Lip Botox - why is this procedure the most difficult in botulinum therapy?

Contraindications for injections

Since Botox is a medication, like any other it has contraindications:

• herpes lips;
• diseases associated with blood clotting disorders;
• menstrual bleeding;
• patients under 18 years of age;
• alcohol abuse;
• myopia;
• myasthenia gravis;
• intolerance to botulinum toxin and additional components of the drug;
• taking drugs that impair blood clotting, antibiotics;
• skin diseases and inflammation at the injection site;
• breastfeeding, pregnancy.

Performing the procedure in the presence of contraindications can provoke the development of complications and also reduce the effect of the drug.

Cost of services in Moscow clinics

The price of injection procedures depends on the clinic and the doctor’s qualifications. It is better to contact plastic surgeons, rather than certified cosmetologists without medical education who have only completed course training. The number of units also affects the cost: the average price of 1 unit ranges from 300 to 400 rubles. For the lip area, you can make from 2 to 15 units, depending on the type of correction. Fillers are often used in combination with Botox to achieve plump lips.

Using Botox for lip augmentation

The lips consist of muscles (mainly the orbicularis oris muscle) and subcutaneous fat. It is impossible to completely remove activity, since the patient will no longer be able to eat, talk, or have natural facial expressions. Therefore, the procedure is performed subcutaneously, which allows you to ease muscle tension, smoothing out wrinkles around the mouth. Injections allow you to visually make your lips plump and voluminous by reducing their degree of tension. The expression “pumped lips with Botox” is incorrect, since it is impossible to increase volume with botulinum toxin; the drug only relieves the tone of the muscles around the mouth.

Botox can correct lip asymmetry, lift the corners of the lips and remove fine wrinkles around the mouth. Depending on the desired result, injections can be performed only in the lower or only in the upper lip.

Is it possible to lift the corners of the lips with Botox?

Wrinkles, mournfully drooping corners of the lips are a manifestation of facial activity of the facial muscles. There is an age factor in which motor habits lead to drooping of the skin in the mouth area.

The injection of botulinum toxin allows you to immobilize certain muscle groups. Habitual facial activity becomes impossible. Muscles and skin have to change the trajectory of movement; smiling and making a mournful expression on your face will not work. The result is smoothing out wrinkles and raising the corners of the lips to a physiological position.

Lips can be pumped up - enlarged, added volume - only with fillers, hyaluronic acid or silicone, or by installing implants. Botulinum toxin preparations only smooth out wrinkles and eliminate facial spasms.

When administered correctly and in accordance with the recommended dosages, lips after Botox look natural and do not lose sensitivity.

Preparation for the procedure

In order to avoid the development of side effects, as well as achieve the desired result, a few days before the procedure you must adhere to the following recommendations:

• exclude the use of anticoagulants and antibiotics;
• You can’t massage your face or bend down;
• exclude any physical activity;
• do not drink alcoholic beverages.

Preparation for the procedure is one of the important stages, so in order to get the desired effect you must strictly adhere to the rules.

Stages of preparation and implementation of the procedure

The correction procedure is not complicated. It is carried out within the framework of a cosmetology salon or medical institution. Lip Botox is done after preliminary preparation.

Consultation allows you to resolve a number of key issues:

• presence of contraindications,
• the presence of individual intolerance to the drug,
• desired result,
• how many units of Botox are needed to achieve the goal.

During the consultation, the specialist explains how the procedure is done. He outlines where the punctures will be made. The patient learns what requirements must be met before administering the drug, and also receives information about the features of the rehabilitation period. The easiest way to lift the corners of your lips is with Botox.

Before administration it is prohibited:

• drink alcoholic beverages,
• use drugs that reduce blood clotting,
• eat salty, fried, spicy, smoked foods,
• perform bending exercises or back massage,
• drink plenty of fluids.

Botox is injected into the lips within 10-15 minutes. The procedure is quick and painless. If the skin is hypersensitive, a local anesthetic is used. To compare the result, the cosmetologist takes a photo of the lips with and without Botox.

The procedure itself takes place in several stages.

1. Marking. The specialist marks the lip contour with a marker. It shows where it is necessary to lift or adjust the shape, where punctures will be made.
2. Determination of the volume of the drug. The cosmetologist calculates the exact amount of the drug to be administered.
3. Introduction of botulinum toxin. The drug is injected according to pre-applied markings with thin needles. Its administration is carried out subcutaneously or intradermally.
4. Injection distribution. To distribute the substance evenly, after the puncture, gentle pressure and massage movements are applied to the puncture area.
5. Observation. For 30 minutes after the procedure, the patient is under the supervision of medical personnel.

Finally, the patient receives recommendations on behavior and lip care during the rehabilitation period.

How are injections performed?

