Are lip fillers permanent?

Everyone remembers the sad images several years ago of the terrible results of permanent lip fillers given to the beautiful Lesley Ash. The gorgeous actress had lip fillers in 2002, following a successful collagen injection a couple of years previously, however she was given a silicone filler, rather than the hyaluronic acid formulations that are the usual type of lip filler that is used these days.

The silicone in these lip fillers was permanent, and solidified in her lips. A reaction to the silicone left poor Leslie looking swollen, and this gave rise to the ‘trout pout’ cliché that is often aimed at those having lip fillers. I often have clients worry that they will end up with the trout pout look, and I reassure them that I won’t do this to them!

That was 20 years ago. While there are now other, newer permanent types of filler, they are rare and very specialist. Almost all lip filler carried out by aesthetic practitioners across the world are what I would call semi-permanent. This means that they stay in the lips and gradually diminish over time, while the body slowly breaks them down.

What are lip fillers made from?

Lip fillers are made from a substance called Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic acid is a substance found in our bodies, and it is responsible for hydrating our skin. Lip fillers are formulated by a process called cross linking, which gives it a more robust structure. This ‘firmer’ formulation allows it to stay in the skin longer, and gives the shape and form of the fillers that are injected.

Hyaluronic acid is ‘hydrophillic’, which means that it is ‘water loving’ – and directly means that it attracts water to itself. In fact, one molecule of hyaluronic acid attracts 4 molecules of water. This leads to hydration and plumping in the area, and is specifically something that I aim for when doing lip fillers. Older clients particularly may not want much in the way of volume, and certainly don’t want a change in shape to their lips , but feel like they want a more hydrated look, small amounts of filler can really help plump the lips and give a much more natural, hydrated look.

So how long do lip fillers last?

To answer the question ‘are lip fillers permanent?’, then no, they are not. However, the questions ‘how long do lip fillers last’ is slightly more difficult to answer!

The rate that lip fillers disperse depends on several factors. Firstly, it depends on how quickly your body metabolises (‘breaks down’) those fillers. The formulation of the lip fillers will make a difference too – some fillers are cross-linked differently, and will be firmer or softer depending on their formulation. Softer fillers are often quicker to disperse, but are more preferable in the lips due to their more natural feel. Firmer fillers may be used in areas such as cheeks, where the real softness and flexibility is less important, and it may be found that they last quite a lot longer. Other factors such as treatments including radio frequency can cause them to break down more quickly, and there is even some evidence to show that factors such as stress, diet and exercise can affect metabolism, which can in turn lead to fillers breaking down more quickly.

On average, I would recommend a review at 3-6 months, as often an initial ½-1ml may not feel enough once you are used to them. After that, an annual top up is quite usual.

All of these questions, and more are of course covered in more depth in our consultations, and I am always happy to answer questions by email or messenger!