Why Botox should not be injected into the lips: the true purpose of Botox, and what actually enlarges the lips

Age-related changes in the lip area

Plump lips in a charming smile are one of the main features of a woman’s attractiveness. But with age it is lost. Already at 25 years old, the first age-related changes may appear in the form of drooping corners of the lips. Gradually, wrinkles will be added to them. And by the age of 35-40, age-related changes will already become noticeable.

What happens to the lip area over the years:

• Volume disappears.
  The lips “deflate” as the fat layer decreases. The visible red part of the lips becomes smaller.
• Wrinkles appear around the mouth.
  Basically, these are purse string wrinkles (smoker's lines, running up and down from the lips in a vertical direction) and marionette wrinkles (sorrow lines: from the corners of the mouth to the base of the chin). This is due to the fact that the skin becomes thinner, subcutaneous tissues change, and muscles become overstrained. Due to the constant load, the orbicularis muscle, which works during talking, eating and other actions, spasms. The peculiarity of its structure is that the bundles are woven into the skin, and not into the bones, which provokes the appearance of premature folds.
• The corners of the lips droop.
  This occurs due to structural changes in the skin of the lower face. In the epidermis, the content of collagen, elastin, some fats, and water - the main components of youth - is reduced. The skin loses elasticity, strength, and begins to sag. This gives the face a sad, tired look.
• The upper lip lengthens.
  Visually, the upper lip suffers more, as it no longer protrudes above the lower lip. There is a physiological explanation for this. Over the years, the skin of the upper lip stretches, becomes longer, and the distance between it and the nose increases. She closes her teeth tighter than before.

Course duration

When it comes to correcting the lower part of the face, you should be especially careful. All tissues located in this area are highly susceptible to gravity and are actively involved in articulation, which makes them the most vulnerable, which is why it is important not to overdo it with the dosage.

Often a minimum number of units is administered and a wait of 10-14 days is allowed. Afterwards, the patient again visits the cosmetology office, where the doctor decides on the need to administer an additional dose of the substance.

Since low doses are used, the duration of the effect is somewhat shorter than with classical botulinum therapy. Typically, the result lasts 2-3 months, after which a repeat procedure is indicated.

What is Botox

Botox is a drug containing botulinum toxin, the most powerful naturally occurring poison that works as a neurotoxin. It paralyzes nervous activity, or rather blocks the release of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter responsible for neuromuscular transmission.

Humanity has mastered the release of botulinum toxin to use it as a bacteriological weapon. Then doctors began to use this poison to treat eye pathologies and various neurological disorders, including motor ones.

The ability of botulinum poison to paralyze muscles began to be exploited in cosmetology to combat wrinkles. By atrophying the target muscle, Botox creates the effect of smoothed skin while the poison is active. The principle is simple: the muscle does not contract - the skin does not fold. The appearance of smoothness lasts 2-5 months.

The problem of wrinkle formation with the help of Botox is not solved (the skin does not regain elasticity and strength, and the muscles do not regain healthy tone), but, on the contrary, is aggravated. A barbaric invasion of the natural configuration of the muscular system leads to transformations that accelerate age-related changes.

Which drug to choose

Nowadays lips with natural shape and volume are in fashion. Only an experienced cosmetologist can pump them up so that they look naturally plump. In this case, the result of the operation will not be obvious - no one will guess that you had plastic surgery. But everyone will notice how much younger and more attractive you have become.

Do you want to adjust the volume or shape of your lips? Contact the experienced cosmetologists of our clinic. They will advise you on prices, choice of drugs, and features of the procedure.

Why do Botox apply to lips?

Botox injections into the lip area are done for the following purposes:

• Correction of shape, including in cases of deformation and asymmetry of the lips.
• Smoothing purse-string wrinkles and marionette wrinkles.
• Raising the corners of the lips.
• Correction of a gummy smile (a smile in which the gums are exposed by more than 2-3 mm).
• Increased lip volume.

Do not confuse Botox with fillers (based on hyaluronic, polylactic acid, collagen)! Botox is injected into the muscle, depriving it of mobility, and fillers are injected into the skin, pumping up the lips. To increase the volume of the lips, fillers are often used, and with Botox, they are mainly used to correct their shape, lift the corners, and smooth out wrinkles.