The procedure for correcting the shape or raised corners of the lips goes through the following steps:

1. At the preliminary consultation, the doctor identifies existing defects, warns the patient about the presence of contraindications and complications, and signs an agreement for the procedure.
2. The skin is treated with a special skin cleanser.
3. The specialist uses a marker to mark areas on the skin around the lips that require correction.
4. The drug and the required dosage are selected, which will give the required result.
5. Using a thin needle, the cosmetologist injects the drug subcutaneously at the designated points. The procedure is painless, but a local anesthetic may be used for maximum comfort.
6. In order for the drug to be evenly distributed, the doctor performs a light massage of the treated area.
7. At the end of the procedure, the area is wiped with an antiseptic to avoid infection. Ice is applied if necessary.

The patient must be under the supervision of a doctor for half an hour, then the necessary recommendations are given that should be followed during the rehabilitation period.

Indications for use

Botox is a cosmetic procedure. It is carried out on the recommendation of a cosmetologist.

The main indications for this are:

• thin lips,
• obvious asymmetry,
• deep expression wrinkles,
• drooping corners,
• uneven contour of the mouth.

Using Botox for lips, specialists solve a number of cosmetic problems:

• raise the corners of the mouth,
• correct the shape,
• increase volume,
• reduce nasolabial folds.

To obtain the desired effect, you should inject the drug not into the lips themselves, but along the contour, at a distance of several millimeters from them. The main volume of the drug enters the upper part. Injecting Botox over the upper lip significantly reduces the folds of the nasolabial triangle and makes the mouth shape clearer.

Consequences

Positive and negative consequences may occur after the procedure. The positive ones include:

• the habit of pursing your lips disappears;
• the skin around becomes smooth, without wrinkles;
• lips become symmetrical and even, creating the effect of plump lips.

But in addition to the positive ones, negative consequences may develop:

• performing the procedure in the presence of contraindications may cause complications;
• allergic reactions;
• lack of effect or development of complications due to the purchase of a counterfeit drug.

Most negative reactions occur due to the use of a stitched drug or injections performed by an inexperienced cosmetologist.

How does the procedure work?

This is a painless procedure that lasts from 10 minutes to half an hour. Very thin needles are used and in most cases there is no discomfort. There may be a slight tingling sensation as the lip area is sensitive. But if necessary, the injection areas are treated with anesthetic ointment.

Stages of implementation:

1. The cosmetologist marks the areas for injection of the drug. The regimen is selected individually, depending on the age characteristics of the skin and the desired final result.
2. The area of ​​drug administration is treated with a local antiseptic.
3. Injections are carried out along the contour in areas where wrinkles accumulate, at a distance of no more than 2–3 mm. For the lip area, usually from 2 to 15 units are used, the amount is determined individually, depending on the severity of muscle activity.
4. The cosmetologist can immediately evaluate the work; wrinkles are smoothed out after the injection. Often, the injection of botulinum toxin is used in combination with fillers for lip augmentation based on synthetic hyaluronic acid.
5. To ensure uniform distribution of the drug, the procedure ends with a light massage of the lip area. This allows you to avoid side effects such as accumulation of tubercles under the skin and swelling.

Important! After the procedure, you must remain under the supervision of a doctor for some time. The cosmetologist will also tell you about the rules of lip care after correction. Not only the aesthetic result depends on their implementation, but also the possibility of undesirable consequences.

Side effects

After the procedure, you may experience swelling, minor bruising and a burning sensation, which is a normal reaction that will subside within a few days. But more serious side effects often develop:

• the appearance of hematomas due to injury to small vessels during the procedure;
• the spread of botulinum toxin to adjacent muscles can cause omission of the corners of the mouth;
• in the absence of hygiene rules and treatment of injection sites, inflammatory or purulent processes develop;
• allergic reactions;
• no effect;
• speech disorder;
• numbness of lips.

Choosing a qualified specialist and following his recommendations will help you avoid most complications.

How long does the effect last?

The duration of action of botulinum toxin depends on many factors. The manufacturer of the drug guarantees a positive effect for 4–6 months. In some patients – up to 8–12 months.

Factors influencing the effectiveness of the procedure:

1. Compliance with the rules of preparation and care after administration.
2. Patient's age.
3. Condition of the skin.
4. Individual reaction to the administration of a substance.
5. Doctor's skill.
6. Frequency of injections – if Botox is injected regularly, the results of the manipulation last longer.

Restrictions after introduction

After the procedure, the specialist informs you about recommendations that should be followed throughout the entire rehabilitation period. For 2-3 weeks, you must avoid visiting the bathhouse, sauna, or taking hot baths. In addition, it is prohibited:

• be exposed to direct sunlight;
• visit the solarium;
• take anticoagulants and antibiotics;
• drink alcoholic beverages;
• be in a horizontal position for the first 3-4 hours;
• bend down;
• exercise;
• use creams and decorative cosmetics for the first two days;
• strain facial muscles;
• touch, scratch and massage your face.

