising are always a possibility with lip injections because the lips have a very generous blood supply.
To reduce these possible side effects, we try to minimize the number of injection points in the upper and lower lips. It is also best for a patient to apply a cold pack to the area during the several hours after the treatment.
Thinning lips and pesky lip lines can be banished with proper application of dermal fillers and/or Botox individualized for the patient’s desires for volume and enhancement. If you have any questions about your lips and how they can become enhanced, please feel free to call our Augusta office at (207) 873-2158 or our Scarborough office at (207) 303-0125 for a free consultation.
Your lips will thank you for it. Meanwhile, we will continue our mission to “beautify Maine one face at a time!”
