Lip Injections, Lip Fillers

A soft, smooth gel filler is injected into the lips to enhance the volume and shape of the lips. The product is comprised of two main ingredients: cross-linked hyaluronic acid gel (primary ingredient), and lidocaine (a mild anesthetic to make the injection virtually pain-free).

Hyaluronic Acid (Ha) is a complex polysaccharide (sugar) naturally found in many tissues of the body, such as in skin and cartilage. Hyaluronic acid molecules bind to water to create more volume and elasticity in the skin to correct the appearance of wrinkles and facial folds.

Primarily, those who desire younger, plump lips, or those who have vertical “smokers lines.” Fillers are also used to improve the texture of the lips and may be combined with BOTOX.

Results are seen immediately.

Rarely, but yes, especially when they need to correct the deep, vertical, smoker lines of the upper lips, and the sagging corners of the mouth.

Volbella and Juvederm injections usually last up to one year, but individual results vary.

Usually, the lip enhancement procedure should be repeated at 3-6 month intervals to avoid returning to pre-procedure appearance.

No, there is no downtime after this procedure. You may return to your normal day immediately upon leaving our office.

The short answer is: whatever it takes to make you happy. Since this procedure is technique dependent, our Chicago lip augmentation experts at The Liposuction & Cosmetic Surgery Institute achieve pleasant, natural and lasting lip rejuvenation with ultimate results. We do not recommend overly aggressive injections or using too much filler as it may lead to undesirable effects.

No, since your lips are anesthetized using topical anesthetic prior to treatment. In addition, Juvederm fillers contain lidocaine, which further aids in pain reduction. The needle used during the injection is tiny, so in the hands of our trained staff, these treatments are virtually pain-free.

Other ways of making you more comfortable during the procedure may include:

The injection gels contain lidocaine (except Belotero)
Cold therapy with ice
Topical anesthetic cream
Local nerve block injections achieve effective and temporary anesthesia without any bruising and last 30 minutes.

Side effects are extremely rare, but they have been described in the medical literature as bruising, swelling, redness, dryness, temporary discomfort and numbness, cold sores, discoloration or itching of the treated area.

Yes, all of the injectable dermal fillers used at the Liposuction & Cosmetic Surgery Institute are FDA approved. We do not use silicone gel injections because they are not FDA approved, and are unsafe.

Fillers and injectables of all kinds, including BOTOX, Dysport, and Xeomin are very delicate procedures, and in the hands of non-experts or improperly trained medical practitioners (including dentists, nurses, and aestheticians who do not have the expertise nor the experience in dealing with adverse effects) the outcome can be disheartening.

Our advice is to make sure you avoid non-cosmetic practitioners, BOTOX parties held at a non-medical site, spas, and hair salons where the sterility of the environment cannot be guaranteed. It is best to trust the Liposuction and Cosmetic Surgery Institute of Chicago’s lip augmentation experts. We take pride in being one of the Top 25 Injectors in the US. 

Cleanse your face and remove all makeup. For cleansers, we recommend Regen or Gen-X Cleansers.

If you are pregnant you should not have a lip augmentation injection. Anyone who is allergic to lidocaine, Juvederm, or Restylane should not have a lip augmentation injection. The presence of any infection or herpes cold sores would disqualify someone from getting filler lip injections. 

Avoid touching, scratching, or harshly rubbing the injected area to prevent contamination. Applying lipstick is allowed, as long as it is part of your personal makeup collection and has not been used by anyone else (to avoid infection). Avoid harsh or prolonged direct sun exposure.