5 Best Lip Fillers for 2023

Last Updated On: October 16, 2024

Lip augmentation with fillers has gained immense popularity as a cosmetic and restorative treatment. However, the plethora of options available makes it challenging for practitioners to determine the most suitable product for their patients. 

Here we will delve into a comprehensive evaluation of the best lip fillers currently available, carefully considering crucial factors such as safety, efficacy, affordability, and innovation. By providing practitioners with a detailed guide on the latest products and techniques, they can make informed decisions prioritizing patient safety and satisfaction.

What are Fillers?

Fillers are a very particular type of product designed for aesthetic treatments. Their function is to fill (not to relax, hide, or ‘freeze’). Fillers are medically tested and physiologically safe substances of varying consistency and density used to fill skin imperfections from within or to compensate for the loss of facial fat or tissues due to aging or certain conditions. 

Fillers are injected under the skin into superficial, mid-depth, or deep dermis layers by a trained medical worker in clinical settings. Patients can return to their daily life immediately after treatment.

Available Types of Dermal Fillers

The desirability of the procedure among patients and impressive results demonstrated by the best lip injections and facial fillers means that more and more companies aim to develop analogs of famous filler brands or develop new formulas to capture the market. 

However, only some new treatments should be unquestionably offered to patients. Certain fillers have a minimal application range and cannot be injected into other facial segments, even off-label. Please consider this difference when selecting the best treatment option for your patients.

• Hyaluronic fillers comprise hyaluronic acid, a component naturally produced and processed by the human body. They are officially approved for all facial areas and can be used for the décolleté; this is also the best filler for lips.
• Calcium hydroxylapatite fillers are smooth gels with tiny hard particles of calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA, the component found in human bones). CaHA has been used in dentistry and surgery and found its way into aesthetic treatment due to collagen production and longevity of the filling effect. These fillers are recommended for deep wrinkles like nasolabial folds, sculpting and firming of cheeks or cheekbones. 
• PLLA fillers are bio-stimulating agents like CaHA fillers. PLLA fillers contain minute synthetic spheres of Poly-L-lactic acid. These spheres also start collagen production as they degrade over time and emit tiny doses of acid. The resulting implant develops gradually and is firm and long-lasting. PLLA fillers are excellent for treating hollows and cavities and sculpting jawlines and cheekbones: they are not approved for lips, periocular area, or glabella area. 

Criteria for Choosing the Best Lip Fillers

We will discuss various types of fillers currently available on the market, allowing you to answer your patients’ questions and select the safest and best lip filler, meeting the needs of this sensitive area. 

Anatomic considerations: Lips are a particular facial area due to their anatomy and functions, so only some new filling product should be injected into them. 

Lips are very soft, movable, and elastic because they need to perform many daily movements, from eating and drinking to talking and laughing. Fillers for lip enhancement must match and facilitate these features, not hinder basic movements or cause severe side effects. 

For this reason, composition was the foremost criterion in deciding which lip filler is best and what five products you can confidently offer your clients. 

Top lip fillers are those composed of hyaluronic acid with varying degrees of cross-linking. Only hyaluronic acid is soft, homogenous, and malleable enough to fill lips without forming lumps, nodules, or hardened inflamed patches. 

HA, as a main ingredient, ensures the highest safety level for lip fillers compared to fillers of other compositions. They are fully degradable and can be dissolved soon after the procedure if a patient is not completely satisfied.

Effectiveness is also high, as fillers immediately create the desired plumping or rejuvenating effect. There’s no need to wait 3 or 4 months to see the full effect.

Combined, the safety and effectiveness of HA fillers for lips means patients are extremely satisfied with results and return for touch-ups and maintenance with the same products. Approximately 95% of patients expressed their satisfaction after their treatment: this result is valid as a mean average for all popular hyaluronic fillers. 

The final decisive factor in this selection was the FDA’s official permission to inject the filler into lips. Only HA fillers have this approval: This is, therefore, the most appropriate answer to the question of the best lip filler.

Top 5 Lip Fillers for 2023

We selected the five best-performing fillers for lip enhancement and rejuvenation according to the abovementioned criteria. Every filler has its unique advantage, allowing you to solve a patient’s specific problem.

1. Juvederm Ultra Smile

This filler is the first on the list because, according to patients’ reviews, Juvederm Ultra Smile has set the standard for all other dermal fillers in safety and performance. Ultra Smile is explicitly designed for lips and features two essential properties in one formula:

• It has a comparatively dense consistency for sufficient plumping and contouring of lips, so it’s the best lip filler for achieving fuller lips. 
• It is smooth and viscous enough to preserve lip elasticity and softness.

The gel is formulated of sterile hyaluronic acid with a 24 mg/mL density, cross-linked by Vycross technology. It should be injected into the mid to deep layers of the dermis. 

The filler provides visible fullness to thin lips, contours soft lips, and fixes noticeable asymmetries. It fills deep lines and preserves a natural look. Longevity is between 6 and 9 months but can vary depending on individual body reactions. 

Patients, especially younger ones, seeking pronounced lip enhancement and shaping are overwhelmingly happy with the treatment results; and equally pleased with the very few side effects that subside quickly. 

