The art of lip augmentation goes beyond simply adding volume. A skilled aesthetic provider understands that each lip shape is unique and requires a tailored approach to lip filler. At Aluma Aesthetic Medicine, we believe in enhancing your natural beauty by working with your specific lip shape for the most natural results. In this blog, we’ll explore different lip shapes and how the careful application of dermal fillers can help you achieve your desired look.
1. The Classic Lip Shape
Symmetrical lips, with balanced fullness between the upper and lower lips, are often seen as the epitome of youth and beauty. This naturally harmonious shape exudes vitality, but some may wish to enhance their volume slightly to better harmonize their features.
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Best Use of Filler for Classic Shaped Lips:
For those with a classic symmetrical lip shape, a gentle increase in volume can enhance the lips without compromising their natural beauty. Dr. Nathaniel Brigham MD, of Aluma Aesthetic Medicine in Portland, OR, prefers to add subtle volume to the lip’s tubercles, ensuring the most natural-looking results.
*Moderate swelling is apparent; this before and after lip filler photo was taken immediately after treatment.
2. The Thin Lip Shape
Genetics is often responsible for the thin lip shape. Many people with thin lips seek a fuller, more defined look but want to avoid an overdone or unnatural appearance. Enhancing thin lips requires precision to add volume and shape to the upper lip without creating excessive forward projection. Achieving the right balance between fullness and subtlety is essential. A skilled practitioner can deliver beautiful, natural-looking results that enhance the lips while maintaining harmony with the face.
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Optimal Filler Techniques for Thin Lips:
Achieving natural-looking results in patients with thin lips requires a comprehensive and precise approach. Dr. Nathaniel Brigham starts by volumizing the body of the lips, subtly enhancing fullness in a balanced way. If the patient desires additional lip exposure, he may apply filler in a vertical column pattern to increase upper lip projection. Depending on the patient’s needs, he defines the lip’s contour by adding filler along the vermillion border. He may use Botox above the lip (lip flip) to further enhance upper lip visibility if appropriate.
*This before-and-after lip filler photo, taken two weeks after treatment, shows minor swelling. Some patients may need 3-4 weeks to see fully settled, final results.
3. The Uneven Lip Shape
Genetics, aging, or scarring can cause lip asymmetry, which is common. Most people do not have perfectly symmetric lips. Many choose filler treatments to correct this imbalance and create a more harmonious appearance.
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Ideal Filler Applications For Asymmetric Lips:
Correcting uneven lips requires expertise, advanced technique, and careful attention to lip ratios. Expert injectors choose specific fillers based on their properties to harmonize differences in volume or shape. The goal is to enhance natural beauty while addressing individual concerns, ultimately creating a more confident smile.
*This lip filler before-and-after photo is three weeks after treatment; most swelling has subsided.
4. The Previously Pouty Lip Shape
Some people are lucky and enjoy naturally full, pouty lips in their youth—a feature often associated with vitality and beauty. However, as the years pass, even the fullest lips can lose their volume, leading to fine lines, wrinkles, and a deflated appearance. The once youthful, plump lips can gradually deflate and become less robust, leaving many seeking lip filler.
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Achieving Natural Results for Previously Pouty Lips
When addressing lips that have lost volume over time, more filler is typically required to achieve a natural, full appearance. We prefer using a filler like RHA3 or Juvederm Ultra, blended with a small amount of sterile saline to enhance flexibility. This allows for more seamless integration with the lip tissue, resulting in a natural and aesthetically pleasing outcome.
*This photo was taken five weeks after a lip filler treatment, and no swelling is apparent.
5. The Aging Lip Shape
As we age, our lips gradually lose volume, structure, and definition, resulting in a thinner appearance, fine lines, and downturned corners. The two columns of the lips that run vertically from the nose to the cupid’s bow also flatten and smooth. Forward projection of the lips diminishes, and vertical lines, often called “smoker’s lines,” can begin to form.
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Top Filler Methods for Aging Lips
When treating aging lips, the goal is to restore lost volume, enhance structure, and smooth fine lines. A flexible filler is typically used to restore volume to the main body of the lips. Dr. Brigham injects a subtle amount in the lateral lip (the thinner side walls of lips) for a natural, balanced look. Filler is also injected at the corners of the mouth to lift the downturned oral commissures and return them to a neutral position. If vertical lip lines, or “smoker’s lines,” remain after volumizing the lips, a small amount of a highly flexible filler, such as Revance Redenisty or Juvederm Volbella, is applied just above the upper lip. Precise filler placement in the philtral columns can further refine the result for additional lip restoration.
*This before and after lip filler photo illustrates fully healed lip filler for a patient wishing for an ultra natural lip restoration. The main focus was restoring the philtral columns and folds around the corners of the mouth.
Embracing Your Unique Beauty
At Aluma Aesthetic Medicine, we recognize that every pair of lips is unique. We focus on enhancing your natural lip shape through a personalized approach to lip augmentation, ensuring beautiful and authentic results. Whether you want to add subtle volume, correct asymmetry, or address age-related changes, our expert team helps you embrace your unique beauty.
Please contact us at Aluma Aesthetic Medicine in Portland, Oregon, today to schedule a consultation and find the best lip enhancement approach for you. We look forward to helping you achieve your lip goals.
