Are bigger lips better? The 6 S’ of creating attractive lips with dermal filler

Article medically reviewed by Dr. Gavin Chan

Templestowe Lower, Berwick and Beaumaris Clinics

Dr. Gavin Chan, MBBS, General Registration (MED0001175745), founder of the Victorian Cosmetic Institute, began offering cosmetic medical treatments in 2004. Formerly a trainer for cosmetic pharmaceutical companies, Dr. Chan currently concentrates on offering ongoing training to cosmetic doctors at the Victorian Cosmetic Institute. He ensures that all doctors stay updated with the latest procedures and methods in the cosmetic industry. Read More

If you’ve been thinking about getting dermal filler treatment to enhance your lips, you probably have ideas about how big you’d like your lips to be. But according to Dr Gavin Chan (MBBS, Cosmetic Doctor, Liposuctionist), bigger lips are not always better. Over the last 20 years, dermal fillers have become a popular non-surgical way to enhance your lips. Composed of a substance that’s found naturally in your body, dermal fillers have given Cosmetic Doctors and Cosmetic Nurses a tool to create big lips. Dr Gavin Chan explains that the popularity of larger lips (often driven by celebrities) has resulted in some people getting too much dermal filler in their lips, where their lips no longer suit their face.

There are a few areas of your lips that can be enhanced with dermal filler including the red part of your lips (also called Vermillion) and the columns (also called philtrum). When the upper lip and lower lip Vermillion is enhanced, your lips will be fuller with more pout. The border of the Vermillion can also be enhanced to delineate the skin or the cutaneous lip area. This treatment can also reduce lipstick ‘bleeding’. Since 2005, Dr Gavin Chan and his team of highly trained Cosmetic Doctors and Cosmetic Nurses have focused their dermal filler treatments on creating plump, natural looking lips.

6 essential steps for beautiful, natural looking dermal lip filler treatment

Since 2005, Dr Gavin Chan and his team of highly experienced and trained Cosmetic Doctors and Cosmetic Nurses have been treating lips with dermal filler. To achieve natural-looking lips after dermal filler treatment, Dr Gavin Chan and his team use the following six steps.

Step 1 to beautiful, natural-looking lips – Size

Dr Gavin Chan notes, “The size of your lips and the amount of dermal filler used must be looked at in terms of balance with other parts of the face. For example, if you have a much stronger nose and chin, you could probably have bigger lips. If you’ve got smaller eyes, you probably don’t want to have huge gigantic lips.” There are a few rules that Dr Gavin and his team use in terms of gauging what the ideal size is for your lips. The golden ratio states that the upper lip to lower lip ratio should be 1:1.618. The second rule to judge lip size is the Ricketts aesthetic line (E-line). Named after the orthodontist Dr Ricketts this looks at the proportions of your nose and chin and compares them to your lips, soft tissue and teeth.

The standard amount of dermal filler used for lip treatment is 1mL; this will vary between patients. Dr Gavin Chan cautions that it’s not necessary to inject the entire 1mL into the lips. An experienced practitioner with an excellent aesthetic eye will be able to use any remaining dermal filler in other areas of your face.

It’s important to note that during the injection process for your lips, you will experience swelling and possible bruising. To alleviate this happening, Dr Gavin Chan and his team prefer to use blunt tipped cannulas. When this advanced injection method is used, there’s only one entry point in each quadrant of the lips. Compared to multiple injections with fine needles, this method reduces the likelihood of swelling and bruising and allows the practitioner to have a much better judgement of how much dermal filler to use.

Step 2 to beautiful, natural-looking lips – Shape

When lips are enhanced with dermal fillers, it’s essential that more filler is placed in the centre of the lower and upper lip. Dr Gavin Chan explains a lip that is fuller in the middle and thins out towards the sides is a more natural looking lip.

Step 3 to beautiful, natural-looking lips – Support

When treating lips with dermal filler, it’s important to make sure the corners of the mouth are supported. As part of the natural ageing process, mouth corners can droop down. Using dermal fillers to support your mouth corners create a more upturned, youthful look. Dr Gavin Chan notes it’s also essential to fill the crease in the upper lip, which can arise if you sleep on your side. When this crease is filled, it gives extra support to the lip area.

Step 4 to beautiful, natural-looking lips – Symmetry

Paying attention to symmetry is a vital part of lip dermal filler treatment. Your eyes, ears and cheeks can be different heights, but as lips are in the centre of your face, they need to be symmetrical. Dr Gavin Chan explains, “it can be hard to make lips symmetrical with dermal fillers because often one side is longer than the other.” He notes that if a patient has asymmetric lips, they need to have this pointed out before their dermal filler treatment; otherwise, they may attribute the asymmetry to the dermal fillers itself.

Step 5 to beautiful, natural-looking lips – Skin

Dr Gavin Chan notes, “a really important part of the lip enhancement process is to use small amounts of filler in the fine lines or wrinkles on the upper lip. This can be done by using a very fine needle and injecting a small amount of filler superficially.” If the lines on your upper lip are deep, a laser treatment like our Erbium Laser facial is a more effective way to resurface and reduce deep upper lip lines.

Step 6 to beautiful, natural-looking lips – Selection of patients

Dr Gavin Chan and his team take the time at your consultation to assess your lips and talk about your expectations and suitability for dermal lip filler treatment. Patients with unrealistic expectations (including wanting big lips that won’t be aesthetically appealing) are informed about more appropriate dermal filler treatment options. Similarly, if a patient has fine, tight lips, they’re not always good candidates for lip filler treatment. In these cases, the dermal filler used in the lips will often migrate to the surrounding areas of skin. For these patients, the dermal filler treatment in the lips may only last for a few weeks.

The 6 S to beautiful lips using dermal filler highlights the importance of having lip dermal filler treatment at a reputable medical clinic that has highly trained and experienced professional practitioners. Led by Dr Gavin Chan, our team of Cosmetic Doctors and Cosmetic Nurses are passionate about creating natural looking lips that enhance your face. View our before and after gallery of dermal lip filler patients.

The best skincare to use after a dermal filler lip treatment

After you’ve had your lips treated with dermal fillers, we suggest you use skincare that hydrates, protects and nourishes your lips. Synergie LipService is a cosmeceutical lip treatment that can be used during the day and at night. This deeply hydrating lip treatment protects your lips from environmental ageing while it gives them a more youthful, fuller shape and texture. Used as a night treatment the combination of hyaluronic acid, Tripeptide complex and lanolin keep your lips hydrated and moist. With no artificial flavours, the naturally sweet minty taste derived from stevia (natural sweetener) and spearmint essential oil makes Synergie LipService good enough to eat. PCA Peptide Lip Therapy is a nourishing anti-ageing lip treatment that’s infused with essential nutrients and active botanicals to keep your lips looking plump and beautiful all day. This advanced formula stimulates and supports collagen production, maintains moisture and helps minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around your lip area. Not sure which is the most appropriate skincare to use for your skin type and condition? A Skin Consultation with our highly trained and experienced Skin Therapists can help you get a skincare regime that achieves optimal results. Book your skin consultation by calling our friendly and helpful customer service team 1300 863 824.

Where to get the best dermal filler lip treatment in Melbourne

Would you like plumper, more youthful looking lips? Dermal filler is an effective non-surgical treatment that adds volume, enhances and defines your lips. Since 2005, led by Dr Gavin Chan, our team of highly experienced and trained Cosmetic Doctors and Cosmetic Nurses have successfully treated thousands of people’s lips with dermal filler. Get the lip shape and smile that you deserve. Call our friendly customer service team 1300 863 824 or fill in the form below.