Dr Cindy Kerbel explores why lip fillers alone may not be sufficient for creating a balanced, harmonious smile. While lip fillers offer volume and definition, achieving a beautiful, natural result requires a holistic approach that considers the surrounding facial structures. This article delves into the LIPStrobing technique, a comprehensive method that enhances not only the lips but the entire face, ensuring a naturally radiant and balanced result.
The allure of full, beautifully shaped lips has been celebrated for centuries, immortalised in art, poetry, and culture. From the delicate curves painted by Botticelli to the subtle sensuality captured by Da Vinci, artists have long understood the power of a well-balanced face and the captivating role lips play within that harmony. In their studies, the Masters grasped the nuances of beauty, recognising that a smile is not simply an isolated feature but a symphony of proportion and balance.
Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “Study the art of science, study the science of art. Develop your senses, especially learn how to see; realise that everything connects to everything else.” His words resonate in the field of aesthetic medicine today, where our understanding of facial artistry goes beyond isolated enhancements, such as lip fillers, to a more comprehensive approach that considers the entire face. Lip fillers, while transformative, can only do so much in isolation. Achieving a beautiful, natural result requires balance, in how the lips connect to the surrounding features.
This article explores the concept of LIPStrobing, a signature treatment and technique that transