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Update your Approach to Lip Augmentation | Dr Olha

Without a doubt, 2014-2015 has been the year for lip filler in the UK non-surgical aesthetic market. We only need to take a look at the biggest search engine; Google to see that it is the most searched for cosmetic treatment and this demand is only increasing.

Aesthetic Dentist at Shine Medical and one of our expert trainers on our lip masterclass Dr Olha Vorodyukhina offers her advice on why lip fillers are essential for any cosmetic practice and how to safely deliver this treatment to your clients.

The Demand for Lip Fillers

At Shine Medical we receive enquiries about lip fillers almost every day. When speaking with my patients, a majority of them have considered this treatment at least once and it is without a doubt one of the most popular non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

A key aspect of determining the correct treatment plan for your patient is to be mindful of what they are trying to achieve but also what you feel comfortable with as a practitioner. I see a range of patients all with different expectations from lip augmentation treatment.

Following the ‘Kylie Jenner Lip Craze’ we do have a lot of young women in their 20s looking for a more noticeable increase in the size of their lips but we also see middle-aged women and ladies in their 70s looking for a more subtle enhancement to restore shape and volume that has been lost during the ageing process.

Lip filler is a highly versatile treatment for any age, gender and look that is trying to be achieved and with the continual demand for this procedure, we believe it is an essential part of your treatment portfolio.

Confidence is Key in Lip Augmentation

We often hear from delegates at our Lip Augmentation Masterclasses that they do not feel confident or comfortable enough to offer lip fillers to their clients. This is despite them knowing there is a high demand for this procedure.

And this is absolutely understandable. Lips are one of those areas that can create swelling and bruising both during and after the treatment which can be disconcerting for both you and your patient.

However, the good news is that if lip augmentation is performed correctly, it is one of the most rewarding treatments to carry out.

Patient Consultation and Assessment

With more celebrities than ever being featured in the news with their plumped up pouts it is important to manage your patient’s expectations and not allow them to push you over the limits of a safe treatment. Key to this is identifying your patient’s needs as well as their expectation from the outset. This is where your consultation and communication skills come into play.

During our Lip Masterclass one of our main learning objectives is correct treatment planning and patient management.

Assessment of the lips cannot effectively be performed by simply looking at your patient. It is important to ‘look beyond your patient’s mouth’ by looking inside the mouth as well. You will be looking for dental occlusion, teeth positioning, smile lines and facial expressions. Assessing each of these areas in detail with allow you to create a bespoke treatment plan for your patient.

You will also then be equipped to select the most appropriate dermal filler product. This will be determined by what you are trying to achieve, whether it be:

Restore age-related atrophy
Add volume
Define the shape of the lips
Restore philtrum columns
Give support to oral commissures

Very often you may be looking to achieve more than one of these outcomes and therefore you may combine fillers of different viscosity to deliver the most natural and effective results for your client.

Method of Injection for Lip Augmentation

An area we focus on during our Lip Masterclass is method of injection. When injecting the lips an important decision that you’ll make is whether to use a needle or a cannula. A cannula can be uncomfortable for your patient and in some cases creates more swelling but a needle is more likely to cause bruising. Often, for my patients I use a combination of both cannula and needle.

The best way to minimize trauma is by injecting indirectly and minimizing, where possible, the number of injection points.

But always remember that whichever method you choose and are comfortable with, if your patient does experience bruising and swelling this doesn’t necessarily mean you have injected incorrectly. The truth is 1 in 5 patients will bruise following lip augmentation, so don’t let this knock your confidence.

‘Always aim for natural results. It’s better to under treat than over treat.’

By knowing the right technique and restoring the natural tubercles of the lips you can achieve great results by using only 0.5-1ml of dermal filler product.

Dr Olha’s Lip Filler Before and After Photos

Book your Lip Masterclass Today

So if you’re interested in learning how to create beautiful, natural-looking lips, book on to our lip masterclass today. You can secure your place online or alternatively you can contact the team who will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.

September 16, 2016/by Mr Adrian Richards

Cosmetic Courses Models, Dermal Filler News, Facial Rejuvenation, Lip Enhancement

Side effects of Lip Fillers

Here at Cosmetic Courses, we want to reassure patients considering lip filler and also provide practitioners with information and advice Lip Filler side effects.

An overview of Lip Filler

Dermal fillers are made from hyaluronic acid which is a key molecule involved in the skin’s moisture. In Dermal fillers, this is suspended in a gel. They’re mainly used by practitioners to improve the appearance of wrinkles and replace the volume that has been lost due to the ageing process.

The Procedure

A topical anaesthetic (numbing cream) may be applied in advance to the area to be injected, minimising any discomfort from the injections. Using a very fine needle, a slow injection of filler is injected into the agreed area. When treating the lip area, your lips are separated into two treatment areas – the vermillion borders and the main body of your lips. The vermillion border will give your lips definition; where as the main body will give your lips volume. This will be discussed with your practitioner beforehand so that you can gain the look that you want to achieve. Using a very fine needle, a slow injection of filler is placed into the lip to create the desired result. Sometimes a little massage is required but this depends on the depth and placement of the product we are using.

