Whether you are fighting signs of aging or simply want a few facial touch-ups here and there, you might be considering combining various facial treatments, minimizing your recovery time and doctor appointments. One procedure that patients generally seek to combine with other facial treatments is lip fillers.
So can you combine lip fillers with other facial treatments? Generally, yes. Most facial treatments can be combined with lip fillers with no added risk of complications. Lip fillers can be applied quickly and with little difficulty, making them an ideal treatment for combined facial procedures. In most cases, it is advised to undergo the lip filler procedure after other facial treatments.
Choosing Your Ideal Lip Filler
Knowing which lip filler to choose before any procedure is an important step towards achieving your desired results. Filler materials vary in terms of the intended injection site, longevity of efficiency, source, and type of gel or material.
Aside from the patient’s medical condition/s (if any), there are three factors that should be considered when choosing a lip filler:
- Procedure longevity: Some patients may want shorter, temporary results, while other patients may desire longer, semi-permanent results.
- Type of material: Patients who choose collagen-based fillers may have to pre-test the filler prior to the procedure.
- Desired result: Less prominent results can be achieved with fillers with lighter molecules; for more prominent results (lip augmenting or lip volumizing), doctors generally recommend denser fillers.
Here are some of the more popular fillers along with their general results:
- Restylane: Immediate volumizing and fullness effect, promoting a natural look
- Voluma XC: Best for facial folds and sagging skin, Voluma XC’s subtle results are noted for having the longest lasting results (1-2 years)
- Juvéderm: A hyaluronic acid gel filler with minimal traces of lidocaine (anesthetic), Juvéderm restores youth and volume with patient comfort
- Belotero: Best for procedures in which the gel must remain right underneath the surface of the skin; for fine lines and smaller wrinkles
- Perlane: Great for volumizing the skin and the lips, with denser gel particles than most other fillers. Usually used for deep wrinkles
The dermal filler industry can be confusing, especially for those trying to understand it for the first time. Here are three major tips to help understand lip fillers and the differences between types and brands:
- Non-Hyaluronic Fillers Should Not Be Injected In Lips: These include Sculptra, Radiesse, Allofill, Bellafill, and more. These fillers are known for lasting several years and are better for patients who find that hyaluronic acid fillers are metabolized too quickly, but they should never be injected in the lips.
- Popular Hyaluronic Acid Dermal Fillers Include: Restylane (including Lyft and Silk), Juvéderm (including Volbella XC, Ultra XC, and Voluma XC), and Belotero Balance.
- Lips Generally Need HA Fillers With Smaller Particles: Hyaluronic acid fillers differentiate by particle size, with bigger particles creating more volume. Lips should be injected with small-particle hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Juvéderm Volbella XC and Restylane Silk.
Many patients ask if they can mix and combine different kinds of fillers in a single session. While it is possible to have different fillers in the face simultaneously, these should not be injected in the same injection sites and during the same sessions. The materials may react in unpredictable and negative ways, leading to various complications beneath the skin.
Read more: Lip Fillers and Your Smile: The Good and the Bad
Benefits of Combining Fillers with Other Facial Treatments
There are many obvious benefits from combining lip filler procedures with other facial treatments. You can recover from multiple procedures at once, rolling your various downtimes together; and you can save money from limiting your number of doctor visits. But there are some less-obvious benefits of combining these treatments. For example:
- Customized Treatment – If you find a doctor or clinic who can perform your various procedures together, then it will be easier for them to tailor your procedures to a single, unified result. Instead of spacing various procedures out amongst several doctors over several months or years, your doctor will be able to truly handcraft an end result in accordance with your vision.
- Treat Various Issues – Many patients looking for cosmetic procedures such as lip fillers are looking to combat aging in general, and when it comes to aging, there are several issues affecting the face at once. By combining your various facial treatments, you can treat various issues at once, creating a well-rounded fight against aging.
- Longer-Lasting Results: Some treatments actually help each other to last longer, even if they affect different parts of the face. For example, Botox and dermal fillers are generally paired together, as the limited facial muscle movements caused by Botox help to keep the hyaluronic acid in place longer.
