LIP ENHANCEMENT

Lips are one of the features that defines a face ... full, parted lips are sensual, pursed lips tell you a person is angry and drooping lips will make you look sad. Lips are critical in helping people interpret our thoughts, and in the ageing face, the degradation of our lips plays a major role in making us look old.

Lip enhancement is one of our specialties at The Clinic. We take a constructively aesthetic approach to augmenting your lips, and use state-of-the-art products and procedures to design a mouth that looks just as it did when you were just blossoming ... or perhaps even better!

Lip enhancement is done with dermal fillers, and involves skillfully deciding on insertion points and volumes to be used in your lips to achieve a particular shape.

Decades ago, collagen was the only product available for lip enhancement; now we have products that are far more stable, long-lasting and bodily neutral.

Lip enhancement is one of the cosmetic procedures that requires more artistry than science, and at The Clinic, we revel in the chance to touch-up your canvas using lip enhancement techniques.

Lip enhancement is performed with the same tools and products as wrinkle treatment with dermal fillers. A biocompatible substance (at The Clinic, we prefer to use a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler) is injected strategically into areas in and around the lips.

This can create:

• An enhanced 'Cupid's Bow' - the curve of your lip between the nasolabial folds
• A stronger vermilion border, the slightly darker border around the edge of your lips
• Fuller, poutier lips
• Softened vertical upper lip lines, when the fillers are injected into this area.

Lip enhancement gives you a more defined smile; prevents lipstick bleeding; enhances pout; can turn the corners of the mouth upwards to create a happier expression; and makes you look much younger

We favour the low-risk, biocompatible dermal fillers used for wrinkle treatment in lip enhancement procedures. Some common and minor side effects include:

• Redness, itching and swelling at the injection sites
• Bruising, which can last between 2 and 10 days

Additionally, if you have lip enhancement performed by a non-skilled technician, you run the risk of getting an uneven result, disproportionate lips, or hard lumps. Some people are prone to more serious side effects; however at The Clinic we conduct extensive background checks and complete a full medical history as well as allergy tests to ensure that the risk of developing any of the following complications is close to zero:

• Allergic reactions to either the anaesthetic used to numb the lips, or the substance itself
• Bleeding
• Some systemic conditions like diabetes, lupus, clotting problems and infections will cause slow healing at the injection sites.

If you have recurrent cold sores, a facial nerve disorder or severe hypertension, lip enhancement with dermal fillers may not be your best solution. Talk to us about how we may still be able to fulfill your cosmetic aims at your free initial consultation.

A single treatment every 9-12 months can maintain your results.

The usual procedure for lip enhancement clients is:

• You'll speak with the doctor about your background and medical history at your initial consultation
• After hearing your goals for your lips, the doctor will formulate an enhancement plan, determining whether the vermilion border, your nasolabial folds, the oral commissures (corners of your mouth) and/or the body of your lips will be enhanced.

At your lip enhancement appointment:

• You'll have a local anaesthetic cream and/or injection applied to your lips
• While it is working, the doctor or nurse will map out the pre-determined areas of your lips to be treated
• The injections are administered, and cold packs are applied immediately afterwards

There are many nerve endings in your lips, and local anaesthesia is always recommended for lip enhancement.
With local anesthesia, the pain of lip enhancement is reduced to 0 out of 10.

Your lips will initially be swollen; you won't see the new shape of your lips straight away. It will take around a week for your lips to settle into their new shape. It is especially important to maintain your post-procedural care after a lip enhancement.

Please see the 'Preparation and Post-Procedural Care' tab for more information on preparation for lip enhancement and post-procedural care.