Have you still not found the perfect procedure for fuller lips and a little self-confidence boost? We get it — lip implants might make a Kylie copycat out of you, which isn’t quite the look you’re after. Still, you’ve always thought plumper lips would look great on you. If so, we’re here with an alternative solution you’re bound to love.
Stick around to see why lip fillers are becoming such a trend among lip augmentation procedures. You’ll also learn something about their cost, side effects, and how long they might last.
What Are Lip Fillers?
Lip fillers stand for a cosmetic procedure that makes your lips fuller by injecting liquid material into them. Also known as lip injections, they’re a completely non-invasive and safe way to plump your lips up. Depending on the exact effect you want to achieve, you can choose how much and what kind of filler you’d like.
Different Types of Lip Fillers
As you already know, your cosmetician can inject different types of liquid material into your lips to make them look fuller. That being said, there are three most commonly used types of fillers:
• hyaluronic acid
• collagen
• body fat
Some of the most popular fillers out there are those that contain HA, which your skin produces naturally. The good thing about hyaluronic acid fillers is that you can always dissolve them using hyaluronidase injections. The most renowned HA lip filler brands are Restylane, Juvéderm, and Versa.
Much like HA, collagen forms naturally inside your body — in connective tissues and the skin. This structural protein protects your bones, muscles, and skin from damage. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that collagen fillers are among the most popular lip injections.
Last but not least, another popular option is the one known as fat grafting. More precisely, you can add volume to your lips by injecting your body fat into them. This fat transfer technique can make use of the fat inside your thighs, buttocks, or stomach.
What’s the Difference Between Lip Fillers and Lip Implants?
When it comes to unnaturally plump lips, people often can’t differentiate between implants and fillers. But although they can seem indistinguishable on the outside, the two lip augmentation techniques don’t have that much in common.
We’ve already said that lip fillers are a non-invasive injection procedure. But because they aren’t permanent, fillers aren’t a long-term solution. For the same reason, they are much cheaper than the alternative. Still, their durability and price can depend on which material you use to add volume to your lips.
On the other hand, lip implantation is a surgical procedure. Put differently, a silicone or a PTFE implant is inserted into your lips to make them appear fuller. So, lip implants are permanent thanks to the use of plastic, which isn’t the case with fillers. This option is also costlier, with a price range of about $2,000 to $4,000.
How Much Do Lip Fillers Cost?
Although fillers are an overall cheaper alternative, their price ranges depend on the type of material used. For instance, HA fillers will likely be the least costly, their price ranging from $450 to $900 per syringe.
A more pricey option would be collagen fillers that can cost you about $500 to $2,000. But if you want to get fat fillers, expect to pay around $3,000 to $6,000 for this kind of procedure.
How Long Do Lip Fillers Last?
Like their price, the durability of lip injections also comes down to their type, among other things. With HA fillers, you can enjoy having full lips for about four to six months, after which their plumpness decreases.
On the other hand, collagen fillers seem more durable, lasting up to a year and a half. But with fat transfer fillers, you can achieve almost permanent results after the required number of treatments.
What Are the Side Effects of Lip Fillers?
Before you decide to get your lips done, you need to consider the side effects of the exact procedure you’ve chosen. Although fillers aren’t as invasive as implants, there are a few things that can go wrong. As with any cosmetic procedure, the side effects of getting lip injections can be harmless or more dangerous, depending on the situation.
In general, most patients respond well to lip injections, without developing any “post-injection” symptoms. Still, you can never know for sure whether the same thing would apply to you.
For starters, you might experience milder side effects like slight irritation and redness around your lips. Also, your lips might be swollen and sore throughout the first couple of days after the procedure.
But bear in mind that such side effects are normal and pretty common. Swelling, bruising, and redness might also be accompanied by local pain around the injection site. Remember to consult your cosmetician about your symptoms, especially if you feel like something might be off. More importantly, know when you should start worrying.
If your symptoms seem to be lasting too long, something more serious might be at play. In case swelling, itching, and redness don’t go away after a few days, you should notify your cosmetician right away.
Such symptoms may indicate that you’re experiencing an allergic reaction to fillers. So, remember to seek medical treatment before your condition gets even worse.
Do Lip Fillers Hurt?
Another thing worrying you before the procedure might be how much pain you will experience. Typically, getting your lips done using injections isn’t painful. Many patients even opt for lip injections instead of implants because of the lower amount of pain.
Besides, the fact that you already know this procedure isn’t surgical might be comforting by itself.
On average, lip filler procedures go smooth and easy. The only pain you might feel is a slight pinch after the cosmetician injects the filler substance into your lips. But there’s no reason to worry because such discomfort shouldn’t last long. Besides, some techniques can help you manage your pain or prevent it altogether.
For instance, you can ask your cosmetician to apply numbing agents to your lips before the injection. Also, you should know that the level of pain might sometimes have to do with the amount of filler substance you’re injecting.
So, if it’s your first time doing your lips, you might want to start with lower doses. At the same time, that should prevent a potentially severe allergic reaction in the recovery phase.