I was talking to a friend who told me that I’d look good with some filler in my lips. I’m a little curious because my lips look kind of old, but I don’t think I’d ever do it because I’ve seen how bad it looks on many people. What’s your opinion?

When we mention filler in the lips, many of our patients get a panicked look in their eyes. We know that visions of celebrities with overstuffed “sausage” lips are filling their head. We’re here to tell you, it doesn’t have to be that way!

Filler in the lips can and should look very natural. The goal is to turn back the clock and make us look more like we did in our youth, not like someone else. As with everything else on the face, the lips deflate as we age and appear crinkled and dehydrated. Rejuvenating the mouth area is an important part of looking refreshed, and it’s essential to also address changes of the surrounding area, such as “smoker’s lines” on the skin, and drooping at the corners of the mouth.

And if someone of any age has genetically thinner lips and wants to enhance them, fillers work beautifully for that too, and looks very natural. There are several fillers that are formulated especially for the delicate lip area. The newest one is Restylane Kysse, which is designed to move naturally with our skin when smiling and talking.