Lip Enhancement

My approach to consultation

I don’t work from a menu of “add 1ml here”. Every face is different, and what suits one patient’s proportions can look completely wrong on another. During your consultation, I’ll look at your lips in the context of your whole face: the ratio between upper and lower lip, your Cupid’s bow, your resting expression, even how your lips move when you talk and smile. Only then do we discuss what’s actually achievable and sensible for you.

I’d rather talk a patient out of excessive volume than book it. If you’ve come to me wanting something I don’t think will suit you, I’ll say so.

Treatment options

Dermal filler. I use hyaluronic acid fillers selected for the lip area specifically, not repurposed cheek or jawline products. Lip tissue is thinner and moves constantly, so it needs a softer, more pliable filler that won’t feel firm or look lumpy under animation. Treatments typically take 30 to 45 minutes, most of it spent on planning rather than injecting.

Polynucleotides. Not every patient with tired-looking lips needs volume or lasering. Some simply have lips that have lost their quality: dry, thin-skinned, prone to fine lines, sometimes a little pale or lacklustre. This is where I use polynucleotides, biostimulating injections derived from purified DNA fragments that encourage your own tissue to repair and regenerate itself. We use both Plinest and Newest at the clinic, and I choose between them depending on the concentration and hydration profile your lips need. Unlike filler, polynucleotides don’t add volume. They improve the health and resilience of the tissue you already have, which is often exactly what an older or heavily sun-damaged lip needs before we even discuss shape. A course of two to three sessions, spaced a few weeks apart, is typical, with results building over about three months as your own collagen responds. I quite often use this alongside a very conservative amount of filler rather than instead of it. The combination tends to look more natural than either used heavily on its own.

Many of my patients combine two or more of these approaches over time. Filler for shape and volume, laser for skin quality and texture, polynucleotides for tissue health. Neither is “better” in the abstract; it depends entirely on what your lips actually need.

The Tailored Lip Lift. For patients who want improvement without added volume, this is my preferred option. It uses the Alma Hybrid CO2 laser to create controlled micro-injuries in the lip skin, which stimulates your own collagen production. It’s particularly effective for barcode lines, a dry or flattened lip border, and lips that have simply lost their bounce with age. No filler involved, so it suits patients who want their own tissue doing the work.

Many of my patients combine both approaches over time. Filler for shape and volume, laser for skin quality and texture. Neither is “better” in the abstract; it depends entirely on what your lips actually need.

What to expect afterwards

Some swelling and occasional bruising is normal with lip filler, usually settling within a week. I always ask patients not to judge the result in the first 48 hours. Lips swell unevenly and it rarely reflects the final outcome. I’ll see you again to review and, if needed, refine.

A word on safety

The lip area has a rich blood supply, and this is not a treatment to have done cheaply or quickly. I am a medical doctor, and every treatment is carried out by me personally, with full knowledge of the anatomy and the judgement to manage any complication immediately should one arise. This matters more in the lips than almost anywhere else on the face.