Why we warn patients that filler trends aren’t for everyone
In our previous blog we discussed how social media made Lemon Bottle fat dissolving rise to fame on platforms including TikTok and Instagram.
But that’s not the only trend influenced by popularity on social platforms, today we’re going to explore lip trends that rose to popularity on social media and why we’re warning dermal filler trends may not be for everyone.
When did fillers become popular?
Harper’s BAZAAR reports collagen-based fillers became popular in the 1980s, although these injectables, like bovine collagen, were permanent, required allergy testing and were not so easily accessible. The introduction of hyaluronic acid fillers then took off in the 2000s and many of these products still dominate the market to this day and arguably, dermal fillers are the most accessible and widespread they have ever been.
Who made lip fillers popular?
In the past fuller lips have often been considered a sign of beauty, the ‘big lip’ trend began in 2006 after Angelina Jolie took the title of the ‘World’s Most Beautiful Star’ with her big full lips being praised.
Undeniably in more recent years the answer has to be Kylie Jenner, when the Lip Kit mogul initially started to undergo lip filler in 2015, the popularity of lip injections in America saw the biggest increase since 2000, by 1000%. However, Kylie Jenner dissolved fillers in recent years, revealing she wanted a more natural appearance after becoming a mother.
So, what are the latest lip filler trends?
Typically lip augmentation trends are focused on the shape of the lips, with the latest trends including Russian lips, cherry lips and keyhole lips.
What is a Russian lip?
Russian lip filler or the Russian doll lip, is characterised by creating height and volume in the central portions of the lip for a lifted and flat appearance with a ‘Russian lip filler technique’ that concentrates entirely on vertical injections.
(Image source: russianlips.com)
What is a cherry lip filler?
Cherry lips is a South Korean lip augmentation trend that’s been growing in popularity, where volume is added to two areas in the top lip and to areas in the bottom lip avoiding the corners, designed to give a voluptuous, youthful appearance. The cherry lip filler technique has its name derived by looking like four cherries due to the plump, pouty appearance in the middle portions of the lips.
(Image source: Miracle Beauty Aesthetics)
What is the keyhole pout?
Keyhole lip fillers are defined by creating a small keyhole ‘gap’ between the upper and lower lips. Keyhole pout lip fillers often involves practitioners using something such as thread or floss, to separate the left and right aspects of the lip when injecting.
(Image source: Halcyon Med Spa)
So, why are we warning against following filler trends?
We believe in a bespoke and tailored approach when it comes to aesthetics. For instance, putting someone else’s lips on your face won’t look natural, but enhancing your own lips and features will. Good aesthetics is about everything sitting in harmony, it’s not about following one kind of trend, as there is no one kind of look that suits everybody. Plus, it’s not always easy to replicate a certain look, which could lead to patient dissatisfaction when they’re unhappy thinking they’ll get the exact look from a trend. As always, there is no judgement in our clinic, we don’t pose judgement on those who do come to us looking for a certain trend, but we will use our expertise to understand what elements of a trend our patients like and assess if it is possible to incorporate this.
Not only do we warn of trends due to the nature of their cookie cutter approach, but also due to safety reasons. For example, Russian lip fillers in particular carry more of a risk compared to classic lip filler injections, as the procedure uses a lot of filler, with multiple injections that can cause a lot of trauma and swelling to the lips. Plus, there is a higher risk of the filler spreading outside of the lip known as migration.
What’s our advice to patients?
It’s very easy to compare yourself to the people you see online in the modern day, but try to remember what suits one person, doesn’t mean it will suit yourself. We often look back at trends we have all gone through in the past and think what on earth were we doing! If you’re undergoing aesthetics ensure you are visiting a medical professional and take their advice about a bespoke approach, because ultimately trends will continue to come and go.