Enhancing Thin Lips with Lip Fillers: Achieving Natural-Looking Results on Your First Try

Lip fillers have become a popular and accessible way to enhance natural beauty, particularly for those who have thin lips. Yet, many people considering getting lip fillers for the first time are hesitant about taking this step and achieving a natural look. Fortunately, achieving natural-looking results with lip fillers for thin lips is entirely possible when you rely on the skill and guidance of an experienced practitioner, such as the medical professionals at The Rejuva Center at Williams in Albany, New York.

Start Lip Fillers Conservatively

Natural-looking lip fillers are possible when you keep an important goal in mind. The purpose is to enhance your unique beauty, not to drastically change your appearance. If you remember that, then it logically follows that the correct approach to take with lip fillers is a conservative one that focuses on your lips’ natural shape and proportions and keeps concerns such as asymmetry in mind.

Ways to Emphasize Natural Shape and Proportions

For most patients looking for natural lip filler results, it’s important to remember that technique matters most, and less is more in terms of volume. Therefore, to achieve a natural look, most practitioners only need to use one syringe full (1 cc) of filler or less, injected across different areas of the lips, including the Cupid’s bow, the lower lip, and the vermillion border. Practitioners should also use a horizontal “fanning” motion to evenly spread the filler throughout the lip, rather than injecting it vertically or in a larger lump to add volume. Patients who request more height in their lips will also benefit from a more specific type of fanning motion, called “tenting.” When tenting, practitioners inject the filler almost vertically into the lips starting at the white line that borders the top of the upper lip.

Depending on a patient’s age, race, and natural anatomy, it may be necessary to focus more on a particular area of the lips, such as the oral commissure (where the upper and lower lips meet), or to add filler in the areas around the mouth to reduce fine lines and sagging that may contribute to thinner-looking lips. Finally, in some cases, a patient’s anatomy, such as having a particularly small chin, may contribute to the look of thin lips. In these cases, practitioners may recommend additional enhancements or a different technique to achieve the patient’s desired results.

How to Address Asymmetry Concerns

Many patients decide to use lip fillers to address thin lips because they notice an imbalance in their lips; however, correcting this imbalance is sometimes more complicated than simply adding volume to the lips. Addressing issues of lip asymmetry should be a part of any lip filler procedure, and practitioners must take care to make sure that the injections they perform are even and balanced.

However, if you have natural lip asymmetry, practitioners may need to take a more comprehensive approach. During your consultation, your practitioner will discuss various options with you. This may include injecting more filler in one area of the lips or using complementary procedures such as Botox® or other wrinkle reducers in and around the mouth.

The Benefit of Hyaluronic Acid Fillers

When using fillers for natural lip enhancement, the type of filler used makes a difference. Fillers can either be thick and hard or soft and malleable. For the lips, you want to use a softer filler, which is why most practitioners recommend hyaluronic acid-based fillers such as Juvéderm® and Restylane®. Hyaluronic acid naturally exists within the body, making it easier for the body to accept these injections. It also binds to the water molecules already found in your lips to create a more natural and smooth appearance.

Finally, hyaluronic acid fillers are the preferred type of lip filler because they can be easily dissolved with the use of hyaluronidase, an enzyme that melts away hyaluronic acid quickly and naturally. This can be important in cases where patients decide they want to reduce the volume of their lips after getting filler injections.

The Natural-Looking Lip Filler Procedure

Although the results of natural lip enhancement may be more subtle, the procedure itself is no different than any other filler procedure. That means clients need to prepare for temporary side effects and practice good aftercare techniques.

Expect Some Swelling and Bruising

Most patients will experience some swelling and bruising immediately following lip filler injections. For this reason, it is important to refrain from using aspirin or ibuprofen before the procedure, as this can make bruising worse. Instead, use ice on the areas of injection after the fact.

Furthermore, because your lips will naturally swell following filler injections, most practitioners recommend waiting at least two weeks to allow the filler to settle before deciding to either add more filler or have the filler reduced with hyaluronidase.

Maintain Good Follow-up and Aftercare

With proper care, lip filler injections should last anywhere from six to 12 months, depending on a patient’s age and rate of metabolism. However, you can enhance the results of your filler experience by following basic aftercare procedures, including using ice as needed in the first 24 hours and avoiding any action that “purses” the lips, such as drinking through a straw or smoking, in the first few hours after the filler is injected. Practitioners also recommend remaining upright or sleeping propped up on pillows in the first few hours following the procedure to prevent lip filler migration.

Natural Looking Lip Fillers at The Rejuva Center

Since 1999, the experienced medical professionals at The Rejuva Center at Williams in Albany, NY, have helped patients achieve naturally thin lips and beautifully enhance their looks through the conservative application of lip fillers. Any type of lip filler application requires experience and sound judgment.

Every patient who is thinking about getting lip fillers will start their journey with a one-on-one consultation that allows them to express their current concerns and desired results. Afterward, our practitioners will design a unique lip filler plan that is tailored to those specific concerns and desired results. As a result, our patients have been thrilled with their overall results.

The Rejuva Center Patient Experience

Patients at The Rejuva Center come to us with a variety of concerns and desires. Specifically, those interested in natural lip fillers are drawn to our more than 20 years of experience and reputation for providing patients with the results that they want.

As one patient recently explained, her experience with Dr. Kathryn Williams Lee not only provided the results she was looking for, but also really helped boost her confidence. She remarked, “I’ve always had very small lips, and specifically my top lip is very thin. After treatment, my lips were much more full and proportionate but still looked very natural, which is exactly what I was hoping for.”

She explained that her lip filler before and after results were not only natural but exactly what she asked for. “I was very happy with my results. I was so nervous my lips wouldn’t look natural, and that definitely wasn’t the case. They have a soft plump with a perfect shape and look very hydrated.”

Similarly, other patients working with our clinicians on natural lip filler solutions found the experience satisfying, professional, and exactly what they wanted. Another patient, who worked with Dr. Alfredo Lloreda, told us, “My results were natural yet satisfying. My top lip is much thinner than my bottom, with my right side much, much lower than the left, and it has always been uneven. Dr. Lloreda helped to even it out while keeping a natural appearance.”

Learn More About Our Cosmetic Lip Treatment Options

The results of these two patients are only part of the story. The doctors and medical professionals at The Rejuva Center take a patient-focused approach to cosmetic enhancement that emphasizes the natural lines and contours of the face while also helping to enhance areas of concern in a way that is beautiful, natural, and satisfying. Contact us to schedule a consultation today to learn more about our process as well as how lip fillers can help you naturally enhance thin lips.