Having experimented with all possible combinations of topical numbing, local aneshetic shots, dental blocks, etc., I have found a truly remarkable system for performing fillers to the lips. I no longer use any lidocaine injections before fillers.
In my practice, we have worked with a chemist to develop a special topical anesthetic mix, that works so incredibly well, that we no longer use any additional injections to numb the lips before using fillers. Additionally, I worked closely with Dr. Arnold Klein to develop a lip injection technique that results in almost pain-free filler placement, with hardly any bruising.
This has resulted in a very different experience for our patients. There are no more painful injections into the mouth to deliver dental blocks. Dental blocks always caused anxiety for patients my patients, and I was happy to be rid of them.
Most of all, however, by avoiding the dental block, I am able to maintain the lips in their normal anatomical posistion during filler injections, to create a perfectly subtle volume enhancement. Dental blocks typically cause temporary muscle paralysis (example - slurring of speech and drooling after visiting the dentist). This muscle paralysis creates a distortion in the lips, and increases the potential for improper filler placement.
My goal for lip enhancement is to restore lost volume in a way that looks completely natural. It is not unusual for my patients to tell me that they are thrilled because their own mother could not tell that they had their lips injected. This is the type of subtle enhancement that can be achieved using our special anesthetic paste and injection technique.