Cost of the procedure

You can find out the exact cost of the manipulation at an initial consultation with a specialist - some patients need a minimum dosage, while other clients are advised to administer a much larger amount of the substance.

The table shows average prices for services.

Pros and cons of Botox for lips

Botox for lips has no advantages, since the entire visual effect of the procedure is only an appearance that is created for a short time and has a detrimental effect on the body. Botulinum toxin harms health, beauty, and youth.

The main disadvantages of Botox for lips are:

Impact on health

Many patients feel worse after Botox: headache, injection site, numb lips and neighboring areas. Temperature may rise, dizziness, vomiting, etc.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. The main threat to health is that botulinum poison does not stay in the target muscle, but spreads to neighboring areas and, moreover, wanders throughout the body. Because of this, all sorts of complications arise, even life-threatening, and the long-term consequences have not even been studied by science. Proven side effects from Botox injections into the lip area are dysfunction and loss of speech, impaired swallowing, chewing, and increased salivation. Any interference with neurotransmitters has serious consequences for the function of the nervous system and can lead to long-term disruption of its functioning.

A blow to beauty

After Botox injections, bruises and ugly large hematomas appear, which can extend beyond the contours of the lips. Ugly side effects such as bumps, immobility of the upper lip, curvature of the mouth, facial asymmetry, and ugly duck lips are not uncommon. Surely, you have seen women whose lips half remained normal, and half were numb and hung down in such an immobilized state.

A victim of botulinum therapy often loses the ability to smile or does it asymmetrically, with only one corner of the lips. Lips affected by poison may convey a different emotion than the person is experiencing, for example, dissatisfaction instead of joy. Another common side effect is swelling and even severe allergic reactions.

A blow to youth

Botox does not eliminate, but accelerates age-related changes. The muscles affected by the poison will not fully recover, and the neighboring muscles, forced to work instead of them, become overstrained and spasm. There is a forced restructuring of the muscle tone of the face, which leads to the formation of new wrinkles, sagging skin, and the appearance of unevenness.

Contraindications

The introduction of Botox and its analogues into any areas of the face is contraindicated if there is a history of the following pathological conditions:

• alcohol or drug addiction (possible increased neurotoxicity of Botox);
• the presence of any neoplasms;
• pathologies of the hematopoietic system, in which the patient has impaired blood clotting, or signs of hemophilia are pronounced (pathological bleeding);
• somatic diseases in the acute period;
• impaired insulin resistance in decompensated forms of diabetes mellitus;
• myasthenic syndrome (pathologically rapid muscle fatigue);
• visual refractive errors (for example, severe myopia);
• any infectious diseases;
• mental disorders.

Botox injections are contraindicated for people with high myopia

Before starting the procedure, the doctor must objectively assess the patient’s condition for signs of intoxication and febrile syndromes (high temperature, chills, unnatural pale skin, vomiting). If possible pathological conditions are detected, the procedure must be rescheduled until complete recovery. The procedure is also not performed for persons under 18 years of age, pregnant and lactating women, persons with signs of a disorder of consciousness and an unstable emotional state.

Why you shouldn't inject Botox on your lips

Botox does not solve the problem of age-related changes, but only temporarily creates the appearance of rejuvenation. When the effect of the drug wears off, age-related changes worsen. What does a woman do when she sees herself several years older in the mirror? He runs to the cosmetologist again. Only the dose of poison will now be greater.

And now the body is already beginning to get used to the action of botulinum toxin, its effectiveness decreases. What to do? Increase the dose again and go to the cosmetologist more and more often. Botox can be done once every three months. Just imagine, not once every year or two, but every season, poisoning yourself with poison! This is a vicious circle, from which most women who are hooked on the needle cannot escape.

And they are drawn into this process from a young age. Unsmart girls are told that Botox is necessary to prevent age-related changes. An unthinkable and destructive lie! Do you know what the lower age limit is for botulinum therapy? 18 years. No comments.

The risk of complications following the procedure is increased due to the fact that the industry employs many incompetent specialists. Techniques and dosages are violated. Often low-quality drugs are used and storage conditions are not observed.

Quite often women say that they did not like the result of the procedure. Cosmetologists invite such people in two weeks for correction, and these are new doses of poison. Many warn in advance that after the first visit a repeat visit will be required.

How does hyaluronic acid work?

Hyaluronic acid attracts water and fills all the voids in the tissues. Just 1 molecule of acid attracts 400 molecules of water. The procedure for tissue renewal due to the attraction of fluid is called bioreparation.

When to use hyaluronic acid:

• volume decreases due to a decrease in the amount of collagen and hyaluronic acid;
• If the lips were initially thin, with age they become almost invisible.

Only a cosmetologist, surgeon or dermatologist can inject any of the drugs. The same dose can be injected 2 times or extended by 5 times. It is important to inject the required volume of filler.

Which is safer – Botox or hyaluron?

Both injection medications are safe. Despite the fact that Botox is essentially a poison, it has undergone special treatment, so it cannot harm the body.

Hyaluronic acid synthesized in the laboratory differs little from natural in its properties. It does not cause allergies and has minimal restrictions for use.

Each drug has its own contraindications:

When choosing Botox or hyaluronic acid, consult a cosmetologist at our clinic.

Preparations containing botulinum toxin

The word “Botox” is attached to all medications containing botulinum toxin. Although initially Botox was only a trademark. This is the name of the first drug based on botulinum poison, released by the American company Allergan.

Over time, the market of poisons for cosmetology has been replenished with new brands from different countries. They all contain the same active ingredient - botulinum toxin type A (BTA), once developed for military and sabotage purposes. The products differ in different concentrations of BTA, composition of excipients, particle size, duration of effect and a number of other parameters.

Botox

Botox is the first and most popular remedy among botulinum toxin-based drugs. Country of origin: USA. Used in Russia since 1994. This is a drug with a moderate concentration of poison and has a medium potency. Botox contains albumin and chloride - stabilizers whose task is to limit the spread of the toxin beyond the target muscle, but this does not mean that the spread of poison does not occur. It happens, with all the ensuing consequences. The effect of the drug is not quick compared to some of its followers: it appears on the 4-7th day and reaches a maximum after 2 weeks.

Dysport

Dysport is the main competitor of Botox. Country of origin: France. It differs from Botox in a significantly lower dosage of BTA, which is why the procedure requires more units of the drug. Dysport is significantly cheaper, but in terms of the amount of poison required for one procedure, its cost is comparable to Botox. Dysport is stronger and longer lasting than Botox because its particles are smaller and it contains less albumin, which is designed to stabilize the BTA molecules. Dysport has higher diffusion, that is, it spreads more under the skin where it shouldn’t, which is fraught with serious consequences. The initial effect occurs faster than Botox, 1-4 days after injections.

Botulax

Botulax is a drug produced in South Korea. By the way, South Korea is the country where the largest number of products containing botulinum toxin are produced. In addition to Botulax, these are also Neuronox, Meditoxin, Heutox. Botulax is positioned as a complete analogue of Botox in composition and characteristics, but only cheaper. There are opinions that Botulax acts shorter and causes discomfort.

Relatox

Relatox is a Russian drug that appeared in 2012. Cheaper than foreign brands. Relatox begins to work faster than Botox and its effects last longer. What explains this activity of Relatox? The fact that its particles are several times smaller: their molecular weight is 6 times lower than that of Botox. What does this mean? More active penetration into non-target muscles, which entails a lot of complications. Unlike Botox, Dysport and Botulax, Relatox does not contain albumin, a stabilizing protein that inhibits the diffusion of poison and softens its effect. There are reviews about the poor quality of this Russian drug and the pain of injections.

Xeomin

Xeomin is a German-made drug. More expensive than its competitors. This is explained by the fact that it contains botulinum toxin of the highest purity, so it works in a gentle manner. It starts to act a little faster than Botox and Dysport, but it also stops earlier. The molecular weight of Xeomin is very low, which indicates, on the one hand, a more uniform distribution of the drug, and on the other, its high ability to spread beyond the target muscle. However, the diffusion of Xeomin is inhibited by albumin, which it contains more than Botox.

Lantox

Cheap Botox option from China. Comparable to it in dosage and molecular weight, but does not contain albumin, which inhibits diffusion. Instead of albumin, which is a human immunoglobulin, Lantox contains gelatin of animal origin with a similar stabilizing task. The effect of Lantox is average in strength between Botox and Dysport.

