Innovative lip injections work like a miracle – they take a few short minutes to kick in and before you know it, you get lips that have a better contour, a more defined appearance, and some extra volume and plumpness. What is more, patients get to enjoy all of these results without surgery, the risk for various complications and, in many cases, they do not even need to undergo countless skin tests prior to the procedure. Therefore, it is not surprising that minimally invasive lip augmentation achieved with top-grade dermal fillers is now among the most popular cosmetic treatments in the world. To understand how lips fillers work, you first need to learn a thing or two about the different types of lip injections and the way in which each of them improves the appearance of that rather sensitive part of the face.
It all depends on the main ingredient
If you have ever taken the time to browse through a list of world-class lip fillers that can be purchased today, you have certainly noticed that there is a huge abundance of them. Many leading pharmaceutical companies have developed at least one long-lasting facial filler of their own. But these products differ not only when it comes down to their brand or production technique. Often times, they also have a different main component which is why there are several main types of reliable injectable gels that can be applied on the lips:
- Hyaluronic Acid dermal fillers
- Collagen fillers
- PRP therapy
- Fat injections
Although they share a few things in common, for the most part, these lip injection options work in their own unique way.
HA-based lip fillers
Most of the highly effective soft-tissue filler injections on the modern-day market contain Hyaluronic Acid. This is an incredibly safe substance that is naturally found in the human body that increases moisturization levels in the skin, giving a rejuvenated and refreshed look. This property of HA and its ability to restore lost facial volume means that it can be used to improve the appearance of lips by:
- Correcting their shape
- Enhancing their volume
- Improving their texture
They offer instant results but need to be reapplied about every 6 months since Hyaluronic Acid gradually dissolves in the soft tissue until it is completely absorbed by the skin.
Lip collagen injection
Before HA fillers, collagen injections dominated the game. Collagen is a very important substance in our bodies that supports the structure of the skin and ensures that it is properly hydrated. As we age, however, its production slows down which leads to the formation of wrinkles, dry skin and volume loss. What this form of revolutionary skin rejuvenation treatment does is to increase collagen in the soft tissues so that skin can remain youthful for as long as possible. It takes some time for the body to properly absorb it and you cannot really expect a lot from this procedure when it comes to lip enhancement since its main purpose is to restore healthy collagen levels in the dermis and not so much to redefine the contour of lips or to enhance their volume.
PRP Therapy
PRP therapy is a quick and very natural form of anti-aging treatment in which Platelet-Rich Plasma is extracted from the patient’s own blood. This special layer of the blood has incredible healing properties. Just like collagen injection, this therapy can rehydrate the lips by delivering them with various beneficial growth factors and enzymes. When it comes to augmentation procedures, however, it is practically powerless.
Fat injections
This is one of the most complex injection treatments targeting lips because the fat is obtained from the patient’s own body through localized liposuction. After fat cells have been harvested, they are injected into the lips to plump or reshape them. The results are extremely natural and long-lasting because fat has the ability to form a very uniform texture under the skin. But this is not a solution that works for everyone since it greatly depends on a person’s metabolism, fat cell deposit, the post-treatment healing process and the amount of fat that has been used in the procedure.
| Type of lip filler | Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Hyaluronic acid fillers | Guaranteed biological compatibility | Non-permanent and require maintenance procedures |
| Better control over lip volume | Can be expensive (depends on the product’s brand and treatment’s length) | |
| Fully dissolvable | ||
| Can be resolved in case of bumps or unwanted results | ||
| Lower risk of bruising, instant effects | ||
| Lip collagen injections | An all-natural treatment | More likely to cause an allergic reaction and pre-treatment testing is a must |
| Not as durable as HA (2-3 months) | ||
| Effects take time to become visible | ||
| Suitable mainly for moderate lip correction procedures | ||
| PRP therapy | Durable effects (12-18 months) | Not effective for lip augmentation |
| No risk of side effects as it uses the patient’s own blood | Results come in a very gradual manner and are rather subtle | |
| Fat injections | All-natural | Does not work for everyone and it may not work from the first procedure |
| Very balanced results | ||
| Effects last for years | ||
| More invasive – involves a mini liposuction prior injection |
Common myths about lip injections
Knowing the exact way in which every pioneering dermal filler works to deliver the target lip augmentation and contouring results can also open your eyes for the many misconceptions related to lip injections.
They stretch the soft tissue
One of the biggest and most wide-spread misconceptions about first-class lip injections is that they will stretch the soft tissue in which they are injected which will force the patient to continue undergoing this procedure to avoid a deflated look. That, however, is not quite true. The risk of this so-called “stretching” is practically non-existent, especially when the treatment has involved the use of HA-based dermal filler such as Rejeunesse Deep, for example. Although Hyaluronic Acid has the ability to add volume under the skin it does that not so much by filling and thus stretching the lips but by boosting collagen production in the treated areas and increasing the thickness of the dermis by rehydrating it.
Lip fillers are for old people
Adults who are 21 or older and who wish to improve the appearance of their lips can take advantage of this form of advanced cosmetic treatment, regardless of whether they are male or female. The only type of people who do not make good candidates for this procedure are women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, individuals taking painkillers or blood-thinning medications and those suffering from a skin infection or inflammation around the points of injection.
Achieved results always look very unnatural
This is a risk that exists with any professional dermal filler procedure but it rarely happens because such treatments today are carried out by certified plastic surgeons who know exactly what amount of the injectable gel to administer. The risk of overfilling is also not a big concern because even trusted HA fillers that have a dense and firm texture like Revolax Deep with Lidocaine, can be easily controlled during injection and molded once they have been applied under the skin.
