Fuller lips are not simply a trend; they’re a proven aesthetic that helps your face look more attractive as a whole. Not everyone is born with these desired traits, however, and for those who are, the aging process can slowly but surely take them away. At Priority You MD in Clearwater, FL, we recommend Volbella. Designed specifically for the lips, this injectable delivers proven, natural-looking, and long-lasting results.
As a member of the Juvederm family, this filler shares many qualities with its cousins, including the presence of hyaluronic acid (HA). HA occurs naturally throughout the body and gives the face a full, supple appearance. With its ability to hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, it also moisturizes and nourishes the skin from deep within underlying tissues.
But Volbella is uniquely formulated with a thin, silky consistency. This allows us to inject the treatment very close to the surface without fear of causing lumps. What you see, in turn, are visible results that can be customized to your preference. If you want a slightly more dramatic lip enhancement, we can deliver that effect just as easily as we can provide subtle plumping.
Although it contains the word “acid,” HA does not exfoliate as other acids do. That which the body produces is a plumper, protector, healer, and humectant. When we say it hydrates, we’re not fully explaining the power behind this polymer. It controls all water content of the skin to protect this organ from premature aging and maintain a youthful appearance.
Think of HA as a sponge that attracts and retains water wherever it is – provided you drink and eat enough water-rich foods to support its activities. In terms of structure, HA has a high molecular weight and does not enter skin cells. Instead, it remains between cells, primarily within the dermis, to help regulate water movement and content. We tell you all of this to understand HA in and of itself paves the path to plumper, softer tissues.
HA is safe, highly biocompatible (it doesn’t harm issues or cause adverse reactions), and very hydrophilic (meaning it interacts well with water). A study published in the Aesthetic Surgery Journal confirms this polymer can immediately fill a volume of roughly 15 % at the injection site. But to make HA useable for cosmetic treatments, it must be stabilized with cross-linked proteins.
Our bodies naturally degrade HA every day; it lasts less than 24 hours within the skin so that we must constantly produce more. This isn’t a problem when we’re younger, but as we age, the rate at which we synthesize HA naturally slows. The same is true of the lips, which become thinner, flatter, and essentially shapeless. Fillers can temporarily reverse these effects, but only when they’re formulated correctly.
Cross-linking makes HA more resistant to degradation so it can remain intact at the treatment site. Many fillers last around six months, but Volbella keeps going for up to 18 months. The difference is in how its molecules are bonded together, or cross-linked. Tighter cross-linking means a higher percentage of HA molecules per mL within the gel that suspends them.
In addition, fillers can be made with HA molecules all cross-linked with the same molecular weights to create a single-consistency gel – thick, medium, or thin – or molecular weights in different patterns for a variable consistency. These different techniques ultimately give us a variety of fillers that behave individually, achieve different aesthetic goals and last for varying lengths of time.
Juvederm takes cross-linking HA molecules one step further with its proprietary Vycross technology. This creates a formula of 10% high and 90% low molecular weight to deliver a tight, efficient filler more resistant to natural degradation. The benefits of Vycross include:
The homogenous matrix created by Vycross gives way to silky consistency that is not granular like other fillers. This allows us to “massage” the injectable after treatment to ensure symmetry, proportion, and protrusion for your lips. In a study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
All of the attributes we’ve described above give Volbella a slightly thinner and highly malleable consistency. It’s also soft to craft gentle but sexy results, and because it’s formulated specifically for lip enhancement, this filler takes a different approach when compared to its competitors. Rather than merely increase volume, it also reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles in and near the mouth. This provides a more comprehensive treatment for patients.
Because it’s designed for pout plumping, this filler uniquely contains a small amount of non-cross-linked HA molecules to enhance its delivery and minimize degradability. In all, we use this injectable to:
Smoother injections usually result in fewer side effects, including bruising and inflammation, to make this filler extremely well-tolerated. But even with high levels of patient satisfaction, desirable results, and little likelihood of adverse reactions, many patients hesitate to have treatment out of fear. We’re talking about a deep-rooted fear of pain and tenderness that can create real anxiety.