Common Questions

Very often, patients who choose Botox injections do not fully understand the information about this procedure or the drug used, which ultimately leads to the formation of a false idea about the effectiveness and degree of safety of this type of cosmetic modeling. Below are answers to the most popular questions from patients about Botox and the features of its injection into the lip area.

When choosing facial correction methods, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons.

Can Botox not work?

Yes, this is possible in the case of the development of antibodies to the complex of botulinum toxin serotype A with hemagglutinin. Antibodies are protein molecules synthesized by blood plasma cells in response to the entry of foreign bacteria and the toxins they release into the body. Since there is no botulinum toxin in the body before Botox is administered (with the exception of patients who have recovered from botulism), the first procedure is effective, as a rule, in 99% of cases, but after a second injection, if there are immunoglobulins to this substance in the blood, the result may be weakly expressed or be completely absent.

The effect of injections is not always high

What is more effective for lip augmentation: fillers or Botox?

Fillers (injectable implants) and botulinum neurotoxins are drugs with different pharmacological properties and mechanisms of action that solve different problems. The most effective practice is considered to be combined injections of Botox and fillers, which can be performed in one procedure.

Table. Comparison of fillers and botox

The best results are obtained by combining Botox injections and fillers.

Important! The main difference between Botox and fillers is the injection site: Botox injections are placed strictly along the contour of the lips, and preparations for contouring are placed in the musculocutaneous folds themselves. It is impossible to achieve a significant increase in lip volume with Botox, since the drug does not compensate for tissue deficiency and is not an implant, but is completely removed from the epidermal structures within several months. If a patient is considering Botox injections to correct lip thickness, they must be combined with filler injections, such as hyaluronic acid injections.

Lips hurt after injection

Soreness after injections is normal if it persists for 1-2 days. Cosmetologists do not recommend using painkillers during rehabilitation, so if the pain persists for 3 days or longer, you need to contact a specialist to resolve the issue individually.

Moderate pain and discomfort in the lip area are considered normal in the first days after the procedure

After the injection, muscle sensitivity disappeared

Paresis of injected muscles is a fairly common side effect of Botox, which occurs mainly during the administration of large doses of the drug. If the patient completely lacks muscle sensitivity, you should contact a medical facility, since to restore normal functioning of the facial muscles, it may be necessary to administer a specific antidote (anti-botulinum serum).

How does the Botox lip procedure work?

The most common use of Botox for lips is to correct wrinkles. We will briefly and simply tell you how such injections are made.

• The procedure lasts 10-30 minutes.
• The cosmetologist marks the areas for injections, treats them with an antiseptic (sometimes also with anesthetic ointment) and makes injections. The final stage is a light massage of the lip area to evenly distribute the product.
• Injections are made along the contour in places with the greatest number of wrinkles. The distance between injections should not be more than 2-3 mm.
• Typically the lip area requires 5-15 units of botulinum toxin.

Opinion of cosmetologists

Doctors believe that injecting Botox into the lips to correct imperfections such as gummy smiles and marionette smiles is a justifiable solution. This technique is quite effective and in demand.

But to get big and seductive lips, it is better to use fillers - they are much more effective, and the result looks more aesthetically pleasing.

Targeted Botox injections in the lip area

There are other, more specific options for using Botox in the lip area:

• gummy smile correction,
• raising the corners of the lips,
• increase in lip volume.

Let's look at them in more detail.

Correction of a gummy smile with Botox

A gummy smile is a special form of smile in which not only the teeth are visible, but also the gums. It confuses some women, especially if their teeth are far from ideal. The goal of correcting a gummy smile is to reduce the visualization of the gum so that 2-3 mm of it remains visible. How does Botox play into this? The cosmetologist marks two points on the corners of the lips and injects them. The poison enters the muscle that lifts the upper lip and the wing of the nose, and paralyzes it. The lip drops. True, the shape of the nose may also change after it: the tip will begin to “peck”.

Lifting the corners of the lips with Botox

A person has a muscle that extends down from the corner of the mouth. When she is very tense, she pulls the corner of her mouth behind her, which gives her an exhausted appearance.

