The Youth Lab guide to lip fillers

There are many myths and misconceptions surrounding a lip filler, which can, unfortunately, make some people hesitant to take that next step towards treatment. 

Cosmetic procedures are rising in popularity, and lip fillers are all the buzz on TikTok and other social media outlets. As many of our clients for lip fillers in Perth would know, it also happens to be one of our practitioners’ favourite treatments. Each and every lip as a beautiful, fresh canvas to create a masterpiece.

Will I get duck lips? Will everyone know? Is 1ml way too much?

All of these concerns are very valid and thoughts that you should certainly voice to your cosmetic injector. You should always be able to have an open and honest relationship with your treatment provider. 

When lips are done well, they add an extra sparkle to your features and your confidence, but when they are done wrong (and we have ALL seen them when they are done wrong), they can draw negative attention to your lips. 

Our practitioners like to have a very in-depth consultation with their clients prior to any filler appointment, particularly the lips. Every client has a different idea as to what they would like to achieve and what they believe the perfect lip is. This time is used, not only to determine the goals of treatments, but also to advise you in regard to what is achievable to enable us to set realistic expectations for you. 

To better help you decide if lip filler injections are the right way to go for you, read through this guide to know everything you need to know about lip fillers and make an informed decision.

What is Lip Filler?

Lip filler is a type of dermal filler that is injected into the lip area to give it a different, enhanced or volumized look. It is usually made up of synthetic hyaluronic acid, an agent known for hydration and is the more preferred type of filler due to its natural results and its ability to dissolve over time (through the enzyme hyaluronidase). 

How Long Do Lip Fillers Last?

As a short-term cosmetic procedure, lip fillers last from anywhere about 6 to 12 months, depending on the agent used. Lip fillers are a simple, quick, and temporary lip enhancement option and not to be confused with anti-wrinkle lip flips or even lip lifts which is a surgical procedure undertaken by plastic surgeons. 

Some clients also worry about their lips losing all fullness and becoming sagged after the lip filler dissolves. However, lip injections can also induce collagen production by the body itself, which can help sustain lips better.

The rate at which lip fillers dissipate can also depend on the activity of the lips, with more lip movement causing the effects to wear off faster. Although that doesn’t mean you would go on a lip movement strike! We often recommend the treatment twice a year for best and optimum results all year round. 

Should I Get Lip Filler?

Lip filler is a treatment that can address more than just volume. Many Youth Lab clients also undertake this treatment to add hydration to the lips, and correct asymmetries and signs of ageing. If you’re looking for a more defined lip border, to soften those smoker’s lines, or to add a cupid’s bow to your upper lip, a lip filler can be right for you. Prior to treatment, we will discuss your concerns and your aesthetic goals.

Can I Start With a 0.5ml Filler?

Most first-time lip clients have the misconception that 1ml of lip filler will be too much. To put the amount in context, a standard sauce sachet is 7ml.

Once a physical assessment has been made, your Youth Lab practitioner will advise you as to what product and amount will be most appropriate for you to attain the best results. There are different lip fillers available for different results, some will allow us to add more border definition, projection and volume to the body of the lip to make them appear plumper whereas other products will add volume without the definition, focusing on increasing the hydration to the lip.

Does Lip Filler Treatment Hurt? 

To put it simply, everyone has a different degree of pain tolerance. Therefore, every client’s comfort level will differ. Please be reassured that even though this can be considered a painful treatment, our practitioners will always do my best to make you as comfortable as possible.

We will prepare you for treatment by applying a topical anaesthetic or a numbing cream to your lips. Most hyaluronic-based fillers come with a numbing agent called lidocaine. The dermal filler also contains an anaesthetic for added numbing effect so you can have your desired results with the least pain possible.  

Lip Filler Aftercare

The downtime for lip fillers can vary between a couple of days to a week, and post-care is crucial for the success of any cosmetic treatment’s final results. Lip Fillers do not have as intensive downtime and side effects as other larger filler treatments such as anti-wrinkle injections or cheek fillers and can easily be managed at home. 

Bruising and swelling around the injection site are natural side effects of filler treatment, but there are steps you can take to get through this. This includes ensuring that you do not touch or massage your lips, avoid any exercise or heat-inducing activities and utilise cool compression. Following the aftercare will assist you with having the best recovery. 