Lip Filler Side effects

As with any treatment, there are some risks and side effects, and not everyone will experience the same thing each time, but you need to be aware of them:

Bruising and bleeding

Depending on the type of person that you are, or are treating, there maybe some bruising, slight swelling and slight bleeding after the treatment has taken place. The swelling should subside within 24-48 hours but can last up to 2 weeks , and the bruising within 5 –10 days. The bleeding will be minor and will stop within a few minutes of treatment.

Lumps and bumps

Once you have had filler it is common for you to be able to feel the product particularly in the lip area and most noticeably on your first treatment. Filler can also sometimes rise to the surface and leave a few lumps and bumps a few days after treatment. Usually this will settle but if it doesn’t this can often be treated by gently massaging the area. However it is always best to speak with your practitioner before doing anything else.

Infection

If you are prone to cold sores and picking up infections quite quickly, having an injection to the area may trigger an attack. Keeping the lip area clean and using fresh clean towels can help to prevent an infection or cold sore from starting. If you have a cold sore or think one is on the way you should hold off from having any procedures until this has completely cleared. You should also discuss this with your practitioner as they may advise alternative treatments or products.

If you would like more information on the courses that we offer, or would like to enquire about becoming a model for us, you can email [email protected] or call the team on 01844 390110.

Find out more about our practical lip filler training courses and our online lip filler courses here.

Our Lip Filler Training Courses

February 5, 2016/by Melanie Recchia

Cosmetic Surgery Training, Filler Training, Lip Enhancement

The Curse of Leslie Ash: Permanent Fillers cause Permanent Problems

When you set up your own Medical Aesthetics practise, you will quickly find a Ghost that haunts you. You will particularly experience her looming shadow if you decide to offer Lip Filler treatments. But we can pretty much guarantee that her name will crop up over and over regardless. “I don’t want to end up looking like Leslie Ash!”: it is a plea from your clients that will become all-too familiar.

The Leslie Ash “Look” is certainly not high on most people’s aesthetic wish-list. You have most probably seen the recurrent pictures in the media of her now infamous “trout pout”. The unfortunate woman has been hauled over the coals as an example of Cosmetic Surgery Gone Wrong in every woman’s mag. article of that theme ever since her Lip Body treatment in 2002.

Ash originally claimed she had collagen Lip Implants to correct her disappearing top lip (an unfortunate but common side-effect of ageing) and maintain her image in the public eye. Ironically, the treatment had the opposite effect, bringing her notoriety for all the wrong reasons. Back in 2003, the actress typically told the Press that her permanently swollen, upwards-curled top lip was a terrible accident and the result of a reaction to the collagen in the implant. By 2010 she had conceded that it was not an implant at all, but an injection of liquid silicone (the same lethal cocktail responsible for the recent death of Claudia Aderotimi) which had caused the ridiculous effect.

“The Curse of Leslie Ash” is therefore that hundreds of women who would otherwise have considered lip-enhancing treatment have now been put off completely. And of those that do approach you for procedures, a large number will need reassurance that they will not leave your Clinic looking similarly over-the-top or caricatured.

In his talks to delegates attending Medical Aesthetic courses at the Cosmetic Courses National Training Centre, Mr Adrian Richards (Consultant Plastic Surgeon) is always keen to set the facts straight. For starters, there should be broader awareness of precisely which treatment Leslie Ash underwent: it seems very wrong that by initially shielding the truth, she has created mistrust and fear of both Lip Fillers and Lip Implants. Prospective clients do not realise that Dermal Fillers are not the same as the injections which she had, and can give lovely subtle enhancement to both the lip body and border (in the hands of a qualified, trained medical professional). Nor do they always understand that she did not have a Lip Implant at all and that it is therefore well worth investigating the potential of Permalip implants. In fact, Mr Richards highly recommends the Permalip implant as a method of augmenting the lip body: these implants come in a huge variety of sizes and shapes, are sculptable, safe and above all can be removed if necessary.

In contrast, Liquid Silicone injections, like Ash had injected into her lips by a plastic surgeon whilst at a friend’s house, is permanent. And as Mr Richards warns all his trainee Aesthetic Practitioners, ‘Permanent fillers cause Permanent problems’. In Leslie Ash’s case, the silicone set around the muscles in her lips and it is now impossible for surgeons to remove it.

So there you have it: of course, however silly the actress may have been, she is also incredibly unfortunate. She is certainly not alone, but possibly receives more publicity about the matter than most and will almost certainly be one of the names you come to regard as a bug-bear. Instead of getting irritated by this, however, try to see your role as educating your clients, so that others do not make the mistakes of Ash and others. With this knowledge, you can ensure that you offer only the best and most suitable treatments and therefore provide genuine reassurance that your clients will not walk out of your Treatment Room and straight into the Gossip Columns!

April 5, 2011/by Melanie Recchia