Paralyzing this muscle with botulinum toxin temporarily creates the effect of raised corners of the mouth. But this is only an appearance. Search the Internet for reviews of women who have tried to solve this problem with Botox. Many people write that they have only made the situation worse.

As you age, your facial skin begins to sag. This is a natural process. Poison can only harm the target muscle and provoke spasms of neighboring muscles, which will be forced to work for it while it is immobilized. All this will cause more sagging of the skin and the appearance of wrinkles.

Lip plumping with Botox

Fillers are mainly used to enhance lips. You cannot “pump up” your lips with Botox, since this drug creates an effect by changing muscle tone. You can correct the contours of your lips and give them a fuller appearance, but this is not the main application of Botox. Typically, botulinum toxin is used in combination with hyaluronic acid fillers to enlarge lips.

There is an easy way to find out whether a person has had lip botox or not. If there was no intervention with poison, then he will easily curl his lips into a “tube”.

Botulinum therapy in the perioral area: preparation and technique

Injections of any drugs containing botulinum toxin should be performed only by specialists with higher medical education and good knowledge of the topographic anatomy of the facial muscles. Violation of the insertion technique or improper preparation can lead to serious consequences, so it is important to learn in advance about all the features of the procedure.

Botox injections must be administered by a qualified specialist.

3 days before the procedure

Approximately three days before the injections, the patient is recommended to follow a gentle regimen that limits the performance of actions that could affect the microcirculation of blood and lymph and the tone of the epidermal vessels. During this period, it is necessary to refrain from playing sports, thermal treatments, massage sessions, visiting the pool and solarium. The diet limits the consumption of salt (can retain fluid and provoke increased swelling after injection), hot spices and seasonings, smoked foods and marinades. Alcohol is completely excluded, since ethyl alcohol not only increases the neurotoxicity of botulinum toxin several times, but also promotes the expansion of the vascular lumen against the background of a decrease in the tone of the vascular wall, which can provoke extensive bleeding and hematomas at the puncture site.

Patients suffering from arterial hypertension or hypotension should avoid exposure to stress factors on the eve of the procedure. If the patient is taking any medications, for example, anticoagulants or antibiotics, it is necessary to inform the specialist about this to decide on the possibility of an injection.

Sports activities should be stopped three days before the procedure

On the day of the procedure

An appointment with a cosmetologist or aesthetic medicine specialist begins with a visual examination of the skin and exclusion of possible contraindications. Patients with chronic diseases must come to the procedure with a report from their local physician and an extract from their medical history.

At the preparation stage, the doctor cleanses the skin of excess sebum and dirt, after which he disinfects the puncture sites with chloramine, chlorhexidine or other antiseptic solutions. Violation of asepsis measures can cause infection in soft tissues, so this stage is mandatory, regardless of which area the drug will be injected into.

Chlorhexidine solution is used to disinfect the skin.

Further actions are carried out in accordance with the following algorithm:

• applying special washable markings strictly along the contour of the skin-muscular folds of the lips;
• determination of puncture points at a distance of no more than 2.5-3 mm from each other;
• administration of the drug using an insulin syringe with a disposable sterile needle with a diameter of no more than 0.29 mm;
• repeated disinfection of puncture sites with medical alcohol or antiseptic solutions.

The depth of needle insertion in the perioral area is usually about 2-3 mm, and the number of units of the drug per puncture ranges from 2.5 to 7.5 units.

When administering Botox, the specialist must strictly adhere to the dosage of the drug.

Important! Regardless of the area being treated, the amount of the drug per procedure should not exceed 250 units.

Precautionary measures

Botox of the lips is contraindicated for those who have damaged skin, cracks, herpes, muscle weakness, as well as during pregnancy, lactation, infections and a number of diseases of the skin, blood, and endocrine system.

After the procedure, many restrictions are imposed. For the first six hours you can only stand and sit, it is forbidden to lie down. Until three weeks you should not tilt your head or do gymnastics. For half a month, exposure to sunlight and heat, such as baths and saunas, is prohibited. Water consumption is reduced to a minimum. There are other prohibitions.

Photo

Below you can see the photos before the procedure and after lip augmentation and smoothing of the skin around them:

Also a photo of unsuccessful Botox: