Thinking of getting lip-fillers? Experts suggest guidelines you must follow

Ariana Grande during her interview. Pic courtesy/YouTube

For me, I wanted to see my well-earned cry lines and smile lines. I hope my smile lines get deeper and deeper and I laugh more and more. I think ageing can be such a beautiful thing," said American singer Ariana Grande in a recent interview with Vogue where she opened up about her journey with cosmetic treatments, and why she stopped getting lip fillers and Botox years ago, which she previously used to get "tons of". However, further expressing support for whoever continues to get these treatments, she said, "to each their own."

Uorfi Javed's initial attempts at getting her lips filled at a lower cost resulted in skin eruptions across her face and abnormally bloated lips, which she later had to get dissolved

Shortly after this confession blew up, desi influencer Uorfi Javed took to social media to share her journey with lip fillers, which included several disasters resulting in what looked like painful, unpleasant side effects. More recently, fashion content creator Komal Pandey, opened up about her getting lip fillers since she was very young as well due to her insecurities. Both these Indian fashionistas continue to get the injections, but their confessions bring out debatable topics like feminine beauty, personal choice and most importantly - ensuring safety while opting for these youthful procedures. Two city-based dermatologists deep-dive into the tricky subject to offer a balanced approach towards the treatment.

Be realistic about your goals

Fillers are injectable substances that add volume to enhance facial features. These non-surgical cosmetic treatments have gained popularity due to their minimally invasive nature and immediate results. Lip augmentation with fillers can add fullness, shape, and definition to the lips, providing a natural and youthful appearance. This was first tried by researchers in the early 1900s by injecting liquid paraffin with a metallic syringe that turned out to be unsuccessful. Later, in 1960, liquid silicon was injected into the lips. But this method also had some flaws and hence, was not feasible. After much research, lip fillers were formulated with Hyaluronic acid, which is a naturally occurring polysaccharide in skin and cartilage.

Most of the time, my patients say, "I love applying lipstick! But I have thin lips. Can we do something about this?" I understand the growing interest in lip fillers among celebrities and in turn the general public. I have a lot of patients coming to me for this procedure, especially women. I have encountered many people below even 18 years keen to get their lips filled. However, the permissible age according to FDA is 21 years and above. Hence, I advise them to use lip balms containing hyaluronic acid; it gives lips a plumper look. Lip fillers are meant for those who think they don't have a good shape, size or volume or feel to have lost it due to ageing.

As a dermatologist and aesthetic physician, I also have many patients who have overfilled their lips. The over-filling might happen either because the doctor does not have much knowledge or experience about the swelling capacity of the gel or the patient is not happy with under-filling and is forcing the doctor to do more. Lip fillers elevate one's beauty. What are considered to be attractive lips, have an upper to lower lip ratio of 1:2. This is called the golden or phi lip ratio' (see box: Gold and beautiful) for beautiful attractive lips. Remember, lip fillers can be effective tools for enhancing facial aesthetics when performed by experienced professionals. They can help individuals achieve subtle and natural-looking results, addressing specific concerns related to lip volume.

Dr Pallavi Sule, dermatologist and aesthetic physician

Yes
☑ Seek treatment from a Medical Council of India (MCI), state-registered board-certified dermatologist or qualified medical professional with experience in administering fillers
☑ Discuss your expectations and concerns during consultation for realistic and satisfactory outcome
☑ Carefully follow post-treatment instructions to minimise the risk of complications and optimise results

No
☑Excessive filling may lead to unnatural results. Think before opting for it
☑Don't make hasty decisions without research and understanding of the procedure
☑ Avoid undergoing filler injections from unlicensed practitioners or in non-medical settings

By Dr Pallavi Sule

Keep it natural and aesthetic

Lip fillers are a possible approach to delay ageing in one sense. It is an aesthetic procedure which enhances one's beauty image. It is a hyaluronic acid, which is naturally produced by the body. Not everyone talks openly about getting lip fillers because beauty is an extremely personal concept. There is also an inherent bias in the society regarding any procedure that enhances beauty, which unfortunately are considered unnatural. It is further compounded by undesirable results in a few cases because of consulting those who have inadequate knowledge or expertise in aesthetics and dermatology. The only way you will know what suits you and what doesn't is by consulting a highly qualified and experienced aesthetic dermatologist. After all, it is a medical diagnosis of aesthetics.

Bear in mind that beauty is measured by golden ratios or phi ratios - by symmetry, shape, contour and natural proportions. Hence, when opting for lip fillers, focus on making it look as natural as possible, while also enhancing aesthetic beauty. Lip fillers is one of the most trending and popular procedures because for many, it not only enhances the lips but also their lives. Make sure that your dermatologist is well qualified, has a lot of experience, especially with injecting in the right way and with the right amount; importantly, they should understand your needs to suit your profile.

Dr Simple Aher, dermatologist, cosmetologist and trichologist

Gold and beautiful

The golden ratio, a rough ratio of 1:2, is believed to be found in the proportions of the Egyptian pyramids, the nautilus shell, beautiful faces and the ideal body. Many scientists believe that our eyes are attracted to objects with this ratio and find them visually appealing.