Mistletoe Here I Come

At this time of year, there’s a lot of kissing going on. It may be a peck on the cheek from your Mom when you show up for the family get-together, it could be under the mistletoe at a party with a bunch of friends, or it could just be with your spouse or partner when he or she opens your gift. Question is, are your lips ready for the attention?

At AesthetiSpa we use dermal fillers to plump the lips of our patients. More shape. More volume. More kissable lips are the end result. Bring on the mistletoe!

Do our lips thin with age?

Just as your facial skin seems to sag and look less firm as the years pass, the same happens to your lips. The culprit is decreasing collagen production. Every year after you turn 20 your body produces one additional percentage point less collagen. If you’re 50, your body is producing 30 percent less collagen than when you were young. And because collagen is responsible for the skin’s underlying structural support, this decrease creates sagging and volume loss.

Your lips are not immune. It’s not your imagination — they have thinned noticeably with age. Also, vertical lip lines form as volume decreases.

What are some lip features that can be changed?

At AesthetiSpa, our goal with lip augmentation is unique to each patient. You may want to erase some vertical lip lines. Or you may want to make your lips more symmetrical. Or maybe you simply want plumper, more kissable lips!

These are some specific areas we consider with lip augmentation:

• Cupid’s bow — This is the name of the area in the middle of your upper lip. This is thought to be the focus of the lips, and we add definition.
• Center fullness — Signature lip beauty means they are fuller in the center, tapering off at the corners.
• Profile projection — When viewed from the side, your upper lip should project slightly above your lower lip.
• Side-to-side symmetry — Augmentation can balance asymmetrical lips.

What fillers are used for lip augmentation?

At AesthetiSpa we use hyaluronic acid dermal fillers for lip augmentation. We like hyaluronic acid because it is a naturally occurring substance in the human body whose job is to firm and plump the skin. It does so by combining with water molecules at the injection sites. These fillers are easy to work with and results can be finely tuned.

These are the hyaluronic acid fillers we use for lip augmentation.

• Juvederm^® Ultra  and Ultra Plus XC

Juvederm^® is a large family of dermal fillers and several are used for lip augmentation.  Juvederm^® Ultra XC and Ultra Plus XC are intended to visibly plump the lips. These fillers can add definition to the borders and fill volume throughout. 

• Restylane^®-L and Restylane^® Silk

Like Juvederm^®, the Restylane^® family of dermal fillers has also been expanding. Restylane^® Silk is specifically formulated for lip augmentation and for filling vertical lip lines. Compared with the other Restylane^® fillers, Silk is formulated with smaller hyaluronic acid particles, making it perfect for plumping and adding volume to the lips, but not in an overly showy way. Restylane-L is slightly thicker than Silk and can give more fullness and definition to the lips. 

Want full, eminently kissable lips for the holidays and into the New Year? Call us at AesthetiSpa, (843) 849-9925, to make an appointment.