Dr Kate Goldie shares her newest lip augmentation technique for ageing patients specifically designed to utilise the Belotero range for natural results
Lips are usually the first area practitioners learn to treat, but are often the hardest to master. Many lip augmentation techniques involve deep injections into the body of the lip, however this might not be the best approach for older patients, according to aesthetic practitioner Dr Kate Goldie. She has pioneered a new method to augmenting ageing lips, which focuses on repositioning, recreating and restoring lip architecture rather than volumising for natural results.
How did your new lip augmentation come about?
Recent research using MRI scans suggest that the lip doesn’t lose volume with age, but rather changes position from a ‘J’ shapeinto more of an ‘I’ shape. This occurs from the superior labial zone to the mucosa of the lip, where it meets the vermillion border, which is held by the orbicularis oris. This knowledge is key because if you simply inflate the lip and take a volumising approach for older patients, treatment can make the patient look worse. So, instead we want to restore and reposition the lip, and recreate this ‘J’ shape.
To achieve this, I developed a superficial threading technique that utilises the BELOTERO® Lips Contour and BELOTERO® Lips Shapeproducts for a specific outcome, which is beautiful natural results to ageing lips.
How does the technique work?
The technique involves the insertion of micro droplets of product in very specific placements, superficially above the major vessels of the lip, which we know are usually 3mm beneath the surface. The technique can be performed with either a needle or cannula, however I prefer to use a needle when treating the lips of older patients. With a needle, the number of injection points will vary per patient, but will range from XX-XX and each pass will be less than 0.025ml. Importantly, the practitioner must hold and mould the area rather than massage for around 30 seconds. In my experience, the benefits of this technique are added safety, because you are not near the vessels, greater precision, less pain, and more natural results.
What products do you use for this technique?
The technique has been specifically created to utilise BELOTERO® Lips Contour and BELOTERO® LipsShape. These products offer a complementary approach to lip enhancement. BELOTERO® Lips Contour is used to restore the vermillion border, and the special thing about this product is that it is highly cohesive, is smooth but strong, has low viscosity and low elasticity, and it is very integrative, which all mean that product won’t migrate out of the lip.Research using ultrasonography images has shown that the cohesive nature of BELOTERO® Lips Contour allows for complete seamless integration into the tissue after just 30 days.1,2 By injecting tiny amounts of product, it will not migrate and integrate into the skin without the risk of lumps or the Tyndall effect. BELOTERO® Lips Shape is then used for augmentation and enhancement of the upper and lower body of the lip. The results are natural movement and integration, long-lasting effect, good compatibility and tolerability, and high patient satisfaction.
Why do you choose the Belotero range?
I have been using Belotero products for the last 10 years and have always achieved great results with my patients. BELOTERO® Lips Shape and BELOTERO® Lips Contour are HA dermal fillers with patented Cohesive Polydensified Matrix® or CPM® technology for seamless integration into the skin.2,3 They are ideal to add or restore volume to thin lips and to sculpt and define lip contours to full lips for natural-looking results. As practitioners in the UK and Ireland, we have a huge number of HAs available to us, BELOTERO® is the only cohesive polydensified matrix product on the market. Research has also shown that the Belotero range is least likely to cause any immunological reaction, and I certainly have not ever experienced this with any of my patients, which is another reason why I choose these products.
What’s your top tips for successful lip treatments?
Know that every hyaluronic acid product is different and you need to use their individual characteristics to their best advantage to get a specific outcome. When using BELOTERO® Lips Shape and BELOTERO® Lips Contour, use these products to specifically reposition, recreate and give architecture to the lip by using less product per pass, superficially, to achieve beautiful natural results. Remember, it’s the last final touches that you do that really make for a successful treatment.
A Belotero Tweakment case study with Alice Heart Davis
Dr Goldie’s new technique using BELOTERO® Lips Contour and BELOTERO® LipsShape was recently featured as ‘Tweak of the Week’ by beauty journalist and author of The Tweakments Guide,Alice Hart-Davis. Dr Goldie sought to improve Alice’s structure, architecture and hydration. First, she treated thevermillion boarder using small superficial injections of BELOTERO® Lips Contour to enhance its definition, and to improve the symmetry of the cupid’s bow. A total of 0.3ml of BELOTERO® Lips Contour was used. This was followed by BELOTERO® Lips Shape, which was injected in a similar manner into the body of the lip to provide the scaffolding to restore the lip to its original form. A total of 0.6ml was injected into the body of the lip using BELOTERO® LipsShape. After one month, the products will completely integrate with Alice’s own tissues and provide a natural result.
Alice Hart-Davis said after the treatment, “I have seen Dr Goldie do this new technique on
stage at international conferences so I was very excited to try it for myself and see the results in my own lips. The shape I have now is the shape I’m always trying to draw on with lipstick, and it’s how they used to look quite a while ago. I never thought of lip treatments in terms of building architecture of the lip – this technique is a very specific way of rejuvenating lip structure and I think the results are fantastic.”
