1. What Is the Best Lip Filler in 2024?
Many people considering lip fillers in the Mississauga and Toronto areas ask this question. Several hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers create beautiful results, so there isn’t a single answer. Products from JUVÉDERM®, Belotero®, and Restylane® all produce attractive, natural-looking results. The best product for you depends on your age, the size of your lips before injection, your skin quality, and the results you want.
People with mature skin or very small lips, for example, may look best with small amounts of carefully placed fillers that avoid so-called “duck lips.”
On the other hand, younger patients with larger lips often ask about the kind of lip fillers the Kardashians use. These patients are looking for a lot of plumping. Even though the word is that Kim Kardashian likes JUVÉDERM VOBELLA, these patients might actually end up better off with a thicker or stiffer product such as Restylane Kysse®.
Popular lip fillers we use include Belotero Shape, Belotero Contour, Restylane Kysse, and JUVÉDERM VOBELLA. What do these fillers look like in real patients? Take a look at the lip filler before and after photos below.
2. What Is the Best Lip Injection Technique?
You may have heard of “keyhole lips” or the “Russian lip technique.” People often read about injection techniques that emphasize lip definition or enhance the Cupid’s bow to give the lips a heart shape.
Keyhole lips are shaped so that a gap or “keyhole” is left between the upper and lower lip. The Russian lip is so named because the emphasis is on the central portion of the lips, such that the lips are pouty, like those of a traditional Russian doll. In both these techniques, the Cupid’s bow of the lip is emphasized.
We can enhance the lips’ definition by injecting fillers along the vermilion border, where the lip meets the skin above the lip. This can help reduce lipstick “bleeding” into the lines above and below the lip and reduce the appearance of those lines.
It can be helpful to use these terms when describing your goals for your lip filler injector. Bringing a photo can also communicate the shape you envision. Ultimately, your natural lip size and shape will dictate what technique best suits you.
No matter the technique, lip injections cannot help very small lips look like Angelina Jolie’s famous pout. That is why some people opt for lip augmentation surgery with lip implants at our Mississauga and Toronto plastic surgery practice.
3. How Long Do Lip Fillers Last?
Patients naturally want to know if certain lip fillers last longer than others. There is considerable variability in how long lip fillers last, and no head-to-head studies prove one filler product is longer lasting than another.
In general, you can expect lip augmentation results to last anywhere from 3 to 12 months. A filler’s longevity depends on several factors, including how fast your body metabolizes the filler and how much filler is used. Patients seeking modest lip enhancement often just want to smooth the lips and eliminate lines. In these cases, a half-syringe of filler may be all that is needed. This amount tends not to last as long as a full syringe, which contains 1 ml of filler for most manufacturers. On average, lip filler treatments using 1 ml of dermal filler last 4 to 6 months.
4. How Much Lip Filler Do I Need?
Very few patients want lips that look overly plump. Unfortunately, everyone knows someone who has had a “bad lip job” and wound up with huge, unnatural-looking sausage lips. How lips look after injections usually has more to do with the injector’s technique than with the amount of lip filler injected.
And while no one wants to look overdone, sometimes young patients really want a sizeable enhancement. Sometimes ½ syringe of lip filler gives the subtle improvement they are seeking. While 1 syringe of JUVÉDERM is probably the most common lip treatment we perform at our Mississauga plastic surgery office, some patients will need a second syringe to achieve the full, pouty lip look they want.
5. How Much Do Lip Fillers Cost in Toronto and Mississauga?
The cost of lip fillers depends on several factors, including which product we use for your treatment. For example, how much does 1 syringe of JUVÉDERM cost? There is more than one JUVÉDERM product for lips, and the specific product affects the price. JUVÉDERM Ultra will usually be less expensive than JUVÉDERM VOLBELLA, for example.
A single syringe of lip filler typically costs between $500 to $700 at our Mississauga practice, while ½ a syringe costs between $400 to $500.
6. Are Lip Filler Injections Painful?
Our lips contain multiple nerve endings—more than other areas of the body. That’s why we take care to minimize discomfort before lip injections. So when patients ask, “Is JUVÉDERM for lips painful?” I usually answer that the treatment won’t be excessively uncomfortable because we have effective ways to prevent pain.
First, virtually all lip fillers contain lidocaine, a numbing agent that makes the injections less painful. In addition, we apply topical numbing agents 10 to 20 minutes before treatment to increase comfort during injections. This is usually highly effective at reducing pain, particularly along with ice, at the time of injection.
The technique also matters. A gentle injector helps, and using a cannula rather than a needle is often more comfortable for some patients.
7. What Are the Downsides of Lip Fillers?
As with all dermal filler treatments, it is possible to have bruising, bumps, and asymmetry after lip injection. However, these issues are rare and can typically be easily treated by a well-chosen lip filler doctor with expertise in dermal filler treatments.
You can help minimize bruising by avoiding green tea, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, ASA, alcohol, and anti-inflammatories like Advil for several days before treatment.
Swelling is a concern for many patients, and we are sometimes asked about lip filler swelling stages because patients want to know how much downtime is necessary. In most cases, swelling after lip injections is minimal and lasts only a day or so.
Lip fillers have the potential for rare serious complications, including vascular complications that occur if the filling agent blocks a blood vessel. Choosing a qualified and experienced physician for your treatment minimizes those risks.
8. What Are Common Myths about Lip Augmentation?
We often get asked, “Do lips go back to normal after lip fillers?” and “Do fillers ruin your lips?” There seems to be a belief by some that lip injections will somehow permanently alter your lips, and when the filler wears off, your lips will look shrivelled. This is untrue.
In fact, some studies suggest that even once lip filler has been metabolized, some patients may never have quite as small a lip as they did before lip injections. This is a subtle change that may be due to the stimulation of collagen deposition due to the introduction of a needle into the tissues. For the most part, though, lips will return to normal appearance after the filler has worn off and will not be smaller than they were prior to injection.
9. How Often Can I Get Lip Injections?
There is no specific suggested schedule for repeating lip augmentation. Lip filler touch-ups can occur at any interval after your first injection. However, most patients return for repeat treatment when they start to see their results waning.
10. What Is the Best Way To Find Lip Fillers Near Me?
When considering cosmetic medical treatments, it always helps to do your research. Word of mouth can be helpful, but there is no replacement for checking the credentials of your prospective injector.
Make sure you seek a properly qualified medical professional, such as a physician certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. Check out their track record. Are they trained in cosmetic medicine, such as plastic surgery or dermatology? Or are they a general practitioner who is dabbling in the field? Do they have experience? How long have they been doing this procedure? If you are considering lip filler administered by a nurse, do they have supervision or backup from a doctor?
Both our doctors are highly trained lip injectors. Dr. Weinberg is a plastic surgeon with years of experience as a lip filler expert. Dr. Schiffer is a neurologist with years of experience in all cosmetic injections, including lip injection treatments.
Getting Started
You can get a better idea about what to expect from lip augmentation by viewing before and after photos of lip filler patients. Most of these photos show results with 1 ml lip of fillers. You will also find more information on the injectable fillers page. For the best information, contact us by phone at 905-273-3045 for lip fillers in Mississauga, 416-207-9090 for lip fillers in Toronto, or contact us online to book an in-person consultation.
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