Pouty, sensuous lips have long been considered an aesthetic ideal, which explains the enduring appeal of lip filler. Portland, Oregon’s Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery regularly sees patients who want the look of youthful lips, which are full and free from surrounding wrinkles and creases.
As we age, however, we tend to lose volume in the area, which leads to thinner lips and the development of lines. Just like the skin on other areas of the face, the lips lose fullness due to the breakdown of fat pads below the skin along with the loss of collagen. Lipstick also often bleeds into the fine lines that have developed around the mouth. As the volume decreases, the lips gradually begin to deflate as well. This process begins as early as your 20s. Too much sun exposure, smoking, or excessive inflammation due to stress, pollution, or other factors can also cause your lips to become thinner. Through the use of dermal fillers—and specifically lip fillers—The Waldorf Center team can restore lip fullness or even create it for the first time in those with naturally thin lips due to genetics. The fuller appearance from lip injections can be maintained for up to one year.
Contact The Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery to schedule a consultation for a lip augmentation in Portland, Oregon, today. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Injecting dermal fillers for lip augmentation is an art, and our well-trained injectors have many years of experience performing successful lip filler procedures for our patients. You don’t have to worry about your lips looking too full. We know how to use injectables properly for a natural look that enhances your appearance but is not obvious.
Sciton® Halo™ may also be used to smooth deeper lip lines and wrinkles, rejuvenating the entire area surrounding the mouth. Botox® may also be useful in normalizing “lipstick bleed” lines.
WHAT IS AUGMENTATION WITH LIP FILLER?
Lip augmentation involves the injection of filler material with a gel-like consistency into one or both lips with a needle or cannula. Lip fillers enhance the shape, structure, and volume of the lips. The lip filler is added to different areas of the lips to provide numerous benefits.
Lip filler can be used to make lips plumper and fuller in a natural-looking way, to alter or even out their shape, to add or restore definition, or to improve symmetry. Lip fillers can be added to the lips themselves, as well as the vermillion border, made up of the outermost lines of the lips around the colored portion.
The products used for lip injections at Portland’s Waldorf Center are all hyaluronic acid-based. Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in your body and commonly found in skincare products. It’s low-risk and tolerated well by the body, especially in lip fillers.
One appealing aspect about lip filler treatments with hyaluronic acid gels is that the results are reversible. If a patient is unsatisfied with the results after lip injections, the filler can be removed with an enzyme known as hyaluronidase.
Juvéderm Volbella® XC is the lip filler we use most often at The Waldorf Center. It has a thin, lightweight consistency, is malleable, and produces subtle results. In addition to lip injections, Volbella® XC also corrects vertical lip lines around the mouth.
There are many factors that contribute to the look of “perfect” lips—or at least an ideal pout— including a defined Cupid’s bow, fullness in the center, symmetry, slight upper lip projection, and proper positioning relative to the eyes. All of these elements can be adjusted with lip injections at Portland’s Waldorf Center.
YOUR LIP FILLER CONSULTATION
We believe you need to be well informed about lip injections so that you can make an informed decision about your procedure and your injector. This includes the results you can expect, the processes of preparing for the treatment, and the recovery period. We will meet with you about your concerns and personal goals. We will examine you and tell you what we can accomplish for you. We will also advise you about what the lip filler treatment will involve in terms specific to your case.
Choosing an injector for lip fillers is an intensely personal decision. We encourage you to ask questions of our team. We want you to feel comfortable with us and your decision to have lip injections at The Waldorf Center.
WHO IS A CANDIDATE FOR LIP FILLERS?
Ideal candidates for lip fillers include people who don’t need or want more invasive cosmetic surgery to obtain their desired lip size or shape and simply want to temporarily improve their lip fullness or projection. Lip injections are not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Augmentation is ideal for patients who prefer a treatment with minimal downtime and no recovery time. Lip filler is best for patients who are in good health, are non-smokers, and maintain realistic expectations.
PREPARING FOR LIP FILLER TREATMENTS
In addition to learning about our team if you’re having lip injections for the first time, we recommend avoiding blood-thinning medications for at least two weeks and not drinking alcohol for 24 hours prior to your procedure. Blood thinners increase the risk of bruising and bleeding after lip injections. If a rash, blemish, or cold sore develops on the mouth area, it will be better to reschedule your lip filler treatment.
YOUR LIP INJECTION PROCEDURE
Your injector will determine the best lip filler for you. An ultrathin needle is used to inject the lips with the gel in specifically marked areas. The products are infused with lidocaine to improve patient comfort during the procedure. Since the lips are so thin compared to the rest of the facial skin, they are more sensitive—but a topical anesthetic or a local anesthetic injection can be used to further reduce discomfort from the lip filler injections.
Patients will likely experience a pinching sensation during a lip filler session. The lip augmentation injections only take a few minutes, but you must be in our office for a short period prior to your treatment in order for numbing to take place.
TWO TALENTED DOCTORS
ONE FOCUSED MISSION
The experienced surgeons at The Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery—Dr. Kathleen Waldorf and Dr. Rachel Streu—built the practice on a foundation of providing patients with high quality, ethical care. One of their guiding principles is a belief that cosmetic surgery is as much an art as it is a science.
Meet The Doctors
The experienced surgeons at The Waldorf Center for Plastic Surgery—Dr. Kathleen Waldorf and Dr. Rachel Streu—built the practice on a foundation of providing patients with highquality, ethical care. One of their guiding principles is a belief that cosmetic surgery is as much an art as it is a science.
Allergic reactions with these products are extremely rare, so skin testing is not required.
RECOVERING FROM LIP INJECTIONS
After a lip filler procedure, the results can be seen right away. Expect some additional fullness at first due to mild swelling, but this will resolve over the following two to three days. The amount of swelling that is experienced varies depending on the individual and the type of lip filler used, but it usually resolves on its own within one to five days. Mild redness may also occur. Some people also experience some slight bruising, which should be gone within a week or sooner after lip injections.* After they have healed, your lips should feel normal.
WHAT COMPLEMENTS LIP AUGMENTATION?
Along with lip augmentation, dermal fillers and BOTOX® Cosmetic injections are commonly used to enhance other areas of the face. The Juvéderm® family is made up of heavier fillers that can be used to add definition or fullness to the cheeks, and other fillers in this collection reduce the depth of static wrinkles or folds in the middle and lower part of the face. RHA® fillers are also commonly used for volumizing facial contours and softening wrinkles, especially in high-motion areas, such as around the mouth.
*Patient results may vary