Does lip filler cause bruising?

Two questions our practitioners are asked most often are ‘Will I bruise?’ and ‘How long does bruising last after lip fillers?’.

Although our practitioners will always do their best to try and decrease the risk for you, your face is very vascular, and the risk will always be there. There are also ways in which you can assist with decreasing the risk or the severity of the bruise, which eventually reduces in a few days and can disappear completely in two weeks.

At Youth Lab, we recommend avoiding alcohol and blood thinners or similar medicines such as Aspirin/ Ibuprofen (unless prescribed by your doctor, then please do not cease use) before and after lip injections for at least one week prior to treatment and also one-week post-treatment. Thinner blood can make the area more susceptible to bleeding and bruising. If there is pain associated with the bruising, you may take over-the-counter pain medication such as paracetamol.

Will I experience swelling after my lip filler treatment? 

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is often ‘yes.’ This is due to how vascular the mouth area is. You will often be swollen on the night of your treatment and the morning afterwards. However, in the days following treatment, the swelling will begin to subside, revealing your results. Underlying swelling can be present for up to two weeks, but the most noticeable swelling is about three days post-treatment. This can vary for everyone though. 

Lumps

In addition to the swelling, you may also come across lumps or bumps at the filler sites, which are a common side effect but subside on their own as the filler begins to spread across the lip. Make sure not to massage your lips on your own to remove lumpiness, as it may make the problem worse or damage the filler.

Swelling & Bruising Relief

To minimise the effects of swelling and bruising, consider the following general trips applicable for all filler treatments:

• try to use an ice pack on the lips for 10 minutes at a time, 
• avoid strenuous exercise, which can increase blood flow and break down the filler,
• drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated
• keep a healthy diet consisting of fruits and vegetables for accelerated healing
• avoid warm temperatures, including hot showers, spas and saunas
• avoid supplements with fish oil and vitamin E or skincare products with active chemical ingredients a week before and till a week after treatment
• sleep on your back and avoid pressure on the filler site or the face in general

How long does lip filler take to settle?

Immediately after the filler procedure, you may experience redness, swelling and bruising, and even though you can see results after the procedure, they become less prominent after the swelling goes down. It can take around 2 weeks or 14 days for the swelling and bruising to subside and can take four weeks or months for the final look to show.

What if I don’t like the results?

If you are not satisfied with your final look after the filler site has completely healed, you have the option of retreatment or simply having your filler dissolved with an injection of hyaluronidase enzyme.

Can I have treatment on the same day as my consultation?

A lot of the time, you are able to undertake treatment on the day of your initial consultation. However, there may be certain circumstances that will not enable this to happen. During your consultation, your practitioner will assess your medical history in depth to ensure that it is medically safe for you to undertake treatment.

Particular medical conditions and medications may inhibit treatment, alongside if you have recently been unwell, undertaken dental treatment or have any active viruses such as cold sores present. Ultimately, your safety is our priority, and as much as we want you to strut out of the treatment room flaunting your beautiful lips, we want to do this at a time you are medically fit to do so.

As lip filler has now become a mainstream treatment, many clients are unaware of the risks associated with injectable treatments. Prior to undertaking the treatment, your practitioner will discuss these in-depth with you. At this point, you are able to take time to ensure that you are comfortable with these risks prior to undertaking the treatment and schedule an appointment for an alternate day should you wish. This again is the importance of in-depth consultation. 

Time is also a factor as to whether treatment may be done on the same day. If your practitioner does not feel there is appropriate time remaining after your consultation, then we will schedule your treatment for another day. 

If you are a first-time client, it is generally best to schedule a consultation as your initial appointment to allow you to establish your goals to have you looking at feeling your best and to allow your practitioner to discuss these points in-depth with you.

Visit us at the clinic

One of the main points that we like to educate our clients on is that every person is different. Your features are beautiful and unique for you, therefore we cannot always guarantee that your lips (or any other treatment) will look like the Instagram model that you look up to. We can, however, do our best to give you results that bring out the best in you. 

Our Youth Lab practitioners offer a natural, subtle option for lip fillers in Joondalup and well as in the wider Perth area.