INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - Women hoping to plump up their lips often leave the doctor's office with a fuller look than they expected.
Doctors say it's a tricky application, because fillers have limitations and it can be challenging to achieve more subtle results.
"We had fillers that would do a good job of lip enhancement but they typically would swell a fair amount and it was hard to create a subtle result. The fillers were designed to provide volume and so you put it in the lips and they would really swell and even when they went down it was often more than what the patient wanted," according to plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Hamilton.
But a new FDA approved Allergan filler called Volbella XC is a game-changer, according to Hamilton, who is now offering it to patients like Nancy Puorro. She is a real estate agent for Century 21 Scheetz in Greenwood, who came to Hamilton looking for options to freshen up her look. She works in a competitive business and she wants to put her best face forward.
"I have very small lips, very small lips," Puorro said.
Hamilton knows what patients fear.
"So many of my patients come in, they are asking for a natural lip enhancement. They are horrified by what they see on television stars and so forth," Hamilton said.
Lips that are too big, swollen.
Hamilton says Volbella XC is different. The filler has a lower concentration of hyaluronic acid and is packaged in a syringe that's half the size of most other products on the market.
Hamilton applies a numbing cream before targeting the creases lining Puorro's lips. He then makes a series of injections to fill small lines and enhance the size of Puorro's upper and lower lip.
The results are on target.
"It's amazing and it was instant. The results were instant," Puorro said.
Her before and after pictures reveal results.
"Looks great. I just wanted a real natural, subtle look," Puorro said.
Hamilton says the filler costs $300 per application and lasts up to a year.
Like all injections, there is a risk of infection. Allergan reports the most common side effects include swelling, tenderness, bruising, lumps and bumps. Most side effects are mild or moderate and last 30 days or less.
Puorro considers it an investment in confidence.
"The better we feel about ourselves, the more that shows in everything we do," she said.
