Lip augmentation is a cosmetic procedure that is safe and popular. During the manipulations, injections of drugs based on hyaluronic acid are administered. In this case, injections can be made in the area of both lips. In most cases, lips are enlarged when a woman wants to correct changes that have occurred with age, create a beautiful shape, contour, and give her lips additional volume.
Benefits of the procedure
For injections, hyaluronic acid is used, which performs several tasks. This substance can slightly lift the corners of the mouth, remove wrinkles that have appeared above the upper lip, provide delicate moisture to the lips, restore the shade and make it more saturated.
Hyaluronic acid is found in the human skin, so the body normally accepts fillers. The use of gels does not lead to any negative consequences. They fill the space that is between the cells, and also preserve the structure of the fibers (elastin, collagen), and guarantee the skin sufficient hydration. It is important to know that such products are biodegradable; after some time they are completely absorbed inside the body.
Effect of fillers
After correcting the shape of your lips, you can:
- Smooth out wrinkles of grief, purse-string wrinkles;
- Get the desired lip shape that will please the girl;
- Clearly create a contour, raise the corners of the lips;
- Increase the volume of the upper lip;
- Remove asymmetry.
It is important to remember that after a while the product will begin to dissolve. To maintain the effect, you should repeat the procedure regularly. Some women will have to do this once every 6 months, others once every 2 years. Everything is discussed individually.
Lip augmentation methods
If you want to give your lips a different shape or enlarge them, then you don’t have to go to a plastic surgeon. There are other methods in cosmetology that do not require surgical intervention:
- Injections with gels. This procedure is considered the fastest and most effective. The main component of such biogels is hyaluronic acid, which is completely safe and perfectly compatible with the tissues of the human body. Synthetic fillers may be used. They may be cheaper, but it is not advisable to use such drugs.
- Lipolifting. This procedure involves adding fatty tissue to the lips. It is usually taken from the woman’s thighs or abdomen. To perform such manipulations, the girl makes minimal incisions in the desired areas.
- Electroporation. This is a physiotherapeutic method that can correct lips and make them look more youthful. For this purpose, a special device is used that provides the skin with low molecular weight compounds and high molecular weight fractions of hyaluronic acid. How does the device affect the skin? The device produces electric pulse waves. Electroporation does not cause severe pain or injury, but provides a long-lasting effect.
What is Botox
Botox is a drug containing botulinum toxin, the most powerful naturally occurring poison that works as a neurotoxin. It paralyzes nervous activity, or rather blocks the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter responsible for neuromuscular transmission.
Humanity has mastered the release of botulinum toxin to use it as a bacteriological weapon. Then doctors began to use this poison to treat eye pathologies and various neurological disorders, including motor ones.
The ability of botulinum poison to paralyze muscles began to be exploited in cosmetology to combat wrinkles. By atrophying the target muscle, Botox creates the effect of smoothed skin while the poison is active. The principle is simple: the muscle does not contract - the skin does not fold. The appearance of smoothness lasts 2-5 months.
The problem of wrinkle formation with the help of Botox is not solved (the skin does not regain elasticity and strength, and the muscles do not regain healthy tone), but, on the contrary, is aggravated. A barbaric invasion of the natural configuration of the muscular system leads to transformations that accelerate age-related changes.
Carrying out the procedure
The lips have a large number of nerve endings, so infiltration or application anesthesia is administered in advance. It will numb the area where cosmetologists will work. The doctor uses a syringe with a very thin needle to inject fillers. They enter the mucous layer. As soon as the manipulations are completed, the specialist must massage the lip so that the gel spreads evenly around the entire perimeter.
For 2 hours after the procedure, lips may be swollen or red. If after a while the woman considers that her lips have become insufficiently voluminous, she can repeat the session.
The most important thing in the lip augmentation procedure is the correct choice of drug. If you do not take this seriously and do not take into account some main points, then undesirable consequences may appear (seals, severe swelling, gel migration). Therefore, it is always important to consult with a specialist before manipulation and discuss the main issues. Knowing the entire clinical picture, the doctor will be able to choose the most suitable drug for injection.
Preparations containing botulinum toxin
The word “Botox” is attached to all medications containing botulinum toxin. Although initially Botox was only a trademark. This is the name of the first drug based on botulinum poison, released by the American company Allergan.
