Dr Xavier's Award Winning Medical Aesthetic Clinic Southampton

Lip Filler Treatment - Bringing Balance to the Face

Along with the eyes, the lips are the most important feature of our faces.
They are the frame for our mouth and are constantly noticed whenever we smile, laugh or speak. In fact they are capable of infinite expression, conveying our feelings and mood.

'Perfect lips are perfectly balanced'. The bottom lip should be slightly fuller than the top, but only in a ratio of about 55% to 45%.

Look at the models on the right. We perceive them as attractive but don't usually pause to consider why.

It is because of the balance of their facial features and in particular the balance of their lips. Both models have perfectly balanced lips in the ratio described.

Unfortunately, not all of us are born with such perfect features. If our lips are out of balance this may convey expressions that we do not intend. We may look sad, unhappy or mean, for instance, when we are feeling fine.

Even a slight enhancement to balance the lips in the aesthetically perfect proportions can make a dramatic difference to our appearance, our perceived attractiveness to others and indeed our confidence.

We might not want our lips to be any larger; they need not be made so. Only the lip which is out of balance need be treated to correct the proportions.

Of course, if we desire larger lips, this can be achieved, but only within sensible limitations. Your lips should look perfectly natural after any lip enhancement procedure and no one should guess that you have had treatment.

Unfortunately, as we age, so do our lips and they will become dehydrated, lose volume and develop 'lipstick bleeding' lines. Older lips can be restored to their former, smooth and youthful state and the emphasis can be purely on restoration rather than enhancement if so desired.

Men, too, can be transformed by a minor lip enhancement, particularly if their lips are naturally small or out of balance. In fact, we have many male clients whom we treat for lip enhancement but always with the priority being on subtle and natural results to boost confidence and self-esteem.

Unfortunately, many people are put off a lip enhancement procedure because of the many 'trout pout' results that they have seen. This is entirely a result of excessive amounts of product and incorrect technique. In particular, the 'rubber ring' appearance that we sometimes see is a result of excessive amounts of product being injected around and outside the lip border, areas where only tiny amounts of product should ever be used.

Products

We use a range of tried and tested dermal fillers for lip treatments. Our doctor will customise the choice of product to your exact requirements. Volumes of 0.5 to 1ml only are used per treatment so the result will be natural. If more volume is still required - further treatments can be carried out at any time.

Swelling

Swelling of the lips is normal after lip enhancement. You should not plan any social functions on the day of treatment. Its duration can be minimised by application of a cool pack after treatment. It will usually have settled within 12-24 hours but in rare cases can take 3 or 4 days to settle completely.

How much does the treatment cost?

The cost of the treatment (which is personalised to you) depends on the volume of dermal filler used. Each syringe comes as a pre-loaded sterile syringe and once opened it is for your exclusive use. Everyone’s face and lips are different and your expectations are discussed with our doctor or nurse and they will discuss the treatment outcome with you. A typical lip filler treatment will use a 0.5ml or 1ml syringe of filler, sometimes 2mls depending on the level of correction/volume desired as well as the condition of the skin surrounding the lips. For a guide to prices please see our prices page.