We’re happy to say that Juvederm formulates its fillers with lidocaine, a numbing agent long used to moderate pain reactions both during and immediately after treatment. Lidocaine takes effect in just seconds but lasts less than 30 minutes so your mouth doesn’t feel distorted the rest of the day. Adding this agent does not reduce the efficacy of Volbella; just the opposite, it helps assuage fears and makes for a much more comfortable treatment experience.
This injectable smooths away wrinkles and improves hydration as it plumps your pout, but it also addresses lip shape in a way that conforms to aesthetic ideals. We’re talking about the ratio of the upper lip to the bottom, which is ideally 1:2, or an upper lip that is half as big as the lower. And generally speaking, the most appealing lips have a surface area about 50% bigger than their natural size and occupy about 10% of the lower one-third of your face.
While we cannot guarantee these precise results for every patient, we do ensure your lips are proportionate with the rest of your face and flatter your other features. This means no more duck lips, in which tissues are filled to unnatural sizes and/or have an inordinately large upper lip.
As a result of the controlled variability possessed by this injectable, it is much better suited to plumping the lips than many other commercially available products. For instance, a viscous filler with large molecules and a granular consistency is not ideal for injecting into lips because it can be detected with touch. Likewise, an overly soft product cannot deliver volume because it simply sinks into deep tissue planes.
It’s counterintuitive to think of a cosmetic therapy that doesn’t pose recovery periods, but Volbella defies expectations. Patients are able to get on with their days immediately after treatment, as proven by clinical research. We’re going to circle back to that study published by the NIH and reveal that after injections, 62.3% of subjects attended social engagements on the same day as therapy. All subjects resumed normal activities within four to five days.
You will have some recovery guidelines to follow, but they’re generally short and simple. We recommend you avoid rubbing and touching your lips for 24 hours after treatment. Also, avoid vigorous heat and exercising for 72 hours, and skip exfoliating your lips for two to three days.
Although this injectable is durable, it’s not permanent. This makes it ideal for patients who only want subtle enhancements or aren’t sure they’ll like how they look with plumper lips. We’ll craft a plan that gives only the amount of filler you need but not more. Then, if you choose to go with fuller results at a later time, you’re free to do so.
We’ve already touched on this, but we want to reiterate your results will look natural. The formulation delivers more than volume so your lips don’t protrude in an unattractive manner, and we enhance the shape and define borders for an overall pleasing aesthetic.
Each session lasts between 30 minutes and an hour so we don’t occupy significant chunks of your time. This is substantial for patients who have busy schedules, demanding jobs, and ongoing family obligations. The point is that treatment is quick enough to accommodate almost anyone.
In this same vein, preparation is similarly easy. We’ll provide guidelines specific to your needs during your consultation, but we always recommend that patients avoid supplements and medications that thin the blood for seven to 10 days. This includes alcohol and vitamins E and K. It’s also important to stay hydrated to support HA and wear sunscreen when you go outside – UV rays are known to degrade HA molecules.
Unlike surgery, most patients are candidates for dermal fillers. For Volbella, we generally want you to be in sound overall health with a desire to correct asymmetry or volume loss in the lips. Younger patients (over age 21) who simply want to add fullness to their lips are also encouraged to consider treatment.
Only a few patients may need to have alternative therapies or delay until a later time. For instance, those with fever blisters, cold soreVolbellas, or sunburns should delay treatment. The same is true of those recovering from viral or bacterial infections, as well as pregnant or nursing women.
Because this filler is designed specifically for the lips, it plumps, hydrates, and smooths wrinkles in an almost effortless manner. You’ll enjoy long-lasting results and, because HA is a naturally-occurring substance, the formulation is silky smooth to enhance lip tissues without bumps. Schedule your consultation today by calling Priority You MD in Clearwater, FL.
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