The only drawback is that Ultra Smile is unsuitable for minor fixes and superficial injections.

2. Juvederm Volbella with lidocaine

This product is another excellent hyaluronic acid filler from Allergan, which is specifically designed to provide fine tweaking and smoothing effects. 

The gel has a very thin consistency (Vycross cross-linking technology, HA density of 15 mg/mL). It distributes evenly when injected, even in superficial layers of the lip dermis. Juvederm Volbella may be described as the best lip filler for older lips: it fills fine lines efficiently, creating a natural fresh look without overfilling lips. 

It also performs well for subtle plumping and shaping of thin lips. It provides an additional hydrating effect due to its fluid consistency. The filler’s longevity is superior (6 to 9 months, depending on the individual patient’s metabolism). Patients express satisfaction with the results and usually return for maintenance treatment. 

• This filler is suitable for treating fragile and sensitive aging lips and fine lines on lips that need precise filling
• It provides an additional hydrating effect.

The only crucial drawback is the higher price compared to the market average.

3. Restylane Kysse

Restylane is a valid competitor to Juvederm, which is more affordable. However, the filler has only one type of density, 20 mg/mL, so it takes a certain level of expertise to inject it equally well into deep layers or superficially into the lips. 

Restylane Kysse comprises pure cross-linked hyaluronic acid (XpresHAn technology of cross-linking). It has several purposes, including lip augmentation, perioral wrinkles, raising mouth corners, and moisturizing. 

This specific filler’s longevity of results is claimed by the manufacturer to be up to a year. However, medical professionals report patients have come in for treatments to maintain these results within 6 to 7 months. Even so, the patients have stated their thorough contentment with the effect gained, and would prefer treatment with the same product for a second procedure, if the initial treatment was performed with a Restylane filler.

• One significant advantage of Restylane is the lower price, which does not mean a compromise on quality. It makes it a top lip filler for different patient categories.

• It is sufficiently thick and stable to provide fullness and definition to lips for a reasonably long time.

The drawback is the universal consistency. It does not allow for combining denser and thinner textures for subtle lip augmentation.

4. Revanesse Kiss with Lido

The Canadian brand of hyaluronic filler has an impressive 25 mg/mL density and superb smoothness for easy distribution in sensitive lip tissues. Cross-linked for stability, Revanesse Kiss with Lido lasts 6 to 9 months. 

The product provides fullness, definition, and elasticity to lips in younger and older patients. Injection should be performed through a needle or micro-cannula. Satisfaction levels are high with this procedure. 

• Revanesse is one of the few fillers made outside the USA that is FDA-approved
• High density and stability make it the best lip filler for thin lips.

Possible disadvantage: the manufacturer doesn’t give instructions on the depth of injections, so it’s up to a medical professional to determine the best injection mode for each patient. 

5. Teosyal Puresense Kiss

One more successful product to recommend for various groups of patients is Teosyal Puresense Kiss. The clear gel has an HA concentration of 25 mg/mL, cross-linked for better stability.

The product can be used for various lip augmentation procedures, from adding fullness to restoring aging lips to defining cupid’s bow. It is recommended for deep dermis injections. 

Longevity is on a par with other fillers (6 to 9 months on average), and patient satisfaction is practically total. Like the best lip filler product, this filler is made in compliance with the highest safety standards.     

• The filler offers higher gel density for relatively moderate pricing (which enables sufficient lip plumping and rejuvenating)
• It preserves lip softness and elasticity while volumizing effectively.

It can only be injected in deep skin layers and is unsuitable for superficial and super-minute tweaks. 

Conclusion

Advertising can make a choice confusing for people who don’t have a medical background. That’s why you, as an authoritative medical representative, can advise your patients on the best options for them. 

With this list of the best lip fillers for 2023, you can provide your patients with top-class hyaluronic fillers designed and approved specifically for lips. Their safety and reliability will reduce the possibility of side effects and create the excellent and predictable results that patients desire.

So stay tuned to our blog to get the latest updates on the new products in aesthetic filler and recent developments in the cosmetic treatments sphere. Accurate information in medicine is everything! 

Reference List

https://www.france-health.com/en/home/9143-revanesse-kiss-2x1ml-prollenium-mt.html

https://www.plasticsurgery.org/cosmetic-procedures/dermal-fillers/types

https://myserendipityjourney.com/blog/hyaluronic-acid-filler-or-calcium-hydroxylapatite-filler-which-should-you-go-for/

https://www.estheticscenter.com/blog/the-4-most-popular-lip-fillers-that-we-love

FAQ

What type of lip filler is best?

The described fillers have their minute differences in application. So, each filler suits a particular aim or injection depth. They are all safe and medically approved.

Which lip fillers last the longest?

Despite manufacturers’ claims that the fillers can last up to a year, lip tissues are highly mobile, which means they last approximately 6 to 9 months. The practice shows that mechanical impact and metabolism reduce the longevity of the effect.

Is Juvederm or Restylane better for lips?

Juvederm has varying concentrations of HA for deep and superficial injections, while Restylane has one concentration. So while Restylane is fine for plumping and lip shaping, Juvederm can be used for tiny tweaks that look natural. The effectiveness of both fillers is excellent.