Lip augmentation has received a lot of press over the past couple years and sadly, a lot of that press has been bad. Kylie Jenner’s ever-expanding lips are plastered all over social media where many young women are wanting to emulate her look, but many more people are complaining that they look fake and unnatural. That’s understandable, because most physicians either overfill the lips or don’t understand what makes lips attractive and naturally appealing. In addition, most patients equate lip augmentation to severe pain and several days of downtime with bruising and swelling. That doesn’t have to be the case! You don’t have to fear the process of plumping up your lips and you don’t need to have days of downtime where you are hiding in your house or taking valuable time off work.
Blunt tip cannulas have changed the game for lip augmentation. Cannulas (unlike needles) are round ended, long, flexible and tend to be more comfortable as less entry points are required. Through one entry point on each side of the lips, you can have both upper and lower lips filled with little to no bruising. After applying topical numbing creams to the lips for about 10 minutes or a fast-acting dental block applied directly into the gums, the procedure is virtually pain free. The other amazing advantage is that the swelling is minimised because cannulas generally result in less trauma to the lip tissue. Many patients go straight back to work and resume their normal day without being self-conscious of people looking at them. Traditional lip augmentation using needles often requires 4-5 injections (each time causing discomfort and risking bruising) per quadrant (so you have to multiply by 4). The blunt cannulas push vessels out of the way with their rounded tips so bruising and trauma is minimised.
Some doctors criticise the use of cannulas for the lips because they say the control of the placement of filler is reduced compared to using a needle. Admittedly, there is less precision for the novice, but with our experienced doctors, they have become so efficient at using cannulas there is no difference in the results, confirmed by our before and after photos along with our customer reviews.
The golden ratio for a natural set of lips is about 33-40% upper lip and 60-66% lower lip. Often, some doctors who do not fully appreciate facial balance and natural symmetry will make the lips the same size or make the upper lip bigger and this looks very abnormal. Also, the lip is not supposed to go all the way to the corners, it should gradually taper off on the sides. Those people who get there lips injected evenly all the way across end up with “sausage lips”. Another error is placing too much filler in someone’s lips. Small lips can only be enhanced to a certain degree before they appear awkward and result in the despised and unnatural “trout pout”. Clients with extraordinarily small lips are gradually enhanced in our clinic, over a series of treatments to subtly increase volume. Over successive fills, they are made slightly larger than their previous treatment to achieve natural results that are tailored to the individual. This way you avoid the lips which enter the room before the person.
In summary, lip augmentation doesn’t have to involve prolonged downtime, be intensely painful or look unnatural. Cannulas in experienced hands can make for a much more pleasant experience and a much more natural looking result. It’s important to seek out a physician who knows the anatomy of aesthetically pleasing lips and understands what is required to achieve those results. Although bruising can occur with cannulas, it usually is minimal to non-existent, and you can continue your social schedule after the procedure.
To find out more about natural lip enhancement from MD Aesthetic, book your consultation here.