You’ve probably noticed the recent obsession with big lips. From Kylie Jenner to Angelina Jolie, big lips
are in. You might wonder why everyone seems lip-obsessed. While social media and pop culture have certainly driven this obsession, this popularity has also been fueled by the advent of hyaluronic acid fillers, making lip augmentation an easy treatment with minimal downtime. It’s no secret that full lips are considered youthful and beautiful, and proper enhancement of the lips creates a sense of sensuality.
When it comes to lip augmentation, each person has unique expectations and goals. Younger patients often desire the full spectrum of lip augmentation. Some prefer a subtle, natural look, and others want more voluptuous, sultry lips. Many older women prefer a conservative augmentation to maintain natural lip architecture and size. These subtle enhancements can diminish vertical lips lines, preventing bleeding of lipstick, and also restore the natural volume of the lip that can appear deflated.
While you may have noticed the trend towards larger lips, you may have also noticed plenty of “duck lips” along the way.
What causes “duck lips”?
“Duck lips” are named for the characteristic appearance when the lip sticks out too far as the result of too much filler. The anatomy of the lip must be maintained in order to achieve a natural appearance with lip augmentation. If someone has naturally thin lips, there is going to be a limit as to how much filler can be injected before it begins to look unnatural. Conversely, someone with naturally large lips like Angelina Jolie, can tolerate significantly more filler before the lips appear overfilled.
How to achieve natural lip augmentation?
Dr. Rogal specializes in procedures of the face and neck. Her training has focused on identifying subtle shadows and proportions of the face so that she can recommend the treatments that would be best suited for each patient. Together you and Dr. Rogal will identify your goals and expectations to create a realistic and natural look.
What to expect?
After you discuss your lip augmentation goals with Dr. Rogal, she will provide feedback as to what is a realistic outcome. She will mark the lips, and then apply topical numbing medicine. Once numb, Dr. Rogal will inject the lips with a hyaluronic acid filler. These fillers, while temporary, last for approximately 1 year. Even at 1 year, most patients will still have some residual filler. The ability to reverse the lip augmentation, if necessary, offers many first time patients peace of mind. While lip augmentation is often considered a no downtime procedure, the swelling in the first 2-3 days will typically cause patients to “lay low”. It is important to understand that this swelling is completely normal and will resolve. It is common for the lip augmentation to look “overdone” within the first few days. This will resolve, and you should expect the final outcome at approximately 2 weeks. That being said, most patients feel comfortable being in social settings on day 3. There are many doctors that perform “no downtime” lip augmentation. In general, if you are completely satisfied with the way your lips look when you leave the office, you will probably be disappointed in 2 weeks. That is because the swelling will go down, and you will be left with minimal change. While most patients opt for a conservative augmentation, almost everyone wants some change.
Will it hurt?
Unfortunately, the short answer is yes. The lips are very vascular and tend to be one of the more painful areas to inject. That being said, the numbing medicine will help, and the procedure is well tolerated. Also most fillers have lidocaine (numbing medicine) in the filler, so as your lips are injected, the pain will start to decrease. Despite the pain associated with lip fillers, many patients undergo this procedure, and happily do it again. If you are truly nervous about the pain, there are alternative methods to injection including the cannula technique. Ask Dr. Rogal if this is an appropriate option for you.
When it comes to lip augmentation, trust your face to an expert. To learn more about lip augmentation or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Rogal, contact her office by phone.
