If you’ve always wanted a fuller pout, one of the fastest ways to get it is with lip injections. But just because something can be injected into your lips, doesn’t always mean it should. There are so many products out there that aren’t FDA-approved, let alone safe to use in the lips. Yet, people continue to use them. According to Pittsburgh plastic surgeon Leo R. McCafferty, MD, cost may also have something to do with it.
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The only things Dr. McCafferty says you should ever have injected in your lips are fillers that are approved by the FDA or those that are made specifically for use in the lips, like Restylane Silk and Juvéderm Ultra XC and Juvederm Volbella. “This assures the patient that the product has gone through the rigorous testing demonstrating safety and efficacy. In other words, the filler works as advertised and is safe,” says Dr. McCafferty. To make sure you’re getting the real thing, only seek out treatment with board-certified expert injectors and always make sure you’re having the procedure done in a medical setting. And, don’t be afraid to ask your doctor to see the bottle before anything is injected. “Unfortuantely, there is a black market out there. Check the packaging; it should be unopened. You can also check the lot number and expiration date, too,” says Dr. McCafferty.
If your injector says he or she is going to be using silicone, anything permanent or something that sounds like a household product, don’t let them do it. These types of materials, which are not FDA-approved to be used in the lips, can lead to serious problems like deformities, infections, scar tissue and granulomas.
