Lip enhancement by size increase is one of the most popular office-based cosmetic treatments. Done by the injection of filler materials, lips can be instantly enlarged and stay that way for months. There are numerous injectable filler options with differing brand names. Some advertise on TV and others in magazines and the internet. This makes many patients wonder….which injectable filler is right for me?
While lips have been enhanced by injections for decades, these materials are technically not FDA-approved for use in this part of the face. But they are widely used ‘off-label’ to do so. This is why you seen none of the advertisements promote their use in the lips…but everywhere else in the face. Nonetheless, it is commonly done and is certainly safe for most types of injectable fillers.
Any of the injectable materials that are composed of collagen or hyaluronic acid (HA) can be safely used in the lips. As a result, they all will work effectively. Such names as Restylane, Perlane, Juvaderm, Prevelle, and Evolence are the most well known injectable fillers in the United States. While there are some differences in their HA and collagen compositions, they really only differ in how long they last and how much they cost.
Unless this is the first time you are having your lips injected, I recommend that you use the longest-lasting injectable fillers. By choosing a longer-lasting filler, you will not only need to have your lips stuck less but, in most cases, you will actually pay less over the long-term. While prices for injectable lip augmentation differ widely, those that last twice as long usually don’t cost twice as much.
Clinical studies to date indicate that Juvaderm, Perlane, and Evolence generally last up to one year for most patients. This data comes, not from lip evaluations, but from the nasolabial fold area of the face. There are some tissue differences between these two sites and the lips undergo near continuous motion. As a result, it is not known if these injectable fillers last as long in the lips as the result of the face.
For first time lip injection patients, one may consider a filler that does not last as long. It is not always true that everyone loves their lip augmentation results. Most do but it is not guaranteed. In the event one does not like their results, the shorter lasting fillers will go away more quickly and the dissatisfaction is a self-solving problems a few months later.
Once you have qualified yourself with the first lip treatment, you can then do your next treatment with one of the longer-lasting fillers. This is the approach I use in my Indianapolis plastic surgery practice and it helps patients get over any misgivings about getting their lip treated.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana