When it comes to lip fillers, the focus is often on their popularity with younger women – in one Snapchat poll of over 51,000 UK respondents, 59% said they viewed lip augmentation procedures as comparable to getting their nails done or a haircut.
Yet, lip fillers are not just for the young! When it comes to ageing, we often focus on the lines around our eyes or sagging in the mid-face, but our lips and mouth are just as likely to show the signs of ageing.
Our latest blog explores why our lips are so susceptible to ageing changes and why lip fillers could be the ultimate anti-ageing treatment.
Understand the effects of the ageing process on the lips
The eyes might be the window to the soul, and the nose is our dominant facial feature, but according to one UK study, the lips are deemed the most attractive aspect of a woman’s face. In fact, in the first ten seconds of meeting a woman, on average, a man will spend around half that time looking at her lips, according to researchers from Manchester University.
The lips are among the most expressive parts of our face, conveying emotion, physical affection and speech. This pivotal role is partially responsible for why the lips and mouth are so prone to ageing.
Our facial muscles’ constant contraction and relaxation produce dynamic wrinkles, such as frown lines and crow’s feet. Fine lines appear around the lips, often called lipstick or smoker’s lines.
As we age, the body’s natural production of proteins collagen and elastin slows down, as does the amount of hyaluronic acid present in the dermis. These components are essential for maintaining the moisture, plumpness, and structure of the lips. Lifestyle factors, such as sun damage, smoking, and stress, can accelerate this breakdown, further contributing to ageing.
This process is also responsible for ageing changes around the mouth, including the lips. Shifts in the muscular structure around the lips can mean a downturned appearance to the mouth corners.
Lip fillers for anti-ageing
While make-up can camouflage certain ageing changes, augmentation with dermal fillers can address many ageing changes around the mouth while enhancing overall facial harmony.
Lip fillers offer a range of ageing benefits, including:
- Defining the vermillion border
- Smoothing lines on the upper lip
- Hydration
- Volumisation to restore shape
- Balancing any asymmetries or upper to lower lip disproportion
- Reducing the appearance of oral commissures
Hyaluronic acid dermal fillers vary in consistency and unique properties. An experienced practitioner will choose the product best suited to your specific concerns, whether you need to add delicate volume or smooth out fine lines.
“Patients considering lip filler to address ageing concerns can often be apprehensive about unnatural results,” says Dr Emily. “They don’t want to look different or ‘fake’. The Karidis Clinic ethos is always a subtle enhancement of your natural beauty. Key to this is choosing the right filler, but I also have a ‘less is more’ approach, improving volume loss over time to reduce the risk of filler migrating or an unnatural appearance.”
Beth’s lip filler experience
Beth wanted lip filler as an anti-ageing treatment to refresh subtly and improve overall facial harmony, giving the area a smoother, youthful appearance. Go over to our Instagram to watch her follow-up video where she explains that there was a further anti-ageing benefit she wasn’t expecting…
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For more advice on lip filler as an anti-ageing treatment, call 0207 432 8727 to arrange a consultation with Dr Emily at Karidis Clinic.