What it is
Dermal fillers are injectable gels based on hyaluronic acid, a substance found naturally in skin. They are used to restore lost volume, soften folds and support facial structure. In the lips, where they are usually called lip fillers, the aim is narrower: to support the shape and balance you already have, not to replace it.
The filler used at this clinic is premium Juvederm hyaluronic acid. We use one established range and do not switch to cheaper products, because knowing a product well is part of using it safely. Within the range, the gels differ in how firmly they are cross-linked, and that decides where each one goes. Lips move constantly and show every edge, so they need a softer, more flexible gel. A cheek that has lost volume needs a firmer one that supports structure. Treatment is planned around your anatomy.
What it may help with
- Lip fillers, for subtle changes to volume, shape or balance
- Softening of deeper lines and folds, such as nose-to-mouth lines
- Volume gradually lost from the cheeks or temples
- Support and balance across the facial structure
Whether filler is the right approach for a given concern is assessed at consultation. Sometimes a skin-quality treatment is the better answer.
Who it may be suitable for
Adults over 18 seeking natural-looking enhancement, following a consultation and a suitability assessment. For lips, it suits people who want their own shape supported, not changed, and who are happy to build up gradually over more than one appointment.
Who it may not be suitable for
Filler treatment is not appropriate under 18, during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with active infection or inflamed skin in the area, or with certain medical conditions and medications reviewed at consultation. Lips carry one further consideration. If you are prone to cold sores, injecting the area can trigger an outbreak, so we ask about your history and discuss preventative treatment before any lip treatment. A full screen is part of the consultation.
What to expect
Every filler treatment begins with a consultation. If you proceed, the area is cleansed, a numbing cream may be applied, and the filler is placed using a conservative technique.
Most people describe the sensation as firm pressure with a brief sting. Lips are the most sensitive area we treat, so numbing and a slow pace matter more there. You see the result immediately, but lips swell for the first day or two and can look fuller than the finished result. Settling takes around two weeks. If more is needed, we plan a second, smaller appointment at that point instead of putting too much in on the day.
Consultation & safety
As a nurse-led clinic, we put particular weight on anatomy, product selection and emergency preparedness. We use established products sourced through regulated UK pharmacy channels, and we keep complication management protocols and emergency medicines in clinic.
We will decline some appointments and tell you why. Reasons include a cold sore starting, an amount that would stop your face looking like your own, or a concern that is about skin quality rather than lost volume, which another treatment would serve better.
Lip filler and other filler appointments run at our Bedhampton clinic near Havant. It is a short drive from Portsmouth, Waterlooville and Denmead, and reachable from Petersfield along the A3. From 8 December 2026 they will also run at our new clinic at 9A Jewry Street in Winchester. Until Winchester opens, all treatment takes place at Bedhampton.
Aftercare
Written aftercare covers the first 48 hours, including what to avoid at first: make-up on injection points, heat, saunas, strenuous exercise and alcohol. It also explains what is normal, what is not, and how to reach us. After lip treatment, expect to sleep slightly propped up for the first night or two. Leave the area alone and do not massage it unless you are asked to. A review appointment is available, and for lips we usually suggest one at around two weeks.
Possible side effects & risks
Common, temporary effects include swelling, redness, tenderness and bruising. Lips swell more, and for longer, than most other areas.
Less common risks include lumpiness, asymmetry, nodules and infection. Rare but serious risks include vascular occlusion, where filler compromises a blood vessel. These are explained fully at consultation, along with how the clinic prevents, recognises and manages them. Vascular anatomy is especially important in the lips, the nose-to-mouth lines and the area between them, which is part of why treatment here is delivered by a registered nurse prescriber. Results vary between individuals.
How much lip filler is used, and why we usually start with less
Lip treatment is quoted almost everywhere in millilitres, so it helps to know what the figures mean. A 0.5ml syringe is a small amount. Spread across an upper and lower lip, it reads as definition and hydration more than as visible volume, and for most first appointments it is the sensible place to begin. A full 1ml is roughly double that. In a lip that lacks volume it reads as fullness, and in a lip that does not, it reads as too much. Lip enhancement here starts from £140 for 0.5ml and from £180 for 1ml, confirmed at consultation once we have seen your lips in person.
How the treatment is staged matters more than the volume. Lips move constantly, the skin is thin, and excess shows. An amount that looks right on the day can settle into something heavier two weeks later. So we place a conservative amount, review you at around two weeks and add a little if it is needed, instead of putting too much in and having to dissolve it. That is slower, and it means more appointments.
If you want definition more than volume, or the concern is the fine lines above the lip and not the lip itself, say so at consultation. Some of these are better discussed with our prescriber at an anti-wrinkle consultation than at a filler appointment.
What the first two weeks after lip filler look like
Swelling is not a complication. It is the expected response when a highly vascular area is needled and filled with a gel that draws in water.
For most people, days one and two are the peak. Lips are noticeably larger, firmer and often uneven, because swelling is rarely symmetrical. By days three to five it usually settles substantially, and the shape starts to look like the one you will keep. By around two weeks the filler has integrated with the surrounding tissue, so the review appointment is at two weeks, not before. Bruising, where it appears, tends to fade over the same period. Timings vary between individuals, and a small number of people swell for longer.
Small irregularities you can feel but not see are common in the first two weeks and usually resolve as the product settles. If anything worries you, contact the clinic and do not wait to see if it settles. That applies at any hour of the first few days.
Frequently asked questions
Will people be able to tell?
Our aim is that people notice you look well, not that you look treated. We favour conservative volumes and staged treatment. Results vary between individuals.
Do you treat lips, and will they look obvious?
Lips are one of the areas we treat most often, and the aim is to support your own shape, not replace it. We often place less than you expect at a first appointment, review at around two weeks, and add a little if it is needed. Lips swell for a day or two afterwards, so the first 48 hours are not the result.
How much lip filler will I need, 0.5ml or 1ml?
It is decided in person, because it depends on the lip you start with, not on a package. As a guide, 0.5ml across an upper and lower lip is a small amount. It reads as definition and hydration more than as visible volume, which is why most first appointments here begin there. A full 1ml is roughly double, and suits a lip that lacks volume. Lip enhancement starts from £140 for 0.5ml and from £180 for 1ml, confirmed at consultation and subject to an assessment of suitability.
How long do lips stay swollen after filler?
For most people, swelling peaks on days one and two and settles substantially over days three to five. By around two weeks the filler has integrated and what you see is the result. Bruising, if it appears, usually fades over the same period. Timings vary between individuals and some people swell for longer, so allow for this if you have an event coming up.
I have had lip filler elsewhere that I was not happy with. What can be done?
Come to a consultation and tell us what you dislike about it: that is clinical information. Depending on what we find, the options may include leaving it to settle further, dissolving some or all of it with a prescription enzyme before starting again, or doing nothing for a while. We would not add more filler on top of a result you already dislike.
Can filler be dissolved?
Hyaluronic-acid-based fillers can usually be dissolved by a suitably trained clinician using a prescription enzyme if needed. That is one of the reasons we favour them. This is discussed at consultation.
How long does filler last?
Longevity varies by product, area and individual, and is typically many months. Realistic expectations for your treatment are set at consultation.
Which clinic would I be seen at?
Our Bedhampton clinic near Havant is open now and takes all filler appointments, seeing clients from Havant, Portsmouth, Waterlooville and Denmead. Our second clinic, at 9A Jewry Street in Winchester, opens on 8 December 2026, and appointments there can be arranged from that date. Bedhampton continues as normal.
