Plastic Surgeon Dr. Dean Kane of Baltimore Answers Question Regarding Lip Fillers
Q. What is the best filler for lips? A. When the gel fillers first became popular, it seem all the celebs were laughed at with their single version of duck lips, platypus lips, trout pouts and just simply overdone helium looking lips. Is it we’re smooching more or is it that “Selfies” are focusing in on our every facial feature like noses and necks, jowls and now lips? Well, Selfies seems to be the motivating force to improve our “lip-look”. Not so much to appear like Angelina Jolie or Kylie Jenner; though my patients do bring in their photos to look-alike, but so they can pucker their pouts properly. Current articles have stated a nearly 50% increase in lip augmentation in the last 15 years. If the “eyes are the windows to our souls”, “great lips speak volumes” about our secret emotions! So, does one filler fit all lips? 15 years ago, yes, but now with observation and understanding, talent and skill, your injector should understand the anatomy, diversity and individual desire you wish to obtain for your lips. 1. Fillers in the lip like fillers elsewhere require and understanding of the anatomy and injectable results. For example:- beyond the white roll, upper and lower lip wrinkles improve with Botox to reduce the muscle activity causing tight internally inverted lips and tight radial lip lines. Use smoothening fillers such as Silk in the dermis.
- the white line and philtrum project better with smoothening or volumizing fillers like Restylane
- the lipstick lines of the dry (pink) vermillion are best injected with a volumizing filler like Restylane in the sub-mucosal layer
- lip fullness and ballooning-like roundness is best using projecting to volumizing fillers such as Lyft, Juvederm Ultra Plus along the wet/dry border of the vermillion lip
- lip pout can be improved with filler injections in the buccal mucosa (ie., back of the lip, inside the mouth) allowing the lip to push off the teeth.
- turn that frown upside-down with a combo of Botox in the DAO muscles which pull the corners down and a heavily linked and resistance filler like Lyft or Voluma to fill the commissure and marionette folds.
- Don’t trip over your lip; as with all cosmetic decisions, consult with a artsy and talented, Board Certified Plastic Surgeon to examine your desires and provide the best recommendations for YOU!
