Lip Flip, Cherry Lips, Russian Lips: Lip Filler Trends Explained

This increase in popularity has brought many changes to aesthetic medicine. Increased demand has given rise to an increased diversity in what people want to achieve from their lip filler procedure - some want natural; bigger; poutier; more projection; different ratios - the list is endless. With this change in demand, medical aesthetics has had to up its game. Old techniques are being modified and combined, new techniques have been invented to achieve the looks that are being requested, and new filler products have been brought to market to allow us to tailor our lip augmentations to achieve the results we want.

When lip fillers first started to gain popularity the look that almost everyone wanted was a subtle, natural increase in the volume of their pout. Over time, this became a desire for a bigger and more obvious look, almost as if to show off that you could afford lip fillers. As lip augmentation became more desirable so did showing off that you’d had it done - the rise of ‘look at me’ lips. Thankfully, this look seems to be calming down a little and the lip filler trend seems to have now split into two main fields: augmentation and rejuvenation. Younger patients are often looking for an augmentation of their natural lips, and our more mature patients are wanting to turn back the clock a little; hydrate and rejuvenate their lips and mouth area to freshen things up.

Lip fillers: Lip augmentation vs lip rejuvenation

The augmentation side is subdivided into many different branches, as individual patients desire a different outcome. Some are wanting a subtle augmentation, as they have smaller lips they’d like to be a little larger. This is one of the simplest augmentations, as most younger patients already have a great lip shape, definition and ratio. Others have more exacting requirements that skilled injectors are able to accommodate - asymmetries can be corrected; the ratio of top lip to bottom lip can be changed; the shape can be subtly altered; the amount of projection changed, i.e. correcting under and overbites. Some have heard of specific techniques and looks from friends, social media or their own research. Here are just a few of the trends we’ve been seeing over the last few years...

Botox lip flip

The Botox lip flip targets the muscle that purses your lips - selectively weakening that allows the lips to roll out a little, showing more of the red lip off. The same can be achieved with strategically placed filler.

Cherry lips

Cherry lips, or rose bud lips - targeting the very central area for augmentation is popular in the far east and the trend is making its way to Europe and the UK.

Russian lips

Newer techniques such as the Russian Lip technique give for a hugely over-exaggerated shape and size (something we aren’t fans of at novellus).

Sausage lips

Unfortunately, the overdone ‘sausage lip’ still seems to be en vogue with some practitioners and patients.

Rejuvenating the mouth area

Our more mature patients tend to be looking for something entirely different and can sometimes even be put off by the pictures they see across social media of young girls with super plump pouts. They approach us asking for their ‘smokers lines’ to be softened, for their lips to be a bit more hydrated and if there is anything we can do for the downturned corners of their mouth that make them look ‘sad’. This is where an experienced practitioner can make all the difference… assessing the whole face and whole perioral region rather than just ‘the lips’.

Using a variety of techniques, sometimes a couple of different filler products and sometimes using botulinum toxin as well, we can rejuvenate the whole mouth area without things looking ‘done’. Softer fillers around the mouth to settle the ‘smokers lines’ thicker fillers to give the lips back some of their lost volume. Treatments to the nasolabial folds, marionette lines and even the cheeks can all help to rejuvenate the mouth.

Perfect lips for everyone

Overall the explosion in popularity of lip filler treatments has led to a huge diversification in what people want, feeding research into techniques and products that push what is achievable. If there’s something you aren’t happy with regarding your lips and perioral region then there is likely something that an experienced, expert medical injector is going to be able to do to improve your self-confidence and help you become the best version of you.

Don’t be afraid of the overdone super-pouts we see on social media if that is not the look you want to go for. Research your practitioner, ask for recommendations from friends (or even find out where they go to avoid the same overdone look!), find them here on Glowday, don’t be afraid to message them and ask questions, and book in for a consultation to see if you connect with them and have confidence in their abilities to translate what you want to achieve into palpable results. Listen to their advice about whether what you want is achievable and is going to give an aesthetic result. And remember, not every trend is going to suit every face.

Lip augmentation or rejuvenation can be a life changing experience - let's make sure it’s for all the right reasons and not just following fashionable fads.

Great insight and wise words there from Dr Steven Land of Novellus Aesthetics! Thanks, Steven!

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