Beautifully plump and shapely lips are one of the most sought after beauty ideals of today. The look is easily achievable, with the correct anatomy, and can be incredibly natural looking with hyaluronic acid lip filler.

Lip filler is a soft and flexible gel injected into the border of the lip and the fleshy part of the lip to plump, lift and define. It is better to start with a smaller volume and build. Lip beauty ratios are actually defined mathematically to ‘fit’ into the face and it is possible to achieve both volume and definition without distorting these ideal beauty ratios.

I use a needle for all my lip work as I feel it gives me more accuracy and precision. The procedure takes around 20 minutes and I numb the area first using LMX 4% topical lidocaine. Some swelling and bruising is likely but this can be minimised by following aftercare instructions rigorously. Lips are fully settled and healed in 2-3 weeks.

Brands and volumes used: Teoxane RHA1 (1ml), Teoxane RHA2 (1ml), Teoxane RHA Kiss (0.7ml), Teoxane RHA3 (1ml), Belotero Lips (Contour and Shape) (both 0.6ml), Belotero Intense (1ml), Belotero Balance (1ml)

Lip filler lasts from 4-6 months to over a year and can be added to as soon as 4 weeks after the first injections.