Lip filler procedures are one of the most Googled non-surgical aesthetic treatments and the number of patients interested in enhancing their lips is rising all the time. However, the popularity of lip augmentations shouldn’t give rise to a belief that treating the lips is a straightforward procedure. Lips are definitely not simple, as internationally acclaimed lip specialist and aesthetic trainer Julie Horne likes to say; a sentiment with which I wholeheartedly agree. So please ensure you are in medically qualified and experienced hands for your lip enhancements.
When treating lips, I will take into account a whole range of factors. The age of the patient is important – an ageing lip will show deflation, muscle loss and atrophy, wrinkles around the lip line and with lips tending to be more asymmetrical. 
It is important to tailor the dermal fillers I use to suit the individual patient – for instance, looser lip tissue or firmer tissue will require separate products. Differences in ethnicity also need to be considered, as natural lip shapes can vary in height and definition.
In addition, the very ‘platform’ which lies underneath our lips needs careful consideration. I am referring to our teeth of course, which will vary from person to person. If the top lip is over-filled, it can push the lip too far over the teeth. This in turn can adversely affect the smile, making teeth less visible.
Lips help give balance to the whole face, so when I am assessing a patient for lip fillers I am also using an artistic eye and thinking about the overall effect on the face as a whole. I aim to keep the appearance of the lips looking natural, as opposed to looking unnaturally full. Sometimes a fairly minor adjustment can make a very positive change. In many cases, a bit less is actually a lot more.
My patient ‘G’, who has kindly let me show her lip photos here, was delighted with her results. The aim was to restore the volume that had begun to diminish as she got older, rather than completely redesign her lips. I like to see my patients leave clinic feeling happy and confident with their enhanced lips; while at the same time still looking like themselves – just a more refreshed and newly defined version.
