The “natural look” is trending at cosmetic practices across the nation. From breast augmentation patients choosing smaller implants to the “Meghan Markle effect” that’s inspiring women to use less makeup, it appears “natural beauty” is everyone’s favorite aesthetic ideal at the moment. And Kylie Jenner’s thinner lips may be the most convincing evidence that the “overdone” look is out.

Jenner’s famously plump pout spurred the popularity of lip injections, but patients at my Albany, NY practice are now seeking subtler enhancements. From my perspective, I have always strived to create results that look natural while still meeting the patient’s cosmetic goals, so I’m a fan of this trend.

I encourage my patients to think realistically about how they want their lips to look after getting injections. Do you want people to notice that you had lip augmentation, or just that something’s different—and attractive—about your appearance?

And that perspective holds true for other filler treatments, too. The less-is-more approach is one I tend to take with fillers because there is a fine line between creating a smoother, more youthful look and appearing like you had “work” done.

Not all lip fillers are the same, and it’s important to have someone with expertise recommend the product that’s best-suited for your specific lips and cosmetic goals. Once upon a time collagen was the only option. Those days are gone. As a board-certified plastic surgeon, I advise my Albany patients on the smorgasbord of products now available for lip enhancement. One product can create a more pillowy look with more volume, while another is best for patients who don’t want their lips to be the focal point of their faces. VOLBELLA®, a JUVÉDERM product, is great for women who want both lip augmentation and to reduce the appearance of lines around the mouth.

I will add that it’s never a good idea to choose the least expensive option because that typically leads to disappointment.

One of the advantages of lip fillers is that they’re made using hyaluronic acid, a molecule that’s naturally produced by the body. One of its benefits is that the results can be reversed using hyaluronidase, an enzyme that melts hyaluronic acid rapidly and safely.

It’s also important to remember that maintaining the results requires periodic touch-up treatments because fillers don’t last forever. Depending on the filler used, the results can last between 6 and 12 months for lip injections.

If you’d like to see the results produced for actual patients, you can visit my photo gallery of before-and-after pictures. I also encourage you to follow my Instagram account to see additional photos and videos of various treatments.