Lip fillers are arguably the most popular cosmetic treatment in the past decade. Interestingly, as the decades have passed since lip correction fillers were introduced as a treatment, there have been a number of significant changes in requirements by patients.
Overdone lips (the sausage lips) are a thing of the past. Instead we welcome slightly enhanced, pillow-like, subtle looking lip fillers. The purpose of a subtle lip filler is to complement the overall aesthetic of the face rather than over-powering it . The industry and people’s preferences are changing and older standards of beauty are no longer being followed. People are now looking for more subtle variants of aesthetic and cosmetic treatments, to enhance the features they have, rather than dramatically change them.
The augmentation side is subdivided into many different branches, as individual patients desire a different outcome, for example, uneven lip correction. Some are wanting a subtle augmentation, as they have smaller lips that they’d like to be a little larger. This is one of the simplest augmentations, as most younger patients already have a great lip shape, definition and ratio.
Others have more exacting requirements – asymmetries can be corrected; the ratio of top lip to bottom lip can be changed; the shape can be subtly altered; the amount of projection changed, i.e. correcting lip appearance affected by under or over biting.
Some have heard of specific techniques or take inspiration from friends, social media or their own research. Here are just a few of the trends in lip correction I have been practising over the last few years:
Lip Correction & Techniques:
Lip Hydration – The majority of lip fillers contain hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring substance in our body. Dermal filler is injected under the skin to fill the space left by tissue volume loss. They also hydrate thinning skin and smooth folds and wrinkles. While they can be administered to most areas of the face, they are commonly used to naturally rejuvenate the lips.
Dermal filler injections can be used to restore the volume you once had and provide your lips with a natural fullness, hydration and symmetry. It can also be injected around the lip area to smooth out lines and correct a ‘mouth frown’.
Botulinum toxin lip flip – The Botulinum toxin lip flip targets the muscle that purses your lips – selectively weakening the muscles allows the lips to roll out a little so more of the body can be seen. The same can be achieved with strategically placed filler, but is a good option for someone who is a bit hesitant to try fillers.
Cherry lips – This style of lips isn’t called so just for the sake of being adorable and fun — it’s a reference to the shape this filler technique creates. In the past, Angelina Jolie’s iconic voluminous lips inspired lip filler trends. One of the newest trends in lip treatment is to create a cherry-like aesthetic for more natural-looking volume and dimension.
Instead of giving lips an all-over plumping effect, Dr Adam focuses on filling only the middle part of the upper and lower lips, and not volumizing the outer edges. Imagine two pairs of cherries hanging horizontally from the corners of your lips— this is where cherry lips get their name.
Russian lips – Russian lips are achieved by injecting small droplets of filler vertically into the lips, which is also described as a ‘fence-posting’ technique. In the hands of a skilled injector, the technique widens, lifts, and opens the lip body, whilst also encouraging lip projection.
Russian lip filler takes about half an hour and the results are immediately visible. Strong topical anaesthetic is used so pain experienced is minimal (if at all!). You should expect some swelling following the procedure, but ice & antihistamines help to minimise this.
Note: If you have had dermal filler or lip correction injections in the past, any remaining filler must be removed, or you need to wait until it’s all gone. Traditional techniques place filler around the border of the lip, which is not part of the Russian technique.
My Lip Correction Approach
I understand that there are so many options to choose from and a lot of conflicting information out there. This often leaves people confused and put off by the whole idea of cosmetic treatments! However, I am happy to spend time talking through all the options and clarifying any concerns you may have regarding lip treatments, so not only are you comfortable in your decision, but also get the outcome you are after.
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Therefore, with extended experience I have. I try to go beyond the traditional theories and rules we are often taught (such as the rule of 3rds/5ths, Phi ratio etc)
- Work together with patient, listen to their concerns and needs
- I try to look at a face from the point of view of ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ features.
- Firstly, the positive feature: what is their ‘Unique Facial Feature’ (UFF), i.e. the single, standout nicest feature which makes them who they are?
- Secondly, the negative features: what is their ‘Dominant Negative Expression’ (DNE) ie overall, do they look sad, worried, anxious, tired, angry etc?
I find adapting this approach makes it easier to enhance and refresh someone’s appearance, and generally results in happy patients!
If you have any questions – you are welcome to contact Dr Adam Brown Skin & Cosmetics in the most convenient way.