Lip Fillers Combined with Other Procedures
Liquid Facelift
What is it? – You may be familiar with the facelift (rhytidectomy), in which excess facial skin is removed from the face to help reshape the bottom half of the face and neck, such as the jaw line’s hanging skin. This is done to create a more youthful appearance in the patient by tightening the skin.
The liquid facelift aims to accomplish similar results with no skin removal. Various injectable dermal fillers – Sculptra, Artefill, Radiesse, Restylane, Juvéderm, and Perlane – are injected in various parts of the face, to create a smoother, fuller, plumper, and more lifted look.
How does it interact with lip fillers? – Lip fillers are just one part of a liquid facelift. As long as none of the dermal fillers are injected into the same place (and no contact is made between the various fillers), there should be no issue with the success of the lip fillers.
Facial Surgery
What is it? – A surgical procedure that reconstructs parts of the face. Popular areas for facial surgery include the cheeks, chin, and nose.
How does it interact with lip fillers? – There should be no issue when combining lip fillers and facial surgery. Doctors generally recommend that patients who are seeking to undergo these two treatments consecutively should start with facial surgery. This allows the doctor to perform the more complicated procedure (facial surgery) without avoiding contact with the lips.
PRP Injections
What is it? – PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, is a substance that is created by removing a patient’s blood and putting it through a centrifuge. The centrifuge separates the components of the blood, creating a concentrated platelet-rich plasma, or PRP.
The PRP is then injected back into the patient to promote general protein growth, healing, and collagen creation. Collagen improves the skin’s general condition, making it brighter, smoother, and fuller.
How does it interact with lip fillers? – Dermal fillers and PRP work very well together. One study found that dermal fillers and PRP injected simultaneously can produce statistically significant changes in wrinkled and thin skin (source).
Fillers work to volumize the skin and the lips, filling in areas that have become thin, wrinkled, or shrunken. PRP stimulates even more collagen regeneration, creating tightness and firmness in the lips.
Botox
What is it? – Botox is a safe neurotoxin that paralyzes and relaxes muscles in the body. When injected in the lips and the face, Botox can minimize lip lines, wrinkles, and create a plumper look.
How does it interact with lip fillers? – Botox is actually commonly paired with dermal fillers for issues such as smoker’s lines, in which there are vertical wrinkles above the upper lips (which are caused by aging, or by puckering the lips from smoking).
While the dermal filler adds volume and plumps up the upper lip and the skin above it, the Botox simultaneously relaxes the muscles, helping to remove the lines. Together, Botox and dermal fillers create a more complete cosmetic treatment for aging lips.
Laser Treatment
What is it? – Laser treatment or laser resurfacing involves collagen remodeling and tightening of the facial skin, through the use of high-intensity beams of light, or lasers.
How does it interact with lip fillers? – Laser resurfacing and lip fillers can be safely combined, as the lasers penetrate at a superficial level on the skin, meaning the lip fillers should be completely unaffected.
However, some doctors recommend spacing at least a week between these two treatments, and beginning with laser resurfacing first. This is because there is possibility that a laser resurfacing performed after a lip filler procedure may cause the placement of the lip filler to change, although the risk is slight.
Chemical Peels
What is it? – A chemical peel procedure involves using a chemical solution to force damaged skin into a state of exfoliation and peeling, leaving behind smoother and cleaner skin with fewer wrinkles and discolorations. This technique is commonly performed on the hands, neck and face.
How does it interact with lip fillers? – Combining chemical peels and dermal fillers can be safe, however, it must be done with care. As chemical peels lead to inflammation of the skin, there is a possibility that chemical peel near the lips may lead to lip filler degradation (source).
For patients considering combining dermal fillers and chemical peels, it is advised to choose a superficial peel rather than a medium or deep peel.
Ethos Spa – Lip Fillers and More
Whether you’re looking for the “Kylie look” or looking to combat signs of aging, Ethos Aesthetics + Wellness is the place for you. We specialize in various cosmetic facial procedures, including lip fillers and dermal fillers.
Contact us and set an appointment for your consultation at Ethos Spa. Learn more about lip fillers and our other facial services, and exactly how you can change your look today.
