I’ll admit it: I was frightened of having my lips filled.
Not frightened of the needles (I’m a nurse, after all), but frightened of looking like I’d had my lips done.
At 42, I didn’t suddenly want bigger lips. I didn’t want to change the shape of my face or look noticeably different. I just kept looking at my lips and feeling that something had changed.
They looked thinner, less hydrated and less defined than they used to, and it was starting to affect how I felt about my appearance.
I wanted to feel like me again
This is where I think lip filler gets a bit of a bad reputation.
We tend to associate filler with creating bigger lips, but as we age, our lips naturally change. They can lose volume and definition, and those changes can make a surprising difference to how we see ourselves.
For me, it was particularly noticeable when I smiled and in photographs. I’d find myself looking at photos and focusing on my mouth rather than enjoying the picture.
I didn’t want a dramatic change. I wanted to look in the mirror, smile and feel like myself again.
It gave me my smile back
My lips still look like my lips. They’re more defined, hydrated and balanced, but for me, the biggest difference is my smile.
I like it again.
I’m happier having my photograph taken and, instead of immediately analysing what I don’t like, I can actually enjoy the picture.
It’s also changed the way I think about treating lips in my own clients.
Lip filler isn’t always about making lips bigger. For women like me, it can be about restoring some of the definition and balance that has changed over time — without changing what makes your face yours.
Frightened of looking overdone?
I completely understand — because I was too.
If you’ve been thinking about lip filler but keep putting it off because you’re worried about looking unnatural, why not start with a consultation?
A consultation gives you the opportunity to talk about what’s bothering you, what you’d like to achieve and — just as importantly — what you don’t want. There’s no obligation to go ahead with treatment.
Because sometimes, less really is more.
Lip filler consultations are available at Skin Techniques in Amersham.
