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My job as a beauty journalist has found me in many esthetician’s chairs, trying out the latest beauty treatments. But I’ve rarely had as many misgivings as this time as a syringe is inserted into my upper lip. Given the filler faux pas we see all around us, why go there? And why, given that it is the second most popular aesthetic treatment in the UK (behind botox), do so many others?
With the increased experience of doctors and improved technique, lip fillers have largely moved away from the dreaded trout pouts of the early 2000s. But that doesn’t mean that many lip treatments don’t still look obvious: poorly proportioned and over-inflated. . This is why non-exemplary work looks so odd: the facial features are out of balance and we subconsciously know it.
But, just as subconsciously, we innately gravitate towards fuller lips. “The lips and eyes make up the so-called ‘central triangle of the face,'” he says Dr Uliana Gout. “We cannot but look first at this part of the face, and are ready to appreciate the great proportion and longing, which has primary ties with youth and fertility.” And so, for those of us less in love with our lips, it’s hard to resist the promise of a few injections to take us from average to Angelina. But are lips that don’t look finished really achievable?
The first rule is that there is no “one size fits all”. “The amount of filler should match the face,” she says Dr. Sarah Tonks. “There’s also a limit to how much a single lip can take – when it’s full, it’s full.”
Dr. Gout agrees that a tailored approach is key. He takes measurements to get the proportions of the lips correct in relation to the face. “People think these treatments are just about lip volume, but it’s a lot more complicated than that,” she says. “The four golden rules for lip enhancement are a subtle but defined lip contour, lifting the turned corners of the lips, smoothing any ‘bar code lines’ (the vertical lines above the upper lip) and moisturizing the lips to soften and to fill the mouth”.
These principles also form its basis Dr. Sophie SotterMenu of Lip Rehab’s procedures. They require a multitude of techniques as well as more than the hyaluronic acid gels we know as lip fillers.
“Filling materials should be chosen to fit the rim,” he says Dr Wassim Taktoukwhich uses five different densities, from almost liquid to very thick gel. “You never want a doctor who uses the same filler on everyone.”
Dr Gout mixes her own hyaluronic cocktails, adding collagen-boosting peptides and vitamins for subtle augmentation and long-term improvement. Some doctors will also use neurotoxin (like Botox), which is not plumping, but has its place in lip reshaping.
Back in my own treatment chair, there are needles injecting my lips with neurotoxins, as well as hydration and collagen boosters. It hurts. The lips have many nerve endings, making any procedures here, be they needle or heat-based, a bit of a hassle. But the treatment is quick and, once the swelling goes down, my lips look nice and plump and smooth. Knowing the difference precision work can make, it will be hard not to go there again.
The best options for lip filler treatments
Curious about what tweaks can do for your own lips? See how specialist injectors treat the wide range of problems lips can have to achieve the most subtle and natural results?
To enhance the volume
“There are five anatomical protrusions in the middle 50% of the lip called ‘tubercules’—basically, areas of extra volume,” says Dr. Gout. Injecting them, she says, means following the anatomy and adding volume where it needs to be, for the most natural effect and to “avoid that sausage look.” However, she cautions against creating too much of an effect in the middle of the lip, “as it can really look old when you’re over 40.” Dr. Ahmed El Muntasar adds that volume injections should be fairly superficial: “Go too deep and unevenness can occur.” She’ll also massage the lips to smooth out any bumps and opt for “very soft” fillers or even injectable moisturizers to erase the lines of dehydration on the lips.
For thin lips
To add volume to naturally thin lips, experts do it gradually. “Respect that the lips can only hold so much (too much filler and you get migration and a bulky lip line) and schedule multiple sessions (sometimes up to four) to allow the tissue to naturally expand,” says Dr. Tonks. Here, as with any lip tumor, “I reassess with each injection and treatment,” says Dr Gout. “Facial balance is everything.”
For barcode lines
Also called “smoker’s lines”, these also occur in non-smokers due to dehydration and sun damage. Dr. Taktouk likes to highlight the area from the nose to the lips with a CO2 laser, in what’s known as a “laser lip lift,” to boost collagen and smooth texture, then adds nano-droplets “the lighter, more elastic filler” too much and you get bumps.
For contouring the lips
The contour of Vermilion is a kind of tunnel that runs below the lip line. as it deflates with age, the contour fades and the lipstick begins to run. “Only the most precision work can fix it elegantly,” says Dr. Gout, who uses tiny cannulas with small amounts of filler to inject the contour and cupid’s bow. Strengthening the latter helps to combat the lengthening of the area from the nose to the mouth or the “white lip” that comes with age. “It’s important, though, to never inject outside the ‘red’ lip line or you’ll get that thick, heavy ‘overflow’ look,” she says. Alternatively, Dr Tonks is a fan of a semi-permanent pink pigment tattoo on the lips: “It enhances the color and brings that definition back to the lip line.” Dr. Tonks’s own healing was done by the famous Nez Hasan.
To lift the corners of the lips
“We all have turned-up corners of our lips as we get older,” says Dr. Gout, “which can make us look sad. That’s when a few tiny filler injections to support the corners of the lips – tailored to where tissue laxity or collapse is occurring or will occur – can be transformative. “In the moment, you look happier,” promises Dr. Gout.
For a sticky smile
“The neurotoxin injected into both sides of the nostrils stops the muscles there from pulling the upper lip too far, so your gums are less exposed when you smile,” says Dr. Taktouk. “Alternatively, a few tiny drops on the lip line can stop your upper lip from ‘rolling’ and disappearing. The result is a lip that looks slightly fuller, but not puffy. Even people without sticky smiles have embraced this ‘lip flip’ as an alternative to fillers.
• For a multi-injectable, bespoke lip treatment lasting six to eight months, expect to pay upwards of £400.