Over time, the market of poisons for cosmetology has been replenished with new brands from different countries. They all contain the same active ingredient - botulinum toxin type A (BTA), once developed for military and sabotage purposes. The products differ in different concentrations of BTA, composition of excipients, particle size, duration of effect and a number of other parameters.
Botox
Botox is the first and most popular remedy among botulinum toxin-based drugs. Country of origin: USA. Used in Russia since 1994. This is a drug with a moderate concentration of poison and has a medium potency. Botox contains albumin and chloride - stabilizers whose task is to limit the spread of the toxin beyond the target muscle, but this does not mean that the spread of poison does not occur. It happens, with all the ensuing consequences. The effect of the drug is not quick compared to some of its followers: it appears on the 4-7th day and reaches a maximum after 2 weeks.
Dysport
Dysport is the main competitor of Botox. Country of origin: France. It differs from Botox in a significantly lower dosage of BTA, which is why the procedure requires more units of the drug. Dysport is significantly cheaper, but in terms of the amount of poison required for one procedure, its cost is comparable to Botox. Dysport is stronger and longer lasting than Botox because its particles are smaller and it contains less albumin, which is designed to stabilize the BTA molecules. Dysport has higher diffusion, that is, it spreads more under the skin where it shouldn’t, which is fraught with serious consequences. The initial effect occurs faster than Botox, 1-4 days after injections.
Botulax
Botulax is a drug produced in South Korea. By the way, South Korea is the country where the largest number of products containing botulinum toxin are produced. In addition to Botulax, these are also Neuronox, Meditoxin, Heutox. Botulax is positioned as a complete analogue of Botox in composition and characteristics, but only cheaper. There are opinions that Botulax acts shorter and causes discomfort.
Relatox
Relatox is a Russian drug that appeared in 2012. Cheaper than foreign brands. Relatox begins to work faster than Botox and its effects last longer. What explains this activity of Relatox? The fact that its particles are several times smaller: their molecular weight is 6 times lower than that of Botox. What does this mean? More active penetration into non-target muscles, which entails a lot of complications. Unlike Botox, Dysport and Botulax, Relatox does not contain albumin, a stabilizing protein that inhibits the diffusion of poison and softens its effect. There are reviews about the poor quality of this Russian drug and the pain of injections.
Xeomin
Xeomin is a German-made drug. More expensive than its competitors. This is explained by the fact that it contains botulinum toxin of the highest purity, so it works in a gentle manner. It starts to act a little faster than Botox and Dysport, but it also stops earlier. The molecular weight of Xeomin is very low, which indicates, on the one hand, a more uniform distribution of the drug, and on the other, its high ability to spread beyond the target muscle. However, the diffusion of Xeomin is inhibited by albumin, which it contains more than Botox.
Lantox
Cheap Botox option from China. Comparable to it in dosage and molecular weight, but does not contain albumin, which inhibits diffusion. Instead of albumin, which is a human immunoglobulin, Lantox contains gelatin of animal origin with a similar stabilizing task. The effect of Lantox is average in strength between Botox and Dysport.
How does the Botox lip procedure work?
The most common use of Botox for lips is to correct wrinkles. We will briefly and simply tell you how such injections are made.
- The procedure lasts 10-30 minutes.
- The cosmetologist marks the areas for injections, treats them with an antiseptic (sometimes also with anesthetic ointment) and makes injections. The final stage is a light massage of the lip area to evenly distribute the product.
- Injections are made along the contour in places with the greatest number of wrinkles. The distance between injections should not be more than 2-3 mm.
- Typically the lip area requires 5-15 units of botulinum toxin.
What problems do Botox and hyaluronic acid solve?
Botulinum toxin fights expression wrinkles of the upper segment of the face:
- horizontal on the forehead;
- vertical on the bridge of the nose;
- "crow's feet" in the corners of the eyes.
Cosmetologists with extensive experience also use Botox to smooth out perioral wrinkles, tighten neck skin, and block the chin muscle.
Fillers containing hyaluronic acid contribute to:
- filling skin folds;
- correction of facial oval;
- modeling the cheekbones, chin and tip of the nose;
- smoothing the earlobe;
- giving volume to lips.
Products for bioremediation:
- rejuvenate and saturate the skin with moisture not only of the face, but also of the neck, décolleté, and hands;
- have a lifting effect.
