Concern
Lips in Reading
Thin, flattened or uneven lips, and the lines that form around them. Treated at our salon in Caversham, Reading.
What causes it?
Good lip work is about shape and proportion, not size. Lips lose volume and definition with age. The border blurs, the philtrum flattens, vertical lines appear above the top lip and the corners begin to turn down. Treating those structural changes gives a result people read as well-rested rather than treated. Where the concern is lines around the mouth rather than the lip itself, the answer is often skin treatment, not filler.
The lip is muscle covered by very thin skin, with a defined border — the vermilion — that sharpens light and gives definition. With age the muscle thins, the border loses crispness, and the upper lip lengthens and rolls inward so less pink shows.
Vertical lip lines come from repeated pursing combined with the same collagen loss happening elsewhere. Filling the lip does not remove them; treating the skin above the lip does.
Signs to look out for
Most people who come to us about lips recognise several of these. You do not need all of them, and you do not need to know which treatment you want — that is our job.
- Lipstick bleeding into lines above the top lip
- A lip border that has lost its definition
- Less pink showing than in photographs from ten years ago
- Corners of the mouth turning slightly down at rest
- Uneven volume between the two lips or the two sides
How we can help
These are the routes we would talk through at consultation, in the order we would usually consider them. Which one is right depends on your skin, your history and your budget.
Restore shape and definition
Lip enhancement done conservatively, working with your existing proportions. We would rather do two small appointments than one large one — you can always add.
Soften the lines above the lip
A very small dose of anti-wrinkle treatment relaxes the pursing muscle and softens vertical lines without affecting how you speak or drink. This is precision work and dose matters enormously.
Improve the skin around the mouth
Where etched lines are the real complaint, resurfacing the skin achieves what filler cannot.
Not sure which of these is you?
You do not have to decide before you come in. Bring the problem and we will talk you through what could help and what it costs. The consultation is free and there is no obligation to book anything.
What to expect over time
A realistic guide, including the stretch in the middle where it may not look like much is happening. Everyone responds differently, so your practitioner will talk you through your own timeline.
Day 1
Swollen, and more than you expect. Lips swell more than any other area — do not judge them, and do not plan anything.
Day 3
Most swelling gone. Bruising, if present, is at its most visible.
Week 2
The actual result. This is when we review and refine.
Month 6 to 12
Gradual softening. Lips metabolise filler faster than most areas because they move constantly.
Good to know
We will not do what you have seen online. Over-filled lips are the most recognisable bad aesthetic result there is, and they are very hard to undo once the tissue has stretched. If you come in asking for a size we think will look wrong on your face, we will say so and offer what we think will work. If you want it anyway, we are not the salon for it.
Treatments that can help
Listed strongest match first. All of them are done at our salon on 3 Prospect Street in Caversham, Reading.
Common questions
Will everyone know I have had it done?
Not if it is proportionate. What people notice is volume without shape.
How much swelling should I expect?
Significant for forty-eight hours. Book nothing social for two days and nothing photographed for two weeks.
Can it be dissolved?
Yes. Hyaluronic acid filler can be reversed if you dislike it or if there is a complication.
Is one syringe a lot?
It is less than people imagine, and in a first treatment we often use part of one. Conservative first, then add if needed.
Other concerns we treat
Ready to talk it through?
Bring the problem, not the treatment name. Consultations are free and carry no obligation.
