The honest version

Most people who come in for lip filler do not want bigger lips. They want lips that are even, that have a shape to them, and that do not disappear when they smile. That is a different job from volume, and it is the one Rachel does most.

If you are hoping for a dramatic result, say so and she will tell you honestly whether it can be done well in one go. Usually it cannot, and doing it gradually is what keeps it looking like your mouth.

What she can enhance

  • Evenness, where one side sits differently from the other
  • A top lip that has thinned or turned inwards over the years
  • Definition around the border, so lipstick stops bleeding
  • Corners that have started to turn down
  • Overall volume, in proportion to the rest of your face

A lip flip is not lip filler

A lip flip uses a tiny amount of the same medicine as anti-wrinkle injections to relax the muscle around the top lip, so a little more of it shows when you smile. There is no filler involved and no volume added. It is a subtle option, it costs less, and for some people it is genuinely all they needed. Rachel will tell you if that is you.

What happens on the day

Numbing cream goes on for around twenty minutes while you talk through what you want. Rachel looks at your lips at rest and when you smile and talk, because a result that only works standing still is not a result.

The filler contains anaesthetic, so it gets easier as she goes. Lips are the most sensitive area she treats, and she works in stages rather than rushing it.

Afterwards, honestly

Lips swell. They will look bigger than the result for two to three days, and the first morning is the worst of it. This is normal and it is not the final shape. Do not judge them, and do not book anything you need to look your best for.

  • Sleep with your head propped up for the first night
  • No hot drinks, spicy food or alcohol for the rest of the day
  • No gym, sauna or flying for twenty four hours
  • Bruising is common and covers easily once the swelling goes
  • Leave two clear weeks before a wedding, a holiday or photographs

The final shape is there at around two to four weeks.

If you already have filler in your lips

Rachel dissolves lip filler, including work done elsewhere, and can refill afterwards in the same course of treatment if you want her to. Dissolving takes the lips back further than you might expect before they settle, so she will talk you through the timeline before you commit to it.

Who treats you

Rachel, every time. She is a registered general nurse and an independent nurse prescriber, she is trained in managing complications, and she holds the medicine used to dissolve filler in an emergency. Lips carry more risk than most areas, so that matters more here than anywhere.

You can read more about Rachel, or see her results.