The best drugs in the cosmetology market
Which hyaluronic acid is best to enlarge lips:
- Princess Volume is a filler with synthetic hyaluronic acid that helps significantly reduce the risk of complications after the procedure. The manufacturer is located in Australia. New creation technologies make it possible to identify cellular voids, providing the most natural result. This drug is considered the best and ensures safety for every client. The composition is evenly distributed throughout the tissues of the lips and retains its effect for a period of 6 months to one year. The recovery period lasts only a week, and swelling or redness may appear on the lips. The cost reaches 3,500 rubles per milliliter.
- Juvederm is produced in France and contains hyaluronic acid, the molecule of which is combined with modern technology into a 3D matrix. For quick and convenient administration, the drugs are available with lidocaine. The effect after the procedure lasts for 6 months. The price for the drug is 7,500 rubles, 0.55 milliliters.
- Surgiderm 30 XP is a filler from a French manufacturer containing hyaluronic acid. The gel is flexible, which helps to achieve maximum naturalness. The result lasts from 12 to 18 months. The cost for packaging the product is 9,500 rubles.
- Restylane Lip Volume is produced in Sweden; in addition to hyaluronic acid, it contains lidocaine, which helps to ensure maximum safety of the procedure. Due to the high degree of stabilization, the chance of developing inflammation or allergies is minimal. The effect after the procedure lasts for 6-10 months. The cost per milliliter is 5,500 rubles.
- Teosyal Kiss is a soft filler used to improve the shape and volume of the lips. The composition includes high concentration hyaluronic acid. Produced in Switzerland, it is distinguished by its plasticity and safety of use. The effect of the procedure lasts for 9 months, and there is a cumulative effect.
Main contraindications to the procedure
Lip volume fillers containing hyaluronic acid cannot cause harm unless the doctor has established any contraindications for their use. The main prohibitions for the lip correction procedure include:
- diabetes;
- tumor formations in the body;
- bearing a child and breastfeeding;
- dermatological diseases;
- period;
- aggravated processes of chronic diseases;
- reduced protective activity of the immune system.
What drugs should not be used?
The modern cosmetology market is represented by a large number of different cosmetic fillers, but not every such product is designed to correct the shape and size of the lips. So what is the best way to enlarge your lips? Reviews from experts indicate that it is not recommended to use the following products for such a procedure:
- "Botox". Such a drug cannot be called either a filler or an implant. It is used only to eliminate pronounced age-related changes on the face. Its effect spreads to the muscles and blocks nerve impulses in them, which leads to the effect of smoothing facial wrinkles near the eyes and forehead. Using Botox on your lips will have no effect and may even worsen their shape.
- "Radiesse." Contains chemical compounds found in human bone tissue. It is for this reason that the product is considered safe and does not provoke allergic reactions. It is used to smooth out wrinkles in the corners of the mouth, eliminate nasolabial folds, and model the shape of the face, but not for lip tissue. The drug is completely eliminated from the body after several years.
- Thick-consistency gels such as Juvederm, Volift, Volbella and Voluma are all designed to smooth out age-related changes on the face and eliminate wrinkles in the cheeks, neck, forehead and nose.
- Restylane Vital and Juvederm Hydrate are used for skin biorevitalization. They enhance its elasticity and moisture, help improve lip color, but do not affect their size and shape. Allowed to be combined with fillers.
How often do complications occur after injection?
Lera: There is no one hundred percent guarantee that even a proven drug will not cause a reaction in a person?
Natalya: Of course. This is medicine, so there is always a percentage of complications, even if everything is done perfectly correctly and a great drug is used.
Stasya: What is the percentage of complications?
Natalya: Small. If the filler is not suitable, if an allergic reaction has started to it, we carry out correction with hyaluronidase - it dissolves it. But an allergic reaction can also occur to the latter, although it is also not very common.
Implantation
What is the best way to enlarge your lips? In modern cosmetology, there are a large number of different lip implants that help to significantly increase their volume. But many of these agents do not have the resolution to be introduced into tissues. Other drugs can be used, but not for the purpose of improving the aesthetic appearance of the lips.
In our country, implants are almost never used to increase lip volume, since in cold conditions they quickly harden. In addition, if a woman goes to a beauty salon with the desire to increase the size of her lips for the first time, then she is most often prescribed fillers.
