Lip Fillers: How To Avoid Migration and Lip Filler Spreading
Lip fillers are a variation of dermal filler used by many patients to achieve bigger lips, a more defined pout and a return to a mouth that brims with all the fullness and proportion of youth. When performed by the right person, this form of aesthetic treatment can boost confidence significantly and have an almighty impact on the self-esteem and mental wellbeing of those who choose to undergo these needle-led procedures.
Even now, lip enhancements are still one of the most requested non-surgical treatments. And with hyaluronic acid used as an efficient way of adding volume and hydration to lips, it isn’t hard to see why.
Unfortunately, though, the popularity of lip fillers means that there is an increased possibility that things won’t quite go to plan, especially if you are in the wrong hands. Poor injection technique can lead to migration – the act of filler spreading to unintended locations – and the emergence of what has come to be known as “duck lips” or a “trout pout”.
How do lip fillers work?
In order to gain a fuller understanding of how to stop this from happening, it’s important to find out more about how lip fillers work and why they are used.
As noted, most modern lip fillers contain an ingredient known as hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance that helps the body to retain water. When used in dermal fillers, hyaluronic acid can increase the volume of your lips, enhance the strength of your smile, eliminate any creases or fine lines that emerge around the corners of your mouth and add some much-needed plumpness and structure to lips that have begun to thin with age.
This is a treatment favoured by so many as it is minimally invasive, promises little downtime and is far from a permanent solution, with its effects lasting for between 6 to 18 months.
Lip fillers are also incredibly popular in celebrity circles, with a number of famous faces choosing this fabulous form of lip enhancement. Perhaps the most recognisable of these people are Kylie Jenner and Amanda Holden, with the former advocating a fuller pout and the latter preferring a much more subtle sort of augmentation.
Migration and lip filler spreading
Yet, as previously discussed, the improper administration of lip fillers can actually result in a period of pain, discomfort, loss of confidence and inconvenience for those unlucky enough to be affected.
Of all of these problems, the occurrence of migration is perhaps one of the most frequent. In aesthetic terms, migration refers to the process of the lip filler spreading – or migrating – to areas of the body that it is not meant for and leaving patients with a newfound source of embarrassment and less-than-spectacular results.
And whilst it’s fair to say that this can happen accidentally or as a result of tremendous misfortune, it can be normally be avoided by keeping the following things in mind:
- Ensuring that an appropriate amount of filler is applied to the lips: One of the biggest advantages of injectable fillers is that practitioners can control exactly how much filler is going to be placed into the area in question. They can also take steps to ensure this is directed into the appropriate section of the lips. Migration often occurs due to parts of the body being overfilled with this substance and this bleeding into other areas, so it’s important to remain aware of the amount of filler that will be applied to your lips, as well as letting your practitioner know if you already have some filler in this part of your face.
- Using trusted brands: The aesthetics market is a crowded one, with many companies keen to break into this and become the brand of choice for practitioners everywhere. When seeking out lip filler treatment, it’s best to stick to select a practitioner that relies on a particular brand. As the properties of each lip filler product can vary greatly, these can provide dramatically different results – ask your practitioner questions about their products and find out whether they actually understand how these work.
- Follow aftercare instructions to the letter: Migration can sometimes occur as a result of neglecting your practitioner’s aftercare instructions. The administration of dermal fillers can be a delicate process and you need to hold up your end of the bargain by doing what you can to ensure that these fillers heal as they are supposed to.
- Choosing a reputable practitioner: This is perhaps the most important thing to remember when booking in for a treatment. Choosing a practitioner with lots of experience and a vast knowledge of facial anatomy will usually ensure that you have nothing to worry about in terms of things going awry and that you can enjoy your treatment in the knowledge that your filler won’t spread or migrate to another area of your body. When researching clinics and practitioners, check out the credentials of these people and places. Are they registered with the appropriate organisational bodies? What were the results of their last CQC inspection? What are their patients saying about their treatments? These are all crucial things to consider.
Dr Sharon Kaur
As Coventry’s foremost provider of aesthetics treatments, Dr Sharon Kaur is highly experienced and widely considered to be an expert in her field. Every year, patients travel from far and wide to take advantage of her comprehensive range of treatments and lip fillers are amongst her most popular procedures.
Dr Sharon is proud to be listed on Alice Hart-Davis’ The Tweakments Guide and is Save Face-accredited which means that her clinic and work have been properly assessed and is recognised as adhering to the highest standards of safety and quality. Such is her knowledge and experience that she is a trainer for the Botulinum Toxin Club and teaches other medical professionals how to recognise the complications that may arise as a result of filler administration and how to treat them safely.
To book in for lip fillers with a practitioner you can trust, call 02476 304 897 or contact us today.