Lip fillers should be injected into the red part of the lip, which includes the vermillion border. This is the border around our lips between the white skin and red lips. Injecting there perks up the lips and defines them. Properly placed filler should not migrate to outside this border and should not create an overly large and unnatural pout.
What’s the best way to inject a lip filler?
The best way to inject lip filler is with either a needle or a cannula. I like to break the lip down into the white lip, the red lip, the pink lip, and the white roll reflection that’s between the white and the red lip.
The white roll reflection is that little area around the lips in men where hair doesn’t grow. In women, this white roll reflection is still apparent because it’s a little more white than the rest of the lip, and a little more everted. The idea is to evert the red lip and make the white roll reflection pout. The result is different in some patients than others and has to do with the shape of the existing lip and how much filler we inject.
Lips come in all shapes and sizes, and each requires its own method of filling. There are people with naturally full lips and people with thin lips, and every size in between. For those with moderately full lips, I inject in the substance of the red lip by injecting more parallel to the axis of the lip, but for those with very thin lips, I try to do a lot of eversion of the red lip to have as much of their red lip show as possible. To accomplish this, I inject some filler parallel to the lip and a lot of filler vertically because the vertical pillars tend to evert the red lip.
Is 1ml or cc a lot of lip filler?
I rarely inject more than one syringe, which is the same as 1cc or 1mm of lip filler, at a time. In very rare circumstances, I’ll inject 1 ½ to 2 ccs if requested by the patient who wants an overly big pouty lip, but I advise against it.
What can’t you do after you have lip fillers?
After lip filler, I recommend that my patients don’t exert themselves too much, especially with strenuous exercise. When they raise their blood pressure this can make their lips swell more. If there are any bumps, I suggest massaging their lips and moulding them for a day or two. Usually any swelling has gone down within two to three days after lip injections.
As a side note, I have witnessed my lip injection patients having what I call disorientation. Right after I inject them, they’re very happy. That night or the next morning, they’re scared because they think their lips are too big, but this is just swelling. Two or three days later, they love the result, but then a week later, they want more. It’s a cycle that is very common with any type of cosmetic procedure.
I like creating natural-looking full lips, not overdone lips. I think overly pouty large lips make people look odd. Filler should be injected to enhance the shape of the lips.
If you have any questions about lip augmentation, feel free to contact me. I’d love to answer your questions and see you for a consultation.
Have questions about lip fillers?
Email Dr. Sykes at [email protected]
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About Dr. Jonathan Sykes
Dr. Jonathan Sykes is a world-famous expert plastic surgeon who performs all cosmetic and functional plastic surgery procedures on the face and neck. He is a past president of The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and served on their Board of Directors for over 10 years. He is also a Professor Emeritus in Facial Plastic Surgery from UC Davis Medical Center, and the former Director of Facial Plastic Surgery at that institution.
He is known as the expert’s expert, and is often called to consult and advise other plastic surgeons in both Northern California and Beverly Hills. He has a special interest in eyelid and browlift surgery, facial rejuvenation surgery including facelifts, and rhinoplasty. He also has a particular interest in facial feminization surgery. Have questions? Email Dr.Sykes at [email protected].
