The Truth About Achieving Luscious Lips Through Lip Fillers
You’ve likely seen the recent rise in popularity of lip fillers and you may be curious if getting lip injections will stretch or change the shape of your lips over time.
As a medspa that specializes in non-surgical cosmetic procedures like lip fillers, we get asked this question a lot. Many people want plumper, fuller lips but are hesitant because they don’t want to permanently alter or stretch their natural lip shape.
Here at Ethos Spa, we are committed to achieving beautiful, natural-looking lip enhancement results.
In this brief blog post, we’ll explain exactly what lip fillers do to your lips, whether they can stretch your lips, and what you can expect from the procedure.
Does Lip Filler Stretch Your Lips?
The good news is lip fillers DO NOT stretch the lips when administered properly by an expert injector.
When an experienced aesthetic provider like our board-certified doctors expertly injects lip filler, the results should feel soft and natural. The filler adds volume by smoothing out lip lines and filling in lost collagen, not by stretching the skin. With our specialized techniques, we can create beautiful, kissable lips tailored to your facial features and desires.
Combating Aging
In fact, lip filler helps combat the natural thinning of the lips that occurs with aging. As we lose collagen, the lips become thinner and vertical lip lines deepen around the mouth. By replacing lost volume, lip injections restore a more youthful, supple shape and fullness. The effects are temporary, lasting 6-12 months, so you’re not locked into any look forever.
Customized Treatment
We customize each lip filler treatment to achieve natural-looking results that still feel like YOU. During your consultation, we’ll discuss which dermal fillers best match your goals, whether you want subtle definition or more dramatic volume.
Get the Facts: Your Lip Filler FAQs Answered
Considering lip fillers but still have some questions?
Many first-time filler patients want to learn more about what to expect during and after their treatment. Below we’ve answered some of the most frequently asked questions about lip injections.
What Are Lip Fillers?
Before we dive into whether lip fillers stretch your lips, let’s quickly cover what exactly lip fillers are and how they work.
Lip fillers are injectable dermal fillers made up of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in the body. Brand names like Juvederm and Restylane are popular options.
The hyaluronic acid “filler” is injected in small amounts using a fine needle to target different areas of the lips and mouth. It adds subtle volume, restores lost collagen, improves symmetry, and reduces fine lines around the lips. The filler integrates into the structure of your lips and attracts water molecules to create beautiful, natural-looking fullness.
Unlike old collagen injections of the past, today’s advanced dermal fillers are designed to avoid that “overdone” look.
Why Do Your Lips Get Bigger After Using Lip Filler?
It’s normal for your lips to appear slightly larger immediately after a lip filler treatment. This temporary effect is due to the added volume from the filler, minor swelling, and increased blood flow to the area. However, within two weeks your lips should settle into a beautiful but natural-looking new shape.
Can You Still Feel Your Lips After Getting Lip Fillers?
Yes, you should still have normal sensation in your lips after getting lip filler injections. The procedure involves injecting very small amounts of hyaluronic acid gel beneath the surface of the skin – it does not affect the nerves that enable you to feel your lips.
You may experience some numbness or tingling right after the numbing medication wears off following the treatment. But this is temporary. Within a few hours, you should have complete normal feeling in your lips.
Is It Possible for Lip Fillers to Make My Lips Longer?
While lip fillers can add volume and fullness to make lips plumper, especially in the center, they cannot make your lips significantly longer or wider. The filler can create a subtle enhancement in the vermillion border to accentuate your lip line. But the length of your actual lip tissue remains unchanged.
If you want your lips to appear longer or have more of an impact, your provider may suggest a lip lift procedure. This can shorten the space between your nose and upper lip through a minor surgical procedure under local anesthesia. A lip lift achieves longer-looking lips by elevating the position of the upper lip. But lip fillers themselves do not lengthen the size of the lips. The results are limited to increasing fullness without stretching.
Do Lip Fillers Make Your Lips Feel Different?
Most patients do notice their lips feel different with lip fillers – fuller and smoother. The plumping effects make lips feel more substantial when pressed together. When kissing or eating, the enhanced cushioning is perceivable.
But lips shouldn’t lose mobility or have major sensation changes with properly performed lip filler injections. Subtle numbness can persist for several weeks but more obvious loss of function signifies the nerves were impacted by poor technique.
The Takeaway
We hope this post helped explain what lip fillers can and cannot do when it comes to potentially changing your lip size or shape.
While lip fillers do temporarily create fuller, plumper lips, they should NOT stretch, expand or permanently alter your natural lip proportions when properly performed. The key is working with an injector specifically trained in lip anatomy with an artistic eye and commitment to beautiful, natural-looking results.
Here at Ethos Spa, our expert nurse injectors and board-certified doctors can develop a customized treatment plan based on your specific lip goals and anatomy.
