Here's Proof That Lip Enhancement Doesn't Have to Be Painful
Plump pouts have certainly existed before Kylie Jenner, but the reality star's lip filler confession has undoubtedly resulted in booming business for cosmetic surgeons. In the latest episode of PLASTIC, we follow a Los Angeles stylist who finally takes the plunge into lip enhancement.
"I feel like you just see everyone in the media with these plump, beautiful lips these days," says Sophie, who's been wanting to get lip injections for the past two years. Getting lip fillers "sounds like an easy fix," she says, "[but] my biggest concern...is that they're going to look bad on me. I have such a small face and small features; I don't want it to look too unnatural."
"Big lips alone are not beautiful," says Dr. Karan Dhir, a board-certified facial plastic surgeon based in Beverly Hills, CA. As he reveals in our video, the key to natural-looking lips isn't inflating them to duck lips-like proportions — it's all about shaping them correctly according to your face.
For Sophie, Dr. Dhir uses his signature Bow & Arrow technique, which uses a blunt-tipped needle to reduce trauma to the lips. Rather than injecting filler all over the lip, he treats specific areas to enhance his client's lip shape. "With that, it'll naturally balance and look good because I'm not trying to change your lip shape."
At her two-week follow-up, Sophie says the minimal recovery period was actually less painful than she expected. And her results? "I'm glad I did it; I love [my lips] — they're so natural," she says. "They just give me that little boost of confidence that I was looking for; putting on lipstick, I just like the way it looks better."
So how long does a temporary lip filler last? According to Dr. Dhir, the dermal filler that he uses called Juvéderm lasts for about one year, but the cosmetic results last anywhere from 3 to 6 months and up to 6 to 9 months, depending on the client.
Lip augmentation costs an average of $850 but varies on the procedure, per Real Self and a treatment with Dr. Dhir ranges from $800 to $1500, depending on the amount of filler needed.
See Sophie's complete before-and-after looks in the video above, then share your own lip enhancement experiences with us in the comments!
