Can lip filler cause pronounced creasing around the mouth? Would this be due to normal aging? (photos)

Question

I have noticed much deeper creases around my mouth when I talk or smile. This is several months after getting lip filler. I do not have lines at rest but the dynamic lines are extremely unpleasant. I am not sure if this is due to normal aging or if the filler (or possibly Invisalign, which I also have) is contributing. It seems that the lines have become much more pronounced in a short span of time.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

If you are just  now noticing the lines several months after your treatment it is not likely they are related.  It's difficult to tell what may be causing them without seeing earlier photos or an exam.  Lip fillers typically last 6-12 months.  See your injector to discuss concerns you may have.

Lori Warren, MD · Answer

Hi, filler can absolutely cause you to have lines around your mouth post treatment. It is not a complication, only something your injector needs to be aware of. It appears to me that you need a little support around your mouth to help stabilize your new filled lips. This can happen frequently, and no doubt something your injector has seen before. I recommend talking to your injector and seeing if they can add some support to help alleviate some of the pull around your mouth. I hope this helps.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

People often look at themselves from a much more critical perspective after having had cosmetic treatments.
They noticed things that seem different and make assumptions and associations.
Adding increase volume in one area could potentially affect adjacent areas.
You can always stop having fillers in your lips and see firsthand if it makes a difference.
I do not recommend treating dynamic lines. treatments should be based on what the face looks like without facial expression.
If providers treat facial contour based on how it looks during animation then it usually doesn’t coincide with aesthetic improvement without facial expression.
It’s normal for skinfolds to happen when the muscles of facial expression are under attention.
That is in fact the entire purpose of having muscles of facial expression
It allows others to recognize your emotional state.
When people show anger they also form certain lines and skin folds that convey that emotional state.
Lines associated with smiling have a positive connotation and are never seen as something that is a flaw, negative aspect or something that really needs to be treated.
There are obviously extreme examples when indications for treatment may be there.
Treatment is indicated for the opposite. When someone shows skinfolds showing anger when they are in fact relaxed and not upset like 11 lines that are becoming permanent then treatment is highly indicated.
Accentuation of skin folds associated with positive emotional states should probably be better left alone.
Injecting fillers while you’re smiling what most likely cause bulges when you’re not smiling.
The only flaw or recommendation I can see from the information you’ve included is that you should maintain your natural balance with your lower lip being larger than your upper lip.
Your provider emphasized upper lip volume at the cost of not treating your lower lip or treating it sufficiently.
Your lips have an abnormal relationship. Your lower lip has always been larger than your upper lip and you need to maintain that ratio in order to not look like you’ve had a treatment.
Adding volume to only your upper lip looks unnatural and like you’ve had filler in your upper lip.
Consider maintaining a natural lip volume ratio to maintain a more natural appearance without obvious evidence of having gone for cosmetic treatments.
Discuss with your provider or consider choosing a more skilled provider.
Quality providers should recognize the importance of maintaining balance and aesthetic ratios correctly which almost always means injecting the upper and lower lip together.
If your smile lines really really bother you then you can always ask them to do a very conservative small treatment (injecting fillers) in one of the areas and see if it’s to your liking.
I don’t think it’s going to fix your problem and I don’t think you’ll find it to be a quality outcome.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom MD

Reuel Aspacio, MD, FAAD - Account Suspended · Answer

This is an natural occurrence when we smile and move a muscle.  At some point you can try a little filler in that area but as long as that's your movement it a bit hard to make that go away.

Hope that helps!
Best of luck!

Can lip filler cause pronounced creasing around the mouth? Would this be due to normal aging? (photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: Muscle Movement

Answer: Muscle Movement

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Everything you need to know about Lip Fillers

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Can lip filler cause pronounced creasing around the mouth? Would this be due to normal aging? (photos)

Answers (4)

Answer: Muscle Movement

Answer: Muscle Movement

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lip Fillers

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.