It is necessary to exclude any thermal procedures, as this may contribute to a faster release of botulinum toxin and a decrease in effectiveness.

Restrictions recommended after the procedure

In addition to general recommendations for rehabilitation after botulinum toxin injections, such as:

• avoiding hot baths and showers;
• visits to the gym and solarium;
• taking painkillers and antibiotics.

After Botox injections in the lip area, you should not use decorative cosmetics or wash your face for the first 24 hours. The head must be kept strictly vertical for at least 4 hours. Alcohol and Botox injections are strictly incompatible for two weeks after injections.

Contraindications for injections and precautions

There are many photographs on the Internet of victims of unsuccessful Botox injections, which show:

• skin too tight
• asymmetry,
• violation of facial proportions.

Negative consequences appear in cases where patients ignore contraindications and, in pursuit of achieving their goals at any cost, resort to the services of unscrupulous or unqualified specialists.

Despite the apparent simplicity of injections into the lips and around the mouth, this procedure is the most complex of all. It requires a highly qualified doctor and his thorough knowledge of human anatomy.

General contraindications to the use of botulinum toxin are:

• any rash on the lips;
• herpes;
• skin diseases;
• taking tetracycline-based antibiotics;
• taking painkillers;
• allergy;
• myasthenia gravis;
• menstruation (and three days before it starts);
• alcohol abuse;
• oncology and blood diseases;
• infectious diseases.

It is strictly not recommended to take Botox during pregnancy.

When choosing a specialist, it is extremely important to go to a large specialized clinic, where the qualifications of doctors are confirmed both by documents and by customer reviews. Before carrying out the procedure, a good specialist will definitely study the entire medical history of the client and, based on it, determine whether it is possible to use Botox, its dosage and the date of injections.

Botox in the nasolabial area is rarely used.

If for any reason the doctor refuses to give Botox injections, it makes sense to inquire about alternative correction methods and do not look for a more accommodating doctor - health is always more valuable. How can you replace Botox? Read more here.

On forums on the Internet they often ask how to do lip Botox at home, forgetting that the procedure can only be carried out by a specialist, otherwise the consequences of such an injection can be disastrous.

FAQ

Can the procedure be done at home? You can try various exercise techniques on your own, and if done systematically, you can get a noticeable effect. As for Botox injections, the procedure should be performed only in specialized centers where the doctor’s qualifications and the shelf life of the drug are confirmed by certificates. When administering botulinum toxin at home, many experience a lack of effect or, on the contrary, experience immobility of the lips; there is also a high risk of complications.

How to lift the corners of your lips with Botox? Injections are made into the muscle that causes the corners of the mouth to droop. After the procedure, the muscle relaxes and stops pulling the corners of the mouth down.

How is the procedure performed? Using a thin needle, the drug is injected subcutaneously around the red border of the lips at a distance of 2 mm. The amount of the drug used is calculated individually for each patient, based on age, existing problems and skin condition. The procedure does not cause pain, but if necessary, the cosmetologist can use a local anesthetic.

How much does the procedure cost? The cost of the session depends on the drug used and dosage. The exact price can be found out at a preliminary consultation with a cosmetologist.

How to calculate the required amount of the drug

An important condition for working with drugs containing botulinum toxin is the medical education of a cosmetologist, work experience and the availability of a license to carry out such manipulations.

This is a disadvantage of the procedure and significantly affects its cost. An error in calculating the dosage or choosing the injection site and the patient will receive duck lips or asymmetry, a violation of the natural shape of the face.

The drug is diluted before use. 1 bottle of Botox contains 100 units of active substance. The solvent is saline solution. 1 bottle requires 2–4 ml of sodium chloride. The finished concentrate can be stored for no more than 4 hours in the refrigerator.

How many units of Botox are needed on the lips is calculated individually for each patient. The manufacturer's standard recommendation is 2.5–7.5 units per point, but not more than 25 units per area. In order to lift the upper or lower lip, 25 units of the drug will be required.

In addition to correcting the area around the mouth, Botox can be administered to other areas of the face - eyebrows, forehead. The maximum dose for 1 procedure is 250 units.

Distinctive features of the procedure

The substance injected into the muscle during the procedure is called Botoxin. It has the ability to disrupt the processes of nerve impulses. As a result, the muscle begins to contract very weakly or is completely paralyzed. But this effect is temporary. During the period of inactivity, the skin has time to recover, old wrinkles disappear, and new ones do not appear.

1. After the procedure, you may notice an increase in volume. Many people mistakenly believe that Botox injections are special fillers. Although after them there is a change in the shape and size of the lips, they are not lipstick.
2. Botox is not a foreign body at all, but a substance that is absorbed and eliminated from the body over time.
3. To achieve a more pronounced effect of lip augmentation, Botox injections should be combined with other methods. For example, fillers or hyaluronic acid are often used.
4. After such exposure, the skin is transformed not only around the mouth. Lips also become smoother and fuller.