Dermal Lip Fillers - is 1ml too much?

Hi everyone! I wanted to write this blog today, it’s one I’ve been meaning to post for a while but just haven’t managed to find the time.

Today’s topic is on Dermal Fillers for lips, the amount within the syringes coupled with clients' common thoughts and expectations.

Like most Advanced Aesthetic Practitioners, we all have clients that come to us for Dermal Fillers who are either seasoned pros when it comes to these injectables (they may have had them done elsewhere or with ourselves previously) and those who are completely new to the treatments, who have no idea what to expect and no previous knowledge on how their body may respond and hold on to the fillers.

Some clients come to us with naturally opened shaped lips and others come with the thinner shapes, maybe one lip more than the other or both - everyone is different.

Different client expectations could be anything from…

“I have a non existent top lip and I really want to make it more visible”

to those who are more…

“Big is beautiful, I really want Kim K lips!”

Or as one of my own clients often likes to say (her words not mine)….

“Give me those bl*w j*b lips!” …. Ha!! I do love my clients :)

Firstly here’s a picture below that might help to offer you a visual representation of the amount per syringes, which hopefully will give you a better idea of what exactly to expect when it comes to the changes for the mount administered.

So, I just want to highlight once more - these are teaspoons with 0.5ml, 1ml and 2ml amounts.

Additionally when working with lips, we will place fillers to accentuate areas of the lips where you need.

Often we begin with contouring the lips, this is where we focus on the vermillion borders (the top and bottom outer edging of the lips) with careful linear placements of filler to open up the lips and better highlight your beautiful pouts. Although the amounts administer across this area is often smaller in comparison to what we would place within the main body of the lips, which would either be in fanned or bolus placements to create the volume, you would still use a proportion of your 1ml syringe to highlight this feature in doing so. Sometimes, it maybe that the first treatment focuses on the vermilion border, leaving a little amount filler for the volume. Therefore a top up is required 2-3weeks with another 1ml to focus more on the volume and where that is needed across the main body of the lips, you may also need to revisit the vermillion border in places, so you may choose again to have a further 0.5ml -1ml several week after that. This is completely dependent on the lips goals and look you are wanting achieve.

1ml max per treatment is the responsible and advisable approach, you may not even take full 1ml before the swelling and lips begin to feel full and we stop for that treatment. Our client’s wellbeing and safety is always paramount and overfilling the lips at anyone time is always to be avoided as we want to minimise any risk of secondary occlusions from any swelling that may occur. Especially if it is your first time as you or I have no idea how you will hold the filler or respond to treatment, so a cautious and safe approach is better.

Results often take multiple appointments. The initial result and look you have after dermal fillers in the lips is often due to the swelling, this can can last anywhere up to 14 days. Some heal quicker than others and some slower, also bruising may or may not occur. Additionally, every individual holds Hyaluronic Acid fillers differently, lifestyle, diet, genetics and canvas can effects the results and some may hold the filler for 12months and others for only 3months - everyone is different.

After treatment, once the lips settle, people may sometimes find they feel their lips feel like they’ve had little to no change from where they started, especially if it is the first treatment (either ever or in a while). The change from the initial swelling to the settled appearance can cause a level of unrealistic expectations, from the initial results to the actual results once everything has settled and so often people book in for their top ups from 2-3 weeks after to build up their lips to their desired look. Which is why giving you a chance to see the amounts visually above will hopefully be helpful in allowing you understand how little 1ml amount actually is when placed across the lips.

Just keep in mind that the picture you may be looking at for your lip inspiration/comparison or others you see around you, these ladies and gents may have had fillers over time and built up to what you see now and also may hold the filler different to yourselves.

Remember folks, Rome was not built in a day and when it comes to perfecting your pout and your luscious lips we have to take it in stages and keep you safe!

See you at the salon soon

Big love and hugs!

Fenny x

Fennylane | Derma Aesthetics