Sexy, luscious lips are in — and in a big way. Need proof? Take a look at Instagram — it’s not just celebrities who are flaunting softer, fuller lips. Thanks to today’s lip fillers, a younger, sexier, more attractive smile is within reach of pretty much everyone at just about any age. With lip fillers, you can get the results you’re looking for in just one treatment with no downtime and at a cost that suits most budgets. In fact, lip enhancement is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve your looks in just a single office visit.
At Sanctuary Cosmetic Center, we help women and men from Mclean and Dulles, Virginia, improve not only the fullness of their lips, but the shape and contours, too. And with the right combination of dermal fillers, we can smooth out lip lines and wrinkles in the lip area for a smile that looks younger, sexier, and more energized.
There are plenty of dermal fillers on the market today, but not every filler is intended for lip enhancement. The best options for lips are fillers that use hyaluronic acid, a substance that occurs naturally in your skin, helping it stay firm and resilient. As we get older, our skin produces less hyaluronic acid — and that’s when we lose volume in our lips. At Sanctuary Cosmetic Center, we use two brands of hyaluronic acids — Restylane® and Juvederm® — to help our patients get the fuller, sexier lips they want.
Restylane is a family of dermal fillers that use different formulations of hyaluronic acid to treat different areas of the face. At Sanctuary Cosmetic Center, we use Restylane Silk for lip enhancement. Restylane Silk uses very small particles of hyaluronic acid for super-smooth results. In addition to adding plumpness to your lips, Restylane Silk can help get rid of lip lines and improve the overall shape of your lips.
Juvederm is another big family of hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers. When Juvederm is injected into your lips, the hyaluronic acid formulation immediately plumps lips, while also acting to absorb moisture inside your skin for an added boost of plumpness. Depending on your goals, we might suggest two other Juvederm formulations — Juvederm Ultra and Juvederm Voluma — to enhance the areas around your lips for an even more youthful appearance.
When it comes to injectables, Botox is the most widely used by a long shot — about 8 million people had Botox treatments in 2019, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. But Botox isn’t a filler — it’s a neuromuscular agent that helps relax specific, underlying muscles, helping to smooth out lines and wrinkles. When most people think of Botox, they think of applications around the eyes and forehead. But Botox can be used in other places, too, including the lip area. When injected around the upper lip, Botox relaxes the muscles that pull your lip down, helping create a fuller, poutier look. By lifting the upper lip ever so slightly, Botox can “reverse” some of the lip sagging that happens as you get older, so your lips look more youthful. Plus, it can be used to treat tiny, vertical “smoker’s lines” that can appear around the edges of your lips. Depending on what issues it’s treating, Botox can be used alone or with fillers for greater enhancement.
That depends on the filler that’s used, but most lip enhancement can last from about six months to a year. The good news is, treatment can be repeated, so you can continue to enjoy sexy, full lips. One more thing to consider: While you’ll see some results immediately, it takes a week or two for fillers to “settle in.” That’s when you’ll see your complete results.
Why is lip enhancement so popular? Because your smile is one of the first features people notice about you — and making sure your lips look their best can help you feel more self-confident. Getting beautiful lips starts with understanding what works best for you. What looks good on a celebrity might not be a good choice for your mouth and face shape. The key to getting the best results is to have realistic expectations and to discuss your goals with the doctor. Both Dr. Rostami and Dr. Nazemzadeh are experienced in using a variety of fillers to help each patient achieve their goals. By sharing your concerns, goals, and expectations, your doctor will be able to create a custom lip augmentation plan that’s ideal for you.
Ready to lock in more luscious lips? At Sanctuary Cosmetic Center, we’re ready to help. To learn more about lip augmentation at our McLean and Dulles locations, book your appointment online today.
