Lip Filler: What to Know
What your dentist checks before treating lips, what happens during the appointment, how long results last, the risks, and the full list of lip fees.
What Does Lip Filler Cost in Lanark, and What Is It Like to Have?
At Lanark Smile Studios, lip filler starts at £150 for a subtle BabyTweak, with 0.7ml costing £180 and 1ml £235. The gel, which is normally hyaluronic acid, makes an immediate difference that settles over a few days and usually lasts anywhere from several months to around a year. It's only for adults, and it always follows a free consultation, which you book with a £20 deposit that comes back to you within a week of your appointment.
What Lip Filler Is Made Of
Most lip fillers are a soft hyaluronic acid gel. Hyaluronic acid is a sugar-based substance your body produces naturally to keep skin and joints hydrated. When small amounts are injected, it attracts water and gives a little shape and support exactly where it's placed. Over the following months, the body slowly breaks it down.
That has two consequences. The result isn't permanent, which some people dislike and others find reassuring. And because the gel is hyaluronic acid, it can be dissolved with an enzyme if you're not happy with it or if a complication occurs. That built-in safety net is a big reason hyaluronic acid is the standard choice for lips.
Why Have It Done by a Dentist?
At our Lanark practice, facial aesthetics are carried out by a dentist. Dentists work every day on the mouth, the lips and the muscles that surround them, and see constantly how teeth support the lips and how a smile moves. That's relevant, because lips that seem thin are sometimes sitting over front teeth that are worn or set further back.
Treatment is carried out in a regulated dental setting, to clinical infection-control standards, and both your consultation and your treatment are face to face with your dentist. Sometimes the truthful answer to your concern is dental work, or simply leaving things alone, and if so that's what you'll hear.
Talk It Over First
Book a relaxed, no-obligation lip consultation at our Lanark practice.
What Filler Can and Can't Do
Filler works well for:
- Defining a lip border that's become soft or faded
- Balancing a top lip that's clearly thinner than the bottom one, or lips that are fuller on one side
- Restoring some of the volume that's lost with age
- Softening the fine vertical lines on and just above the lips
It's not the right answer for:
- Lips far bigger than suit your face
- Lips that rest awkwardly because the teeth behind them are crooked or stick out
- Showing a lot of gum when you smile, which is usually better approached with anti-wrinkle treatment or dentistry
We generally prefer to place less, review it and add more only if you want it. Lips that still look like your own tend to age better and attract fewer comments.
Lip Filler Fees
| Treatment | Fee |
|---|---|
| Consultation with your dentist | Free (£20 deposit, returned once you've attended) |
| BabyTweak lips, the most subtle option | £150 |
| 0.7ml of lip filler | £180 |
| 1ml of lip filler | £235 |
| Dissolving filler you already have | £150 |
The millilitre figures show how much gel is used. 1 BabyTweak is for people who'd like more definition or a gentle change rather than obvious volume. More isn't necessarily better: many people who want a natural look stop at 0.7ml or below, and building up across more than one visit is always an option. The amount is agreed once you've been assessed, and you'll find the full aesthetics price list on the facial aesthetics page.
Your Consultation
Every treatment begins with a proper discussion. You'll be asked what you hope to change and what prompted it, and your dentist will study how your lips relate to your teeth, nose and chin, and take a full medical history, medicines included. You'll hear what filler is likely to do for you, the risks, the aftercare and the cost, and then you'll have time to think it over.
The consultation is free and is booked with a £20 deposit, returned to you within a week of the appointment. Please give us at least 48 hours' notice if you need to cancel or move your appointment. We only hold on to the deposit if you don't attend and haven't let us know. Treatment appointments are secured with a £20 deposit as well. Nobody will expect you to have treatment on the same day you first enquire.
Treatment Day
- We take photographs to compare with at your review.
- Numbing cream is applied and left for several minutes. Most lip fillers contain local anaesthetic too.
- Your dentist places the gel gradually, checking the balance from the front and from the side.
- Your lips are gently moulded and you can see the result in a mirror.
- You go home with written aftercare and a review appointment, normally about two weeks later.
Plan for roughly half an hour of treatment time. Many people fit it into a lunch hour and return to their desk afterwards, although lips usually look noticeably swollen for the first day.
How Long Results Last
From lips, expect anywhere from several months to about a year. Filler in other parts of the face can last longer, but your lips move constantly as you talk, eat and smile, so the gel breaks down more quickly. Your metabolism, the product and the amount placed all make a difference, and results vary between people. 2
What you see on the day includes swelling. The settled result takes around two weeks to show, which is why your review is booked for then. When it begins to fade, you can top it up or just let it go. Nothing has to be done to remove it, and your lips slowly return to how they were before.
Aftercare and Risks
Expected for a few days: puffiness, soreness and the odd small bruise, and the lips may feel a little lumpy or firm until the gel beds in. Keep away from the gym, saunas, hot baths and alcohol for a day, and don't touch your lips unless we've shown you how to massage them. Leave lipstick until the following day.
Less common: infection, an allergic reaction, a flare-up of cold sores (let us know if you're prone to them), or small lumps your dentist may need to smooth out.
Rare but serious: if filler blocks or compresses a blood vessel, the skin it supplies can be starved of blood. Warning signs are pain that keeps getting worse, skin that turns pale, white or dusky, or any change in your eyesight. Phone us straight away on 01555 662441 if you notice any of these; it needs urgent treatment, usually dissolving the filler. Outside our opening hours, call NHS 24 on 111, and go to A&E for any change in your vision.
Who Lip Filler Suits
Adults of 18 and over who are generally healthy. We don't treat anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, who has an active cold sore or skin infection on the lips, or whose health or medication makes treatment unwise. If you've had filler before somewhere else, bring the details so your dentist knows what's already in place.
If you're undecided, a consultation costs nothing apart from the refundable deposit, and you may be told treatment isn't needed. When it's really your teeth, or how your smile looks overall, that you'd like to change, a smile design consultation could be a better place to start.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.