The Russian Lip technique is carried out differently than standard lip filling techniques. This needs to be noted when booking your appointment. The two main factors to contemplate are the price and the duration of the treatment.
With this technique tiny droplets of dermal filler are injected into the lip, mainly around the central part of it to create that heart-shaped look. The injections are done vertically into multiple injection points and drawn upward from the base of the lip to the top, rather than horizontally, as is the case with traditional lip augmentation. Russian lips are higher rather than wider and involve a different type of precision, which is why the Russian lip technique takes more time to achieve the desired look.
This is an advanced treatment and requires extra filler. However, for Russian Lips the extra filler is not needed to create excessive plumpness but to increase the height of the lips. That’s why this lip enhancement is considered to be a good option for those who are new to lip treatments, as it will result in a natural yet noticeable plump.
If required by the patient, extra volume can be added to the Russian lip technique as sessions are tailored to achieve the patients’ desired result. However, at CIDK, the best Russian Lip doctors always aim at 100% natural looking results and warn the clients about unnatural appearance if they ask for too much product.
Usually, a lip filler treatment takes from 15 to 30 minutes. However, if more filler is used it can take longer, increasing the treatment time up to 30-45 minutes.
There are a few more entry points with the Russian Lip augmentation technique. but the vast majority of them are through the vermillion border, so pain is really kept to a minimum.
One of the main differences between the Russian Lips and traditional lip injection is that with the Russian lip technique the filler is injected into the superficial subdermal plane. Here the filler acts as a strut to support the lip weight – this process is called tenting. You don’t have this with standard filler injection techniques. With the Russian lip technique there are a few more injection points on the outer border of either the top or bottom lip. Despite the fact that this procedure involves more injection points, the risk of bruising is a lot lower. This is due to the fact that the subdermal plane (the target of the Russian lip injections) is less vascular than the deeper layers of the lip. However, note that there will be more initial post-procedural swelling, as with most fillers, and because of having the filler placed more superficially. The needle used for Russian Lips is only 1-2 mm deep under the skin, where there are not as many nerve endings as in deeper layers, hence, there is less irritation and less discomfort than with a normal lip filler treatment.
The bruising can be reduced by avoiding excessive alcohol consumption the night before the procedure, taking arnica tablets one week prior and one week after the procedure, applying ice packs before and after the procedure and avoiding saunas, steam rooms and hot baths for approximately 48 hours after the procedure.
Give yourself up to one to two weeks for the swelling, tenderness and bruising to go away before you judge your results. It takes some time for the filler to settle and fully shine, especially if you are one to bruise.