Even the procedure of saturating your lips with hyaluronic acid, carried out in an aesthetic medicine clinic, can have side effects. Unfortunately, if you want to give your lips an attractive swelling and additional volume, you need to be prepared for such sacrifices and understand how to reduce swelling after lip augmentation.
Hyaluronic acid actively fills the subcutaneous layers, saturates the lips with moisture, vitamins and nutrients. The life-giving cocktail of the composition not only heals the epidermis and increases the size of the lips, at the same time it stimulates the production of natural hyaluronic acid, which is contained in our body. The rejuvenation process begins not only in the injection area, but also next to the injection area.
Hyaluronic acid
Why is hyaluronic acid (HA) so attractive, what secrets does its intricate formula keep?
The answer lies on the surface. At birth, you and I are more than 80% water. By the middle of life – already by 70%, and by old age – by only 58%! That is, we age due to the fact that we lose moisture. But inside us there is not simple water, but colloidal solutions based on it. One of them is hyaluronic acid. In fact, it is a mucopolysaccharide, the tail of a large molecule produced by fibroblasts, the most important cells of the skin. Hyaluronic acid fills the intercellular space of the dermis; it plays the role of a kind of shock absorber, guaranteeing its turgor. A decrease in the amount of hyaluronic acid leads to dryness, flaking, wrinkles, sagging skin, and reduces our attractiveness. This means that in order to remain young, it is necessary to replenish its reserves, especially in the dermis - the largest organ, like a mirror reflecting the state of human health. Moisturize it. Actually, this is what cosmetologists do, restoring youth to the skin and attractiveness to women. Increasing lip volume is one of the local options for such aesthetic therapy.
The shape of the lips, even if made exactly according to the given parameters, does not fit the face
Unsuccessful lip contouring does not always mean lips pumped with silicone.
Do you remember the text by Rina Zelenaya from the movie “Spring”, when she, in the guise of a cosmetologist, tries on different fashionable lip patterns for the heroine Lyubov Orlova?
Your new lips themselves can also be a real work of art. It’s just that a particular “sexy number 4” does not suit your face and image.
For this he also has a children's fairy tale about a goose who wanted to have either the tail of a peacock, or the legs of a crane, or the comb of a rooster. Beautiful in itself, the peacock's tail disfigured the poor bird and ultimately almost cost the goose his life.
It's the same with lips: their size and shape are even less important than the harmony of facial features as a whole. Therefore, advice: choose a specialist not only with extensive work experience, but also with a subtle artistic taste. Don't be shy about asking to see photos, asking for reviews.
A good doctor is “three in one”: an artist, a mathematician and an antomist. He must perfectly know the very specific formulas of beauty and harmony that govern the ideal proportions of the human face.
Expert comment:
“In 2008, American plastic surgeon Andrew Jacono described the anatomical zones of the lips - there were fifteen of them! Each of them can be changed separately, and any correction in any of the zones gives completely different results.
For example, an injection into the red border of the lips will increase their volume. And the injection into the area of the white roller is the size. By injecting the gel into the central area of the upper lip, you can both enlarge and smooth out the so-called Cupid's arch.
The doctor should see the result even before he injects you with the gel, don’t forget about it!
Andrey Iskornev, plastic surgeon.
Technique for increasing lip volume
How does the procedure for correcting the shape and volume of lips work in practice? Contour plastic surgery is carried out by injecting hyaluronic acid at the tip of a needle, takes no more than half an hour, and the result is obvious after two days. Taking into account the threshold of pain sensitivity, an anesthetic cream is used, applied to previously cleansed and disinfected skin.
The injection technique is determined by the planned result after lip augmentation and the age of the patient. The filler is injected under the skin, causing tissue swelling. At the same time, the cosmetologist performs a massage, which makes it possible to evenly distribute the filler in the tissues. After the procedure, the injected surface is prophylactically protected with an antiseptic from the possible addition of a secondary infection. The success of hyaluronic plastic surgery depends on the doctor’s ability to maintain a balance between filling the lip contour and symmetry of distribution.
Recently, the “Parisian” technique has become popular. Its fundamental difference lies in the vertical introduction of filler, which gives the lips a natural appearance, preserving their natural relief. The undoubted advantage of the technique is the speed of implementation (10 - 15 minutes) and the fact that the result is easily corrected. After lip augmentation, the original shape is returned within a day.
