Lip Filler in the Fabulous Over 50s: What Do You Need to Know?

Welcome to My Cosmetic Clinic, Your Trusted Cosmetic Clinic in Harborne, Birmingham

As we gracefully step into our golden years, there's no reason why we shouldn't look and feel our best. One popular way to enhance our natural beauty is through lip fillers. In this blog, we'll explore why women over 50 consider lip fillers, what happens to our lips as we age, the benefits of lip fillers, important cautions, and essential aftercare tips.

Why Lip Fillers in the Over 50s?

For many women, the over 50s mark a time of self-care and empowerment. Lip fillers provide a non-invasive way to rejuvenate the lips, helping to regain lost volume and redefine the lip border. A common complaint among this demographic is difficulty in applying lipstick or noticing lipstick bleeding into fine lines. Lip fillers can address these concerns, allowing for a smoother application and a youthful, refreshed look.

What Happens to the Lips as We Age?

As we age, the natural ageing process affects our lips. The red lip tends to thin and invert due to diminishing collagen, fat pads, and the muscular structure around the lips. Additionally, one may notice the appearance of downturned mouth corners and peri-oral lines appearing above the lips, often referred to as the "barcode" or "smoker lines." 

There is also redistribution of soft tissue which can result in a more flattened lip appearance. Teeth can play an important role in this, so it is important to have regular dental check ups and correct any structures (like missing teeth) affecting the appearance of the lips on the outside. The process of bone loss may also further contribute to a sunken appearance in the mouth and lip area. Moreover, there's a reduction in blood vessels in the lip border, which can fade lip's natural colour and result in a more mature and dull look to the lips. We may start to see these changes as early as in our 40s, becoming more pronounced as the years pass.

These natural changes can be effectively addressed with the careful application of lip fillers.

UV damage from prolonged sun exposure without protection plays a significant role in our lips ageing. Genetic factors e.g. naturally thin lips and other lifestyle factors like smoking will also contribute.

What Can Lip Filler Achieve?

Lip fillers offer a range of benefits, including:

• Defining the Lip Border: This not only enhances the overall appearance of the lips but also allows for smoother lipstick application.
  
• Hydration and volumisation: Lip fillers provide a boost of hydration, keeping the lips looking plump and youthful.
  
• Improvement of lines and wrinkles above the lips: a soft filler can be used to improve the appearance of wrinkles above the lip at the same time as when receiving lip filler treatment.
• Natural Look: Our skilled practitioners at My Cosmetic Doctor specialise in delivering natural-looking results, ensuring you look and feel your best.
  

What other factors should you be aware of?

It's important to approach lip fillers with care. Before proceeding, we recommend:

• Full Facial Assessment: If there's a loss of volume in other areas of the face, it's essential to address those concerns before focusing on lip enhancement. This ensures harmonious, balanced results. Full lips in an otherwise volume diminished face will likely stand out and look very odd. 
  
• Consider Medical History: Certain medical conditions or medications can impact the procedure. Be sure to discuss your medical history with your practitioner.
  
• Cold Sore History: If you have a history of cold sores, preventative anti-viral treatment should be prescribed by your practitioner to minimise any potential outbreaks.
  

Choosing an Experienced Practitioner

Thin, aged lips require a skilled hand. Our experienced injector Dr Kaur at My Cosmetic Doctor has a wealth of knowledge in working with mature skin, ensuring natural, beautiful results that enhance your unique features. She says “Doing lip filler in ageing lips require a special skill. I always start by assessing the whole face to ensure anything we do to the lips, matches up to the rest of the face. I take great care in the type of product I choose and I may use both a needle and cannula to achieve a natural look especially if we are looking at improving the skin above the lips (in case of peri-oral wrinkles) or working on the skin around the mouth e.g. mouth corners. I find lip filler in the over 50s to be one of the most rewarding and impactful treatments that we do. We have a “less is more” approach and all my patients understand from a thorough consultation beforehand that we need to approach the lips very delicately and improve volume loss over time to reduce the risk of filler migrating and looking unnatural”.

Aftercare Tips

After your lip filler treatment, remember:

• Swelling and Bruising: These are common but temporary. Plan your treatment around social events, and allow at least one to two weeks for your lips to settle. You can apply a clean cloth-wrapped ice pack to the lips to reduce swelling post treatment. Consider using Arnica to help minimise any bruising. Our patient receive a link to buy this online in their pre-treatment information via email. 
  
• Avoid Makeup: Refrain from applying makeup i.e. lipstick for the first 48 hours post-treatment to reduce the risk of infection.
  
• Avoid hot food/ drinks: for 4 hours post treatment (or until sensation has completely returned back to normal) if you have had a numbing injection or “dental block” to reduce the risk of burning your mouth. All our patients at My Cosmetic Doctor are offered a dental block for lip filler to ensure the procedure is as comfortable and pain free as possible. 

Full aftercare instructions are emailed to patients straight after their treatment. You can learn more about aftercare post dermal filler treatment here. 

In Conclusion

At My Cosmetic Doctor, we believe that every stage of life deserves to be celebrated. Our lip filler treatments for the fabulous over 50s are designed to enhance your natural beauty, leaving you feeling confident and radiant. Some before and afters can be viewed here and on our glowday booking page.

Ready to embark on your lip filler journey? 

Our cosmetic doctors in Harborne, Birmingham, also take great pride prioritising continuity of care and are dedicated to delivering natural-looking results. Schedule a free consultation with our clinic and experience the expertise and personalised care that sets us apart. 

By setting clear goals, choosing experienced doctors, understanding the treatment process, and being aware of potential benefits and risks, you can confidently take the first step towards achieving your dream aesthetic.