Volbella^®

Youthful lips get their plump roundness from abundant collagen, the same protein that keeps skin looking smooth and healthy. Unfortunately, as with collagen in the skin, collagen in the lips is gradually depleted, leading to a natural thinning over time.
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This is because the body’s natural cycle of collagen breakdown and replenishment slows as a person grows older, ultimately leading to a situation where more collagen is leaving than is coming in. The problem is made even worse when environmental damage is taken into account, with UV radiation from the sun and other sources, such as tanning lamps, causing the important protein to break down even faster. Other factors that contribute to further collagen breakdown in the lips include smoking and the frequent use of straws for drinking.
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Without a significant amount of collagen molecules in the lips, they will lose their fullness. Keep in mind that collagen also provides a structural framework to house hyaluronic acid molecules, which are especially good at binding to water and keeping the areas where they are found moist and well hydrated. Without suitable support, hyaluronic acid is unable to perform its own lip-plumping abilities. Drinking plenty of water can ensure lips get as much hydration as they can, but without plenty of hyaluronic acid and collagen within the lips, the thinning trend will continue.
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This is all in contrast to people who have lips that are naturally thin due to genetics. The shape or size of a person’s lips owes a considerable amount to heredity.

One more interesting note: Younger people tend to have proportionally larger teeth, which—in addition to chewing—give support to the lips on the outside of the mouth. As the tooth-to-lip ratio changes in favor of the lips, less structural support from the inside can cause them to appear less perky.

Allergan makes all of the injectables in the Juvederm^® line, with multiple options to ensure a product that meets virtually every patient’s unique dermal filler needs. Ultra is another filler in the family known for adding volume to lips, which means it works in a very similar way to Volbella^®. That said, there are some key differences.

The Ultra formulation is designed to provide more significant fullness, giving a noticeable boost to thin lips. Since Volbella^® is smoother, the volume it adds is more for subtle corrections and enhancements. This is also what makes it so appropriate for addressing the fine lines that develop around the mouth. These lines are usually so thin that a thick, robust gel would essentially be too much.

Both fillers have the same general duration, lasting up to 12 months in optimal conditions

The lines Volbella^® treats are in a high-motion area—around the mouth, which is always opening and closing as people eat, talk, yawn, laugh, and more—but they are still considered “static wrinkles,” which form due to the loss of key elements in the skin. Static wrinkles can be addressed by dermal fillers, which mimic naturally occurring collagen and hyaluronic acid in the skin.

Lines that appear after years of repeated muscle contractions are known as “dynamic wrinkles,” named for the constant motion that results in their formation. Since these wrinkles come from a different source than lip lines, they require a different treatment than Volbella^® and its related fillers. Injectables known as “neuromodulators” are ideal for dynamic wrinkles, as they arrest proper muscle function in the treatment area.