The optimal result is achieved by observing a sense of proportion, that is, the ability to stop in time. Correct correction visually rejuvenates patients and makes them more attractive. Lips pumped with hyaluronic acid cause a smile or bewilderment.
Causes
The lower and upper lips may appear asymmetrical on the face for the following reasons:
- anatomical features;
- consequences of injuries;
- age-related changes;
- weakness of facial muscles;
- pathology of the facial nerve.
Additionally, lip asymmetry can occur due to surgery. 10-15 years ago, lip augmentation and correction were mainly carried out using non-absorbable implants, which over time shifted and deformed the lips. Today they are removed, and the volume of the lips is filled with fillers.
Rehabilitation period
The rehabilitation period after lip augmentation lasts no more than three days. Immediately after the procedure, the following symptoms of discomfort may be observed:
- flying, low-intensity pain at the injection site of hyaluronic acid, as a result of the reaction of the nerve endings of the skin to interaction with the filler;
- the appearance of hematomas due to the patient’s very delicate and sensitive skin or due to excessive force during puncture on the part of the doctor;
- redness - reaction of dermal vessels (dilation) to the injected filler;
- small papules occur if the needle was too superficial when injecting hyaluronic acid into the skin;
- swelling or puffiness is a natural reaction to the introduction of an “extra” volume of hyaluronic acid, which can attract moisture, under the skin;
- a blurred contour after lip augmentation is a consequence of temporary lability (mobility) of the distributed gel (until it stably occupies all the subcutaneous voids of the main substance).
These phenomena are a natural response of the dermis to a violation of its integrity. They go away on their own and do not require treatment. Since an injection is a mini-injury, inflammation can, as a rule, be avoided, but swelling after the injection persists for about two or three days. You can minimize unpleasant consequences by choosing the right filler. Otherwise, after lip augmentation, you must follow the recommendations of a cosmetologist:
- For the first time (2 weeks), you need to exclude decorative cosmetics from everyday use. It may be of poor quality or expired, causing allergies or secondary infection.
- You should not lick your lips or constantly touch with your hands. Possible peeling can significantly spoil the visual effect of smooth lips and lead to cracks.
- You should not actively move your lips: talk a lot, stretch your lips out, smile - this can lead to displacement of hyaluronic acid.
- It is recommended to sleep only on your back, in no case on your side or stomach, face down (this provokes a mechanical shift of the filler).
- It is not recommended to visit the sauna for two to three weeks, since profuse sweating can bring with it an inflammatory reaction to salts and other skin irritants (ammonia, urea) present in the secretion of the sweat glands. In addition, high temperatures promote a rush of blood to the facial skin, which can cause cracks in the mucous membrane of the lips, artificially enlarged with filler.
- You cannot swim in the pool for a month. Chlorinated (disinfected with chemicals) water causes irritation and inflammation of the lips.
- It is recommended to limit physical activity and sports. Sweating, risk of injury, secondary infection - all this can result from such activities.
- You need to follow the correct diet. Nothing spicy, salty, or irritating to the lips, at least in the first two weeks.
- For the same reason, you should not drink alcohol or smoke. Not only will the lips be attacked by toxic substances, but the human body will also react to intoxication, aggravating the course of the rehabilitation period (fever, dyspepsia with dehydration, nausea).
- You cannot massage your lips yourself. By doing this, you can disrupt their shape, destroying the symmetry of the filler distribution.
- You should not drink hot tea or coffee, as this can cause burns to the mucous membranes and damage their integrity.
- Avoid flying during the first month after the intervention: pressure at altitude has an unpredictable effect on the gel filler.
- It is advisable to minimize possible contacts with virus carriers or patients with influenza, acute respiratory viral infections, or acute respiratory infections.
If the rehabilitation period is delayed or there is no positive dynamics in the negative symptoms that appear after lip augmentation, you should consult a cosmetologist.
Recommendations after lip augmentation can be not only prohibitive, but also permissive. How can you help sponges recover faster?
- Swelling is well relieved with cold compresses. In this case, you need to ensure the sterility of the surface that will come into contact with the lips.
- In addition, the cosmetologist can prescribe you special masks to relieve discomfort.
The third reason: a person’s face changes with age
Silicone lips a la Masha Rasputin look very strange and unnatural on an elderly face. Not to mention the fact that unnaturally large lips deepen nasolabial wrinkles, which additionally makes a woman look older.
