Lip Fillers

How to Get Fuller Lips

Full lips have always been considered beautiful. But today, every celebrity and fashion icon – Angelina Jolie, Kerry Washington, Scarlett Johannsson, Kylie Kardashian – has the perfect pout. Not a day goes by that we don’t see full, voluminous lips on magazine covers, TV, social media and in the movies.

The good news is that most of these women were not born with luscious lips – which means you can do exactly what they did to get a full, voluptuous smile.

Today we talk about the two methods that you can consider when seeking lip augmentation or “lip fillers”.

Injectable Lip Fillers

Dermal fillers are the most popular type of lip filler. It is a quick in-office procedure that typically only takes less than 30 minutes – with no “downtime”.

There are a variety of injectable lip fillers on the market, most of which are a type of Hyaluronic acid.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in the skin known for adding volume, and retaining moisture and softness. Restylane Silk and Juvéderm Volbella and Juvéderm Ultra, are all FDA approved hyaluronic acid lip fillers.

Birmingham Board Certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ali prefers to use Juvéderm lip filler for a variety of reasons, including how long it lasts.

Restylane Silk typically only lasts three to six months, however Juvéderm Volbella and Ultra last from six months to a year in the lip area (and up to two years in other areas of the face).

Fat Transfer Lip Fillers

The other method of obtaining fuller lips is “fat transfer” – a more invasive procedure requiring surgery, and about two days to one week of recovery time. During fat transfer, excess fat is removed from your abdomen or thighs and is transferred to your lips to add volume.

Fat transfers are somewhat permanent, although secondary treatments are sometimes necessary. Additionally, they will change as you gain or lose weight, like any body fat.

Injectable Lip Fillers vs. Fat Transfer

Birmingham Board Certified plastic surgeon Dr. Ali prefers use hyaluronic acid lip fillers rather than fat injections. Lip fillers are more predictable than fat transfers, and the lips can me precisely sculpted with Juvederm and other fillers. Additionally, injectable fillers do NOT have the risks (such as infection) and do NOT have the downtime that fat transfer surgery does.