One of the most commonly asked questions from patients has been “how long do fillers last?” The new answer: fillers will fade with time, but the injections are actually stimulating your body's growth of new collagen creating lasting and natural results.
As we age, collagen levels begin to decrease, giving rise to visible lines and wrinkles. Thus, repeat JUVÉDERM® injections can help the treatments last longer due to increased collagen production.
“Staying hydrated and promoting the production of collagen by drinking [plenty of] of water, getting eight hours of sleep, taking a probiotic, taking a multivitamin, and using an SPF in your lip products when outside will help [keep your lips looking full],” Patel says.
Lip fillers restore or add volume to your lips. They don't stop the aging process, but they might help delay the need for a more invasive surgical lip augmentation, like lip implants or a lip lift. They can also help you achieve a desired look, which boosts your self-esteem.
“When you repeatedly enlarge the lips — pumping them up as big as possible — the filler can act as a tissue expander, permanently stretching the skin, and causing the lips to sag and deflate when the filler eventually degrades, leaving you in worse shape than when you started,” she explains.
And yes, using too much lip filler product can permanently stretch lip skin. If this occurs, it is possible to perform surgery to remove excess skin from the lips.
As you age, your body's production of collagen starts to slow down, which leads to sagging and reduction of volume in areas of your face, like your cheeks and your lips. Hyaluronic acid production also slows down.
Botox Encourages Collagen Production
Studies show that after the age of 20, the body produces less collagen, increasing the chances of wrinkles. While many people assume Botox is a simple collagen replacement, that's not the whole story. One study shows that Botox actually promotes collagen production.
If you want to make your lips look fuller without the wait, try using a lip plumper that stimulates blood flow to your lips to temporarily increase their fullness. (These are the ones that tingle a bit.)
Poly-L-lactic acid (Sculptra) is an injectable filler used to replace lost facial fat. This synthetic polymer has been used for many years in dissolvable stitches and bone screws. This product stimulates the body's own collagen for better skin texture and a longer-lasting result.
Eating foods rich in vitamin C and amino acids can increase the levels of hyaluronic acid and collagen in the body as both are important for skin. Foods such as oranges, red peppers, kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and strawberries are all rich in vitamin C.
Discontinuing the treatment will not make your wrinkles worse. When the effect wears off, the treated area will go back to its original appearance. With dermal fillers, most people think your skin will become wrinkly or saggy if you stop getting injections. This is not necessarily true.
Fillers are a great option for patients seeking a softer, more youthful look. However, if used improperly or over used, fillers can have negative long term consequences. In fact, patients who do not properly use filler could actually speed up their skin's aging process, resulting in older looking skin.
Using injectable filler for large-scale body contouring or body enhancement can lead to serious injury, including long-term pain, infection, permanent scarring or disfigurement, and even death.
The evidence suggests that hyaluronic acid helps with soft tissue growth, prompts your body to make more collagen and elastin, keeps your skin moisturized, prevents tightness, boots elasticity, and reduces scarring.
HAc filler stimulates collagen type 1 and elastic fiber synthesis through the TGF-β/Smad pathway. The role of HAc-HAp composite fillers in photoaging in animal models and their effects on skin, including elasticity and tensile strength, should be investigated.
Treat skin with care
Be extra gentle when applying skincare products and steer clear of retinol, glycolic acid, and exfoliating agents for 24 to 48 hours post-treatment to minimize the risk of irritation, says Dr. Goldberg.
Collagen levels decrease with age and, unfortunately, there's no way to prevent this. The good news is that there are several cosmetic treatments that can rebuild or restore collagen.
“Staying hydrated and promoting the production of collagen by drinking [plenty of] of water, getting eight hours of sleep, taking a probiotic, taking a multivitamin, and using an SPF in your lip products when outside will help [keep your lips looking full],” Patel says.
Usually, a top-up once every six months will help to keep the desired result but do ask your practitioner what they would recommend. If you're considering getting lip fillers, download our free guide below which will help you find a good, reputable practitioner for your treatments.
How fast the treatment is processed is based on your individual metabolism. The experts at Body+Beauty Lab can let you know how long to expect results to last during your initial treatment. When the treatment is dissolved, patients will notice their lips return to their normal appearance.
Patients often notice that their lips feel lumpy, bumpy, and/or overly inflated following lip filler injections. This is a normal phenomenon and is to be expected. Over the next 14 days, as the fillers settle and soften, the lips should become much smoother and more even.