Camas, WA
Do you see tiny vertical lip lines above your top lip and around your mouth? These fine lines that run from the lips to just beneath the nose and around the mouth may be thin and shallow, but they add many years to the face. They also cause lips to appear thinner, robbing them of a youthful look. Where did these lip lines come from and how do we get rid of them?
While many of us are genetically predisposed to vertical lip lines, many patients develop these lines due to daily habits like smoking or frequent use of straws. If you don’t yet see vertical lip lines or you want to slow their progression, we recommend adjusting your habits to avoid excess puckering. Also, quitting smoking is always a good idea.
The field of aesthetic medicine is changing rapidly, and new treatments pop up regularly. At Skin by Lovely in Portland, OR, and Santa Monica, CA, we provide FDA-approved treatments for facial rejuvenation, including top-rated treatments for vertical lip lines. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to aesthetic medicine, however. That is why we offer numerous options to provide you with the natural-looking results you desire. These include:
One of the most common choices for minimizing the appearance of vertical lip lines is an hyaluronic acid (HA) filler, like Juvederm or Restylane. Hyaluronic acid is a natural part of your skin’s connective tissue. When we’re young, HA is produced by the body in abundance. As we age, hyaluronic acid production slows. By injecting a hyaluronic acid filler, we restore lost HA to soften vertical lip lines and restore lip fullness.
Until recently, most FDA-approved dermal fillers for lip enhancement were too thick for the delicate area around the mouth. Thinner, smoother fillers were developed in recent years to fill this gap and give patients with even subtle vertical lip lines a natural-looking solution.
Juvederm Volbella and Juvederm Vollure injections to your lips can help smooth vertical lip lines and give you fuller lips. Both of these fillers are part of the popular Juvederm family of fillers from Allergan, the makers of Botox. With Volbella and Vollure, you can typically see the results last for about six months to a year. However, individual results vary from patient to patient.
Restylane Silk is another common choice for injectable hyaluronic acid used to treat vertical lip lines. It was the first dermal filler designed specifically for natural-looking lip enhancement and lip lines. Results may vary, but results typically last about 6 months. At this time, a touch-up treatment is required to maintain your results.
Which filler is right for you? One of our aesthetic injection specialists will examine your lips, take a full medical history, and make a decision based on your needs before recommending a lip filler or other treatment.
In addition to hyaluronic acid treatments, Botox and Dysport are sometimes used for vertical lip lines. Both of these injectables are purified forms of botulinum toxin A. Rather than filling the lines on your face, these injectables block the nerves that cause your muscle contractions, thereby reducing the depth of the lines when you move your mouth. This works best with very fine lip lines in order to keep them from getting deeper. With deeper lines, a filler is more appropriate. However, both treatments may be used together. Your aesthetic injection specialist will determine, during a consultation, which solution is best for your needs.
Botox will not paralyze your mouth. While TV sitcoms have had a lot of fun showing characters with frozen faces after Botox, the right injector will give you great results without completely stopping movement. You will be able to move your mouth and make facial expressions.
Microneedling is a simple, safe and effective technique that has gained a lot of attention lately for treating scars and stretch marks; however, it is also a very effective treatment for fine lines and wrinkles, including vertical lip lines. After applying a topical anesthetic, your provider will make microscopic punctures in the skin using a handheld micropen device. These tiny micro-injuries allow the body to begin the healing process, producing collagen and elastin naturally; this is why microneedling is also referred to as “collagen induction therapy.” Microneedling also speeds up skin cell turnover, much like a chemical peel. A topical serum may also be used. This allows your skin to better absorb key ingredients for facial rejuvenation. Microneedling can be used almost anywhere, including the delicate lip and under-eye area.
If you have vertical lip lines, Skin by Lovely can help you achieve your desired results safely and effectively with the treatments listed above. Schedule a consultation with one of our aesthetic injection specialists. One of our providers will sit down with you to discuss your specific needs and goals, evaluate your skin, and go over your medical history to determine the best treatments for you.
At Skin by Lovely in Portland, OR, our aesthetic injection specialists understand that you want to look natural. We strive to give you natural-looking results, not frozen faces and “bee sting” lips. Our results speak for themselves. We invite you to reclaim your youthful look with the help of our aesthetic injection specialists. Our practice is also home to Injection U, a training center for medical providers to learn about injectable anti-aging treatments.
The original Skin by Lovely location was the first aesthetics practice in Los Angeles with a heavy focus on injectable treatments for facial rejuvenation. Our practice is in the top 1% in the nation for Botox and Juvederm. Many of our providers are also Allergan trainers, as they teach other providers on how to inject wrinkle relaxers and fillers. This combination makes our providers uniquely qualified experts in injectables.
