Achieving the Perfect Pout with Lip Fillers

In this episode of “Anti-Aging Insights,” Dr. Teri Fisher delves into the world of lip fillers, discussing their rising popularity and the different techniques used to achieve various looks. If you’re curious about lip fillers or know someone who is, this episode provides valuable insights into this trending cosmetic treatment.

Lip fillers, primarily made of hyaluronic acid, add volume, shape, and definition to the lips. Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in the skin, helping to keep it hydrated and plump. One of its benefits is that it can be dissolved if the results are unsatisfactory, making it a reversible treatment option.

Understanding lip anatomy is crucial for achieving desired results. Commonly, the upper lip is smaller than the lower lip, with the upper featuring the Cupid’s bow and philtrum. Different techniques target various parts of the lip to enhance volume and definition.

The vertical strut technique involves injecting filler in vertical lines to provide volume and height to the lips. The horizontal technique, including the fanning approach, creates a fuller look without adding height. For defining the lip border, linear threads of filler can be used along the Vermilion border, enhancing lip definition.

Combining these techniques allows for different outcomes, such as the popular Russian lip technique, which accentuates the Cupid’s bow and adds volume to the center of the lips, resembling the lips on Russian dolls. Dr. Fisher also addresses the most common request for more lip volume, emphasizing the importance of symmetry and realistic expectations.

Dr. Fisher highlights the need for customized approaches, as individual anatomy differs. Some clients may require multiple sessions to achieve their desired look, and managing expectations about swelling and bruising post-treatment is essential.

Ultimately, choosing a qualified, experienced provider is crucial for safe and satisfactory lip filler results. With a thorough understanding of facial and lip anatomy, skilled practitioners can help you achieve your aesthetic goals.

Tune in to learn more about lip fillers and the nuances of various techniques for achieving that perfect pout. If you have any questions or would like to explore lip filler options, don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Fisher for a consultation.

Key Insights

• Lip fillers, primarily made from hyaluronic acid, are designed to add volume, shape, and definition to the lips, and are reversible if the outcome is unsatisfactory.
• Different injection techniques, such as vertical struts and horizontal fanning, are used to achieve various aesthetic goals, including adding volume, height, and definition to the lips.
• The Russian lip technique, which accentuates the Cupid’s bow and adds volume to the center of the lips, is a popular request for achieving a heart-shaped lip look.
• A balance must be struck between enhancing the lips and maintaining natural symmetry, as overfilling can lead to an unnatural appearance.
• Swelling and bruising are common after lip filler treatments, and the final size and shape may settle down after the initial post-treatment swelling reduces.

Episode Transcript

Hey there. Welcome to this episode of the podcast. Today. We are speaking all about lips. And in particular, lip filler, and the different types of techniques that we can use to achieve different looks. So if you are interested in lip filler, or you know, somebody that might be interested in lip filler, this episode is for you.

We’re diving deep into this really popular treatment and it’s interesting. There’s been a lot of interest around lip filler treatments. And trends tend to come and go when it comes to lip fillers. And what I wanted to do today was really highlight some of the different techniques, some of the different looks, and some of the names of the different types of lips that you might see on social media or just when you’re out and about.

So let’s start with the basics. Lip fillers are injectable treatments that are designed to add volume, shape, and definition to the lips. The most common type of lip filler that is used is hyaluronic acid. That is a substance that is naturally found in your skin it helps to keep skin hydrated and plump, in particular helps to keep the lips hydrated and plump, but hyaluronic acid is actually found throughout your skin. It’s even found in joints and various places in the body.

The benefit of hyaluronic acid fillers is that they are reversible if for some reason you don’t like what was done. Meaning, if you’re not happy with the results, it can be adjusted. It can be dissolved. Hopefully that’s not an issue, but that is one of the benefits of hyaluronic acid is that it can be dissolved if need be as long as you’re not allergic to bees, because the type of medication that we use to dissolve the filler is hyaluronidase. And those that are allergic to bees can have a reaction, which is why it’s also very important to let your injector know if you do have an allergy to bees, particularly if you’re anaphylactic to bees.

So when it comes to lips, just going over a little bit of the anatomy, there is, of course the upper lip, there is the lower lip. Generally speaking, the upper to lower lip ratio in terms of size is about 1 to 1.6. So generally speaking, the upper lip is smaller than the lower lip. Of course in the upper lip, we have the philtrum, which are the two areas that run up towards the nose. And in between that we have the bow shape often referred to as the Cupid’s bow. Now, when it comes to having lip filler treatments, the anatomy of the lip is very important because this also helps to determine which part of the lip we want to accentuate and what is the goal with the treatment.

