HOW TO GET NATURAL-LOOKING LIP FILLERS

I've been wanting to have filler in my lips, but am feeling unsure. How do you make sure they look good?Anon, West Harbour 

Luscious lips are something many of us desire, and multiple things should be considered to ensure they look and feel good.  It is natural to feel nervous, as there are a lot of overdone lips out there that are enough to scare even the bravest of souls (Married at First Sight anyone?).  

As injectors we firstly have to take into account overall facial proportions and surrounding tissues. Lips should never look stuck on, so there must be adequate support from tissues around the mouth in order to achieve a natural result.

Correct filler choice (softer rather than firmer), injected at the correct depth (close to the skin surface) in the correct amount (not too much) and correct location (only in the pink area, also known as the "pink lip"), will ensure it looks natural.

Specific areas of deficiency, width of your nose and eyes, in conjunction with your own natural lip shape, ethnicity and lip projection will also help yield a lovely result where you look subtly enhanced, but still yourself.

Very few of us look good with large lips and none of us looks good with sausages. Harmony is key, so always see an injector who will respect this, so you look and feel like the best, most luscious version of you.  

If you have a question for Dr. Heather you would like answered anonymously, please email askdrheather@allor.co.nz