We have all seen the duck lip look on some of our friends. Hopefully it has not happened to you, but if you are continuously receiving lip filler, there is a good chance it could. So what causes duck lips?
Elongation of the upper lip happens naturally
Two important changes happen over time that contribute. First, there is bone loss around the nose and the midface. Secondly, elasticity of the upper lip decreases. These two things act like a deflating balloon and the upper lip drops. The red lip disappears as this happens and more of the skin above it shows.
Can fillers correct a lengthening upper lip?
Early in the aging process, the bone volume loss can be corrected with fillers and the red lip can be volumized, showing more of this red lip. However as more and more filler is injected we start to see migration of the lip filler up and along the muscle. This creates a longer and longer upper lip over time. So in short, fillers cannot correct a lengthening upper lip.
What can be done to correct migrating filler of the lip?
When hyaluronic acid filler gets into the wrong location, the best option is to dissolve it. I use ultrasound technology to locate old filler. This is a painless examination that can precisely locate the filler. Hylenex (a dissolver of filler) can then be injected directly into the filler to remove it.
Are there more natural looking alternatives?
First of all, avoiding filler in the lip is a better alternative if you are starting to see signs of lip lengthening. Other options include a lip lift. This is a surgical technique that can shorten the length of the upper lip to create a more natural and youthful upper lip appearance. For more information, check out our lip lift page or our other blog posts on the topic.
Dr. Jordan Rihani is a board certified facial plastic surgeon specializing exclusively in facelift, rhinoplasty, blepharoplasty, and injectables. He is a national trainer on injectable techniques and lectures on his own surgical techniques. Learn more by visiting facialplasticsurgeryinstitute.com