To give you an example now of some of the different types of techniques that we can use. We can use a vertical strut type of technique. This involves injecting the filler in vertical lines, whether it’s from the top for the top lip, or from the bottom for the bottom lip. And what this helps do is give volume, number one, but it also helps to give a little bit of height because we are literally creating, in addition to the volume itself, we’re creating this architecture of struts to help support the lip. So if you’re looking for more volume and more height to your lip in particular, this may be one technique that an injector may use.

There’s also the horizontal technique where the needle comes in from the side. And that can create a more full lip, not necessarily adding to the height. This horizontal type of technique can also be expanded to include a fanning technique. This looks like one needle entry point coming in, but then the needle is moved in about three different places and it creates a fanning effect of the filler. And this also is a very nice way to achieve a volumized look in the lips.

Now there’s also a type of technique that we can use when we want to really add some definition to the border of the lip. The border of the lip, where it goes from pink to white is known as the Vermilion border, and that’s of course, on the top and the bottom lip. And what we can do is we can put the needle just inside the Vermilion border. That means just inside the pink part of the lip. And do linear threads of filler along that border. That helps to accentuate that border and really creates a nice definition for the lips. Again, if that’s what you’re going for, this is a really, really nice way to achieve that.

Now when you combine these different techniques, depending on what you choose to do, you can actually have different outcomes with the type of lip that you want to achieve. A very well-known type of lip is known as the Russian lip. And this gets its name from the appearance of the lips on Russian dolls. Essentially, what this is doing is accentuating the Cupid’s bow. So we want to make that Cupid’s bow much more pronounced and then adding some volume to the bottom lip, more towards the middle of the lip. So you end up with this heart shaped lip, starting from the top, extending up to the philtrum throughout the Cupid’s bow, and then down to the more volumized center of the bottom lip. And this really brings a nice volume to the central portion of both the top and the bottom lips. That is a very, very common type of lip treatment that many people are asking for.

Another type of request that I get, and in fact it probably is the most common request that I get, is just simply a little bit more volume in the lip. When this is the request typically I’ll use some horizontal fanning, I will use some vertical struts, and I will also look at the lip and see where do we need some more volume to make it as symmetrical as possible. Having said that, it’s really important to note that we can never get a hundred percent symmetry. Nobody is symmetrical to begin with. And we certainly can’t achieve a hundred percent symmetry with treatments. We can do our best and we can come close. But when we start to chase the symmetry, for example, if we put a little bit of filler in the right side of the upper lip and then realize, oh, we need a little bit more filler in the left side of the upper lip, we may do that. And now all of a sudden the left one looks a little bigger. We need to go back to the right side. And if we continue to do that, eventually you end up with overfilled lips. So that is not something that we try to do. And it’s very important that the injector has a good understanding of when to attempt to address some of the asymmetry and when that is not a realistic expectation, and when we need to essentially back off and stop and be happy with what we have done.

Now of course choosing the right technique isn’t just about the method. It’s about customizing the approach to the unique anatomy. So some patients may come in and say, I want this particular lip, and we look at the lip and we say, well, maybe there’s not enough volume to begin with to achieve what you want in one setting. Maybe we need to do this in a couple of settings. Maybe we need to add a little bit of volume now and a little bit more volume in a month. And that’s something that can also be very important. So I think it’s really important to have a talk with the injector about what it is that you want to do with your lips, what it is that is achievable in the first session, and perhaps this is something that will take a little bit of time.

The other thing to be aware of lip treatments is that swelling and bruising are very common. And so oftentimes when you leave the chair, lips look a little bit more swollen than they will after that swelling settles down. So some people love the volume of lips that they have when they leave the chair and we have to tell people that, you know what, they’re actually going to be a little bit smaller than what they look like now, because the swelling is there. And once that swelling settles down, then that will be great. On the other hand, if somebody says, you know what, oh, they’re maybe just a little bit too big, then we say, hey, then they’re probably perfect. Because once the swelling settles down, they’re going to be just a little bit smaller.

So having said all of that, I hope you understand that it’s really important to choose a qualified and experienced provider. There are lots of techniques that require a really good understanding of facial anatomy, of lip anatomy and a high level of skill. So do make sure that you are in good hands.

There you have it. A comprehensive overview of lip fillers and various techniques to achieve those picture-perfect lips. Whether you are looking for a subtle enhancement or a complete transformation, there’s a technique out there that can help you achieve your goals.

I hope you found this really helpful. I hope you found this informative. And of course, if you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, feel free to reach out to me.

That’s it for today. If you want to contact me about lip filler for you or for somebody you know, of course please do so, and I’d be happy to chat with you.

Talk to you again next week. Have a wonderful week and take care.