Everything You Need To Know About Getting Lip Fillers, According To A Lip Filler Addict
You know what they say, large lips sink ships. OK, maybe that’s not the expression, but there’s no denying that the size of people’s lips is increasingly becoming a cause of debate.
Here at Punkee, as we live and breathe reality TV, seeing people with inflated lips is nothing new or groundbreaking. From The Real Housewives franchise, to (almost) the entire cast of Married at First Sight, lip fillers have never been more common.
It’s impossible to pinpoint when modern-day beauty culture became so obsessed with puffy, pillowy lips, but it’s hard to go past Kyle Jenner’s influence. The reality TV star went from naturally thin lips to a huge pout in a number of months, and while first she maintained that she was simply over-lining with lip pencil (which arguably kickstarted her makeup brand), she eventually admitted to getting filler injections.
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Since Kylie’s admission in 2017, lips are getting bigger every year as more people embrace lip fillers as merely just a part of their beauty routine. I’ve been getting a small amount of temporary lip filler for years — well, the past five years — but many people wouldn’t clock it. Especially straight men, they have no clue. It’s all about how much filler you want to get and the look you want to achieve. It’s possible to just add a small amount for a naturally full pout, in contrast you could get 2 ml (or more) for a statement look.
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I’ve always wanted to have fuller lips, as I have large facial features so I felt that bigger lips would make my face appear more balanced. The reason I chose to get lip fillers for the first time in my mid-twenties was mostly because the treatment became more readily available and affordable. With more options than ever, I no longer needed to book in at an intimidating plastic surgeon for filler (unless that’s your personal preference), as shopping centre beauty clinics like Essential Beauty and Laser Clinics Australia started to offer the procedure.
Lip filler was no longer something only boujie housewives carrying toy-sized dogs could afford. Lisa Rinna better watch her back.
Towards the end of 2020, I got a lip filler top-up and here’s everything you need to know. While I’m no expert, I can speak from my experiences as I’ve repeatedly gotten lip filler over the years.
I’ve been to a few different places, but I found the most long-lasting results at Cosmetique in their Richmond clinic in Melbourne. Most recently, I got half a ml of Juvederm lip filler which costs around $200.
What to expect?
First up, your clinician will administer some kind of anaesthetic. This can range from a topical ointment applied to the surface of your lips, to dermal injections in your gums. The latter option obviously hurts a fair bit more, but the numbing agent can be far more effective.
Then you’ll wait 10-15 minutes for the anaesthetic to kick in. Once you’re numb, the injections can begin and the procedure usually takes 10 to 20 minutes. Filler can last between six and 18 months, and I’ve found that the more injections I get (about once a year), the fuller my lips have appeared over time — so that I haven’t had to get filler as frequently.
(My lips didn’t get this big, thankfully)
What does it feel like?
Make no mistake, it hurts. Clinics offering the treatment often say to expect “some discomfort” and while for some this might be true, for me it’s pretty bloody painful. There’s a reason they give you a stress ball to squeeze throughout, as the needle pricks along your lip line which is an extremely sensitive area of your face. The worst part, by far, is the cupid’s bow area of your lip, which feels like an intense sting.
If you have a fear of needles, you might find the whole process to be too traumatic to handle. Or like me, you will need to close your eyes for the entire treatment to avoid seeing the needle at all.
After your skin has healed, your lips should feel pretty normal. The only difference is the size, which depending on how much filler you get, could slightly affect how to speak or eat. But don’t worry, you’ll likely get used to the different feeling within a few days. I never get enough filler to really notice much of a difference, although I can feel my bottom lip protruding out more than before. As long as you don’t overdo it with filler, your lips should still feel soft and well…like regular lips.
What kind of results should you expect?
When you first get the filler, your lips will look BIG. They swell up a fair bit, so don’t freak out if you think they’re too big — as they go down a lot. It’s worth noting, though, that if you like the size of them straight after getting filled, you might want to get more filler added next time.
For me personally, this is TOO BIG.
(So unless you like this look, I wouldn’t plan any events until the swelling goes down.)
Now, aftercare is super important, and honestly it isn’t spoken about enough. As soon as you can after your appointment, you want to lightly apply ice to your lips. I’ve had times where I’ve totally blanked and forgotten to ice my lips, and woken up with my lips covered in dark purple bruises. Not cute.
It might not be necessary for everyone but if you bruise easily (like me), definitely apply ice. This was my lips on day three after my appointment, and as you can see while I have is some light pink bruises — these can be easily covered with lipstick.
I weirdly had a bruise on my chin (pictured) which isn’t a common reaction for me but again, this could be covered with makeup.
After about three days, my lips were still pretty big. It takes about a week for your lips to completely settle, but this was my final result:
To give a better idea of proportion, here’s my whole face a few weeks after my treatment:
I was impressed with the results — especially considering I only got half a ml — but it’s worth noting my clinician said there was still filler in my lips from my previous treatment. I was surprised as my last treatment was in February 2019, so more than a year and a half ago.
I’ll probably wait until at least the end of 2021 to get a top-up, and until then I’ll be living my best life without feeling the urge to over-line my lips.