Article by Dermatologist - Venereologist Dr. Efi P. Markou in Madame figaro
Well-shaped lips contribute to the image of a harmonious face and define our smile.
Unlike the rest of the skin, the lips have no sweat or sebaceous glands, which explains why they age faster and become dehydrated easily. One of the most popular aesthetic treatments in the dermatology clinic is the correction of their shape.
THE NEW TREND
This season highlights a global trend, the "discreet" lips. The lip flips technique is distinguished by the lifted contour without intense volume, allowing the lipsticks to take center stage. It is no coincidence that celebrities such as Molly-Mae and Kylie Jenner have announced that they have decided to remove hyaluronic
acid from their lips and follow the new, more "natural" trend.
THE TECHNIQUE
Lip flips are achieved by a combination of microinjections of toxin in the upper lip and the use of good quality certified fillers based on hyaluronic acid. The lips become velvety, natural and juicy, without strong volumetric corrections and in the right ratio of upper and lower lips. The procedure followed includes five steps:
1st STEP: Lip cleaning and exfoliation with special pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.
2nd STEP: Lip peel: Nanotechnology peeling, which removes dead cells, erases signs of photoaging and discolouration.
3rd STEP: Microinjections of toxin in the circular muscle of the mouth (sphincter) for partial correction of smoker's wrinkles and the slight lifting of the upper lip.
4th STEP: Application of injectable hyaluronic acid, specially designed for the lips, certified by leading international drug and food organizations (FDA, EMA). It is often a combination of two materials, a soft hyaluronic acid (soft filler) and a more moderate in hardness hyaluronic acid. The aim is to harmonize the lips with the overall anatomy of the face.
5th STEP: Placement of PLLA (polylactic acid) threads in more pronounced wrinkles of the upper and lower lip to correct wrinkles and naturally strengthen the skin's texture with collagen.
Finally, in order to achieve the perfect natural image of the lips, other complementary treatments can be applied by the dermatologist. Among them stand out the regeneration laser to eliminate the small "pearl" spots on the lips, the microfocused ultrasound (HIFU) technology for immediate correction of the shape and wrinkles and the photodynamic therapy (PDT lip therapy) for mature dry lips with intense photoaging.