Fear of overinflated and unnatural looking lips can keep a lot of people from having
lip fillers.
As is the case with any cosmetic filler treatment, results are dependent on the doctor and patient’s
aesthetic goals.
Achieving this goal requires skill and experience as far as technique is concerned as well as
knowledge and experience with the specific filler being used.
I’ll discuss some risks associated with lip filler treatment, and how these risks
can be minimized so you can achieve the results you want safely.
I’m Dr Amiya Prasad.
I’m a Board Certified Cosmetic Surgeon and Fellowship Trained Oculofacial Plastic & Reconstructive
Surgeon.
I’ve been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years.
I spend everyday in my practice helping people with their facial appearance.
I routinely perform surgical procedures such as cosmetic eyelid surgery and facelifts.
I also specialize in nonsurgical cosmetic procedures, which are enhanced by my knowledge
and experience as a surgeon.
With this perspective I help my patients with a range of fillers for volume deficiencies
related to factors such as genetics and aging.
The biggest concern for people considering lip filler treatment is the risk of having
conspicuously bad results.
Patients often cite a certain person or celebrity who has as they describe “huge lips” caused
by fillers, applying the term “duck lips” as the descriptor.
They often say, “if this celebrity has so much money and they can afford the best, how
did they end up looking like that?”
The answer in my opinion is a combination of factors.
The first is the shared vision between the doctor and the celebrity.
It’s not unusual in this field for a particular type of doctor and patient who share a perception
of exaggerated features as being desirable.
At the same time, some people really feel that their lips should look in a way which
most people would perceive as being too large or disproportionate.
These individuals are committed to find the practitioners who are willing to help them
achieve their ideal vision.
This overfilling, or overuse of fillers is not my aesthetic.
My vision, which I share with my patients, is to achieve harmony so the facial features
look natural and the patient doesn’t appear as if they had a procedure done.
This natural aesthetic is way of achieving enhancement while maintaining the character
of the person I’m helping.
With the growing popularity of fillers and a wide range of physicians and non-physicians
performing these procedures, an increasing number of avoidable complications are being
reported.
It’s important to understand that minimally invasive is still invasive.
Once you go through the skin the risks of complications are comparable to the risks
of surgery.
This raises the question about the level of expertise the person performing the treatment
has if a complication were to occur.
When a complication occurs, timing of intervention by an expert who is a physician can be critical.
That being said, the art of lip filler placement in my hands begins with taking photos and
reviewing with my patient the details I see on the photo so we both agree on the areas
for enhancement.
I then plan on minimizing the number of points of placement to maximize my patient’s comfort.
I use blunt cannulas and anesthetics in a way, which minimizes trauma and maximizes
comfort.
My patients rarely have any bruising and have minimal swelling.
When it comes to lip volume, I’m conservative with the volume of filler I place so lips
look fuller and take on a shape consistent with the other facial features.
I see my patients after 2 weeks to see how the filler has settled, and we decide together
if additional filler is needed.
I feel that hyaluronic acid fillers are the safest, and ideal choice for lip fillers.
I routinely use Restylane-L, Restylane Silk, Juvederm Ultra XC, and Juvederm Volbella for
lip enhancement.
These are all softer, fillers which integrate well with the lips resulting in ease of movement
related to speech, expressions, and eating.
Softer hyaluronic acid fillers last about 6 months to a year and are gradually and safely
metabolized by the body.
Since hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body, these fillers are tolerated well
by the majority of patients.
An advantage with hyaluronic acid fillers is that should an undesirable outcome occurs,
I can dissolve the hyaluronic acid filler with an enzyme called hyaluronidase.
This characteristic is in line with my preference for any procedure where I strive for maximal
safety, predictability, reversibility and minimal discomfort and downtime.
This is in contrast with permanent or semi-permanent fillers, which can be associated with more
serious complications.
Complications such as nodules and infections can require surgical removal and can be disfiguring.
One of the most serious risks of lip filler injections is vascular occlusion, where the
filler is injected directly into a vessel, which then blocks a network of vessels which
are critical for blood supply to sections of the lip.
This can be disastrous as pain and loss of lip tissue can occur very quickly.
Again, the popularity of fillers creates a perception that these procedures are without
risk.
The question that should always be asked, like being on a plane, what happens if something
goes wrong.
Is this the most qualified practitioner when something doesn’t go as planned?
I often hear from my patients that they are hesitant to try having a lip filler placed
since they have a friend who experiences extensive bruising and swelling which prevented them
from seeing people and even going to work for several days.
Bruising occurs when a needle pierces a blood vessel.
Doctors or practitioners who enhance lips by performing multiple needle punctures often
create several bruises.
In addition, multiple entries of the needle through the lips may also cause bumps at the
entry points of the needle in addition to the bruises.
I routinely use blunt cannulas for placing lip fillers which significantly reduces trauma
to the tissue and vessels making bruising a rare event.
I also minimize the entry points so my patients experience minimal discomfort and minimal
swelling.
Like any cosmetic medical procedure, there are potential risks as soon as the skin penetrated
by any instrument, including needles and cannulas.
However, risks for any procedure are reduced by the knowledge, experience and techniques
used by the doctor.
I apply the standards to my patients that I would apply to any physician who would care
for any member of my family or myself.
By minimizing risk with optimal techniques, you are more likely to have the results you
want and have a positive experience.
I hope you found this information helpful...thank you for your question