Lip filler lasts six to twelve months for most people. Lips move constantly and have a rich blood supply, so filler breaks down faster there than almost anywhere else on the face.
Where you land in that range depends on the product, where it was placed, how much was used, and on you. It fades gradually rather than disappearing, and a result at the shorter end is not a sign that anything went wrong.
Why does lip filler wear off faster than filler elsewhere?
Dermal filler is a gel made of hyaluronic acid, a sugar molecule your body already produces, and your body gradually breaks it down wherever it is placed. In the lips that happens sooner. They are rarely still: talking, eating, drinking and smiling move them all day. They also have a rich blood supply. Both speed up how quickly filler is broken down.
For comparison, cheek filler lasts twelve to eighteen months for most people. A cheek moves far less than a lip.
What makes lip filler last longer or shorter?
The product. Filler is cross-linked: the hyaluronic acid is chemically bonded so the body cannot break it down straight away. How a gel is cross-linked affects how firm it is and how long it holds. Lips need a softer gel than a cheek or a chin, and softer gels generally do not last as long. In a part of the face that has to move, that is the right trade.
Where it was placed. Where in the lip the filler sits, and how deep, affects how it settles and how its fading shows. It is one reason two people given the same amount can describe very different results.
How much was used. More filler takes longer to break down, but more is not the way to make it last. Too much product, or product placed above the lip border, is what makes filler move and lips look overdone. Most first treatments use 0.5ml, which is enough to make a real difference to shape and definition.
You. Filler goes faster if you are young, if you exercise a lot, or if your metabolism is quick. None of that is a fault in the product, and none of it is worth changing for the sake of your lips.
Can lip filler last two years?
For some people it seems to. Some people break filler down slowly, and a firmer product or a larger amount can last longer, though too much brings problems of its own. Lips also fade so gradually that the change is easy to miss from one month to the next. It can take a photograph from a year ago to show how much has gone.
So if a friend's lasted two years and yours lasted eight months, it does not mean yours was poor product, or too little of it. Your lips, your metabolism and your treatment are not your friend's. Plan on six to twelve months.
What happens when lip filler wears off?
It fades gradually, and your lips return to how they were before. They do not end up stretched or saggy. That is a persistent myth: filler in the volumes used for lips does not stretch the tissue permanently. It can still feel like a loss, because you will have got used to the treated version.
If you change your mind before then, hyaluronic acid filler can be dissolved. That needs an allergy test first and a separate appointment, and it is a treatment in its own right, with its own risks.
Why are lip filler top-ups smaller than the first treatment?
Because you are rarely starting from nothing. By the time you come back, some of the first treatment is usually still there, and the aim is to keep the shape you liked rather than build it again.
It is also why doing less and coming back is better than doing too much. Filler layered on filler, year after year, without ever letting the old filler go, is one of the main reasons people end up with lips they dislike.
At our clinic in Donington, near Spalding and Boston, lip filler is from £190 for 0.5ml. Larger amounts are priced at your consultation, before anything is done, and the two-week review is included.
When should I book a review rather than a top-up?
If you were treated in the last fortnight, wait for your two-week review. Swelling peaks at 24 to 48 hours and can be significant, and the lips you see on day two are not the result.
After that, ask for your lips to be looked at rather than for more filler if:
- they look uneven, or you can feel lumps
- you think filler has moved above your lip line
- you have had filler elsewhere and are not sure what is still there
- or you are not sure you need more at all.
A consultation is free and takes about 45 minutes. Sometimes the honest answer is to leave it alone, or to dissolve old filler and start again, and you will hear that before anything new goes in.
The lip filler page has the prices, what happens on the day and the questions people ask most.