Jacqueline Stallone, mother of the famous Sylvester Stallone. Silicone lips and the obviousness of permanent makeup do not go well with the image of a successful 94-year-old woman.
Complications after the procedure
The physiological reaction of the dermis to the introduction of hyaluronic acid under the skin goes away independently, without treatment or additional intervention, without causing harm to the patient’s health. However, in some cases, due to the unprofessionalism of the doctor or the patient’s concealment of data about his state of health (when the desire to be attractive overshadows reason and a sense of self-preservation), unwanted and very serious complications arise:
- The first signs of a dangerous development of the situation are hematomas, redness, papules, swelling that do not go away for 10 days or more. This is a reason to immediately contact a cosmetologist.
- Fibrosis that has developed at the site of filler injection with a superficially located needle requires consultation with a surgeon (subject to surgical removal).
- An incorrectly selected drug can lead to the development of thrombosis, ischemia of the skin area, and rarely to necrosis. In this case, only hyaluronidase, which destroys hyaluronic acid, can save the situation. It must be administered at the first signs of ischemia (numbness, loss of sensitivity, feeling of cold).
- The development of herpetic infection is typical for patients with reduced immunity and requires special therapy.
- Severe itching indicates the toxic effect of the filler on the human body and requires consultation with a gastroenterologist, allergist and dermatologist.
- Rarely there is a reaction of individual intolerance to hyaluronic acid (genetic inheritance)
If the lip augmentation procedure is carried out by a highly qualified specialist, in compliance with all standards of asepsis and antiseptics, and the right choice of drug; If the patient has followed all the recommendations during the rehabilitation period, then nothing else can be expected except pleasure.
Lip augmentation with hyaluronic fillers is modern, safe and effective. You can get detailed information about the procedure at a consultation with a cosmetologist at the aesthetic medicine clinic Soho Clinic (Moscow).
Beautiful natural lips – what are they?
Most women with silicone are victims of fashion. But lip fashion is changing. And if in the 90s, overly plump and voluminous “models” were in fashion, now we are returning to natural beauty.
Today, lip standards are also subject to strict rules of harmony, just like the standards of high fashion Haute Couture:
- the length of the ideal lips reaches the conventional lines drawn through the inner edge of the pupils,
- the mouth is about one and a half times wider than the nose,
- The lower lip is the same one and a half times fuller than the upper lip.
As a result, duck lips, given such canons of beauty, no longer look “fashionable”, “bold”, “sectional” and “beautiful”, but funny and absurd.
The length of ideal lips is approximately 1.5 times the width of the nose at its widest part. The lower lip is 1.5-2 times “plumper” than the upper lip.
Silicone-free lips are not only about beauty
Lips after unsuccessful lip augmentation present the owner with more than just aesthetic problems. An unsuccessfully administered gel often begins a journey of its own. And it is impossible to predict his odyssey. It can find itself in the most unexpected places, for example, under the eye or in the eyebrow area.
Among other things, bad lips turn out to be a source of inflammation - sometimes so painful that it is impossible to speak, eat, drink, or even just touch your lips.
But these are not all the disadvantages of silicone. After several years, the gel collects in clumps and makes the lips asymmetrical and lumpy.
But the worst thing is when you want to correct your results using modern gels, but doctors say that the drugs that were administered to you before and gels based on hyaluronic acid are incompatible!
Why don’t doctors take up the task of eliminating unsuccessful plastic surgery, implants and gel in the lips?
Restoring the shape and proportions of the lips after previously used silicone is an extremely difficult task for the surgeon.
Silicone is a very difficult substance. Not only is it overgrown with a dense ring of collagen and elastin, which requires special skill to work with. It also has a tendency to polymerize - it penetrates muscle tissue and is securely attached there.
“Before” and 2 weeks “after” removing the biopolymer gel from the lips. Surgeon: Iskornev Andrey.
Lip reduction, biopolymer removal. Surgeon: Iskornev Andrey.
Silicone implants also tend to grow into tissue.
In this case, the surgeon is faced with a very difficult task: how to remove the silicone and scar tissue so as not to damage the muscles and not touch the facial nerve. But the questions don't end there. A good surgeon should be able to remove excess gel also in the area above the upper lip in order to eliminate the so-called “duck mouth” effect.
