Small Lips? Asymmetric Lips? Chronically Dehydrated Lips? Nonexistent Lips? Botched Lip Job? 

No problem! Lip Filler to the rescue!

Lip Fillers are made up of hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring substance in your body. Hyaluronic acid lip fillers are soft and feel like your natural lips. They are a safe and effective way to create a more aesthetically-pleasing pout, restoring lost volume and improving the shape of your lips. 

Lip fillers give you immediate results. Over time, your body dissolves the hyaluronic acid, so touch-ups are recommended every 9 to 12 months in order to maintain your desired look.

There are many different lip filler injection techniques that can give your lips the shape and look you want. 

When applying lip filler, the injection technique used will depend on what your specific aesthetic goals are. 

The Vertical Fence technique involves making small deposits of hyaluronic acid filler into the lips in a linear, vertical pattern to increase the height of your lips.

The Deep Horizontal technique involves making small deposits of hyaluronic acid filler into the lips in a linear, horizontal pattern to increase the volume of your lips.

The Vertical Fan technique creates lip height and creates a sharply defined the cupid's bow. The Vertical Fan technique can be modified to create a tall, flat upper lip, which is also known as the Russian Lip Filler technique and involves making small deposits of hyaluronic acid filler into the lips in a linear, diagonal pattern to increase the height of your lips and create a pyramidal shape to the upper lip and a sharp cupid's bow.

The Linear Threading technique is ideal if you are looking for just a little but of hydration and volume. This technique involves placing very small linear threads into the lip in a fanned pattern.

The Cupid's Bow technique is for those looking to increase and sharpen their cupid's bow. This technique involves injecting the Cupid's Bow directly in an M-shaped pattern. 

A combination of each of these techniques can be done in one session to effectively achieve a natural look, all the while increasing the lip volume and height, a little or a lot, depending on your desired results.

There are different types of hyaluronic acid lip fillers that can be used to achieve different results. The lip fillers used at Monaco MedSpa are USA FDA-approved fillers from Juvéderm and Restylane. Within these 2 brands, they offer a variety of different type of lip fillers in terms of their thickness and ability to attract water, called their hydrophilic properties.

If the lips need structure or are extremely small, a thicker hyaluronic acid filler would be best to provide structural support.

For just a little volume and hydration, a thinner hydrophilic hyaluronic acid filler is best.

For pouty lips or large lips, an intermediate or higher thickness hydrophilic hyaluronic acid filler is best.

During the consultation, show the doctor some pictures of lips you like. 

Also discuss your lip goals with the doctor. Maybe you’re looking for subtle results, or maybe you are more interested in significantly accentuating and volumizing your lips. You can achieve a wide range of results with lip fillers.

Will It Hurt?

Even if you truly dislike needles, that shouldn't keep you from trying lip filler injections. Here at Monaco MedSpa, we have a variety of ways to make your lip filler injection session pain free.

There is Dr. Barrueta's specially compounded topical numbing cream that she has made especially for her patients. She can also inject your gums with lidocaine like the dentist does, called a dental block, so you wont feel anything other than the gum injection. Or if you prefer, there is also Nitrous Oxide, laughing gas, available.

Upon arriving at your appointment, let us know which analgesic method you would prefer. Most people don't feel anything after applying Dr. Barrueta's special numbing cream for 30 to 60 minutes.

Additionally, all lip fillers contain pain-reducing lidocaine, which is a local anesthetic to further reduce discomfort.

What Can I Expect After I Get Lip Fillers?

• Right afterwards: There will be swelling.

• Day 2-3: They get bruised. The lips are naturally red because of all of the blood vessels in them. So when you poke the lips to place the filler, you may cause some bruising. You can apply lipstick after 24 hours. They are also still swollen at this stage.

• Day 4-7: They start taking shape.

• Day 8-13: They look gorgeous but may feel a little hard, because they are still healing.

• Day 14-28: The final result. Lips are now fully healed. This is when you decide if you want them a little bit bigger or if they are big enough.

• 9-12 Months After: Lips still look better than before they were filled, but it’s time for a touch up. Lip filler tends to last less than filler placed elsewhere in the body because lips move a lot (to talk and eat) and movement speeds up the breakdown of the hyaluronic acid in the filler.
  

Make sure to do it when you don't have any events planned in the next couple of days.  You may have swelling, tenderness, bruising, firmness, and lumps/bumps a few days after lip filler, but the swelling will subside within a couple of weeks to reveal your new, beautiful pout. So you need to plan your lip filler appointment carefully.

If possible, and approved by your primary doctor, it is best to stop taking aspirin, vitamins, supplements, NSAIDs, ibuprofen, blood thinners, and medications that could cause swelling and bruising 2 weeks before your lip filler appointment. Call and ask us for a list of medications and supplements that cause swelling and bruising.

It is also important to discuss any other procedures or medicines you've recently had, or are planning to have, with our doctor. 

Lastly, to speed up healing and help reduce some swelling after your lip filler injections, avoid strenuous exercise, sun, and heat after your appointment and take a break from makeup and lipstick for at least 24 hours to keep the area clean.

You can expect natural-looking results. After your treatment, you might think that it’ll be obvious that you’ve “gotten something done.” However, unless you’ve chosen to dramatically increase the size of your lips, you may find that everyone will notice how great you look, but most people won't be able to pinpoint the reason why, because your results will look natural.

Also, don't forget to schedule your follow-up appointment before you leave the office. Ideally, 2 to 4 weeks afterwards, to ensure all swelling has subsided and that you are happy with the results. Once the swelling resolves, you may decide you want another half or full syringe. Sometimes to get the perfect lips it may take more than one syringe of lip filler and more than one session, weeks apart.

Conversely, if you decide you don't like lip filler, hyaluronic acid lip fillers can be dissolved with a product called Hylenex. Or you can wait until your body dissolves them because hyaluronic acid is slowly metabolized by your body and over time your lips usually return to their normal size and shape if you don't get touch-ups.

Sometimes to get gorgeous lips we have to dissolve lip filler placed by other injectors. Some injectors inject outside the red lip border and this can cause filler to migrate, creating the famous "duck lips." Other times, they inject boluses and create lip lumps or irregularities. In these cases, it is best to dissolve the old filler and start anew. Lip filler, correctly injected by an experienced provider, can make lips look exquisite.

Am I Too Old For Lip Filler?

No! You are never to old for lip filler!

It is incredible how the right amount of lip filler done correctly can restore a youthful look to a maturing face. Sometimes people are afraid to get their lips filled because many people put too much lip filler in their lips and they look abnormal. However, there are all types of lip fillers and techniques and there is the right filler and technique for all ages, form 18 to 9- years old.

Done tastefully, lip filler can really improve your appearance and liven up your face. A touch of lip filler can hydrate your lips, smooth out lip wrinkles, restore lost lip volume and help fix the lip asymmetries that occur with aging. 

A little bit of lip volume can also make the face and nose look smaller and the face more proportional. Lip filler can help the overall appearance of the face.

From plump and juicy lips to just a tiny bit of hydration, we can give you the exact lips you want!