Question: I am a 20-year-old woman interested in lip augmentation. I think I want to get my lips plumped with Restylane. I know it does not last forever but I would still like to take good care of my investment so that it lasts as long as possible. Are there an strategies I can use to make my Restylane-plumped lips last as long as possible?
Answer: My opinion is that the filler products tend to last longer in areas that have very little motion, and one of the reasons that filler injections do not last as long as in the lips as in other areas of the face is because the lips are so mobile. So, one option to improve the longevity of fillers in the lips would be to minimize the amount of motion that you have with your lips, though I feel this would not be a very good tradeoff due the fact that we obviously use our lips to smile, speak, and eat, all of which are really necessary in life and I, therefore, really have no good way for you to maximize the longevity of Restylane-plumped lips and I would, therefore, just suggest that you enjoy the augmentation of your lips as much as possible and return for reinjection when necessary. Most of my patients can get at least six months of good augmentation in their lips with Restylane and, overall, they feel this is acceptable and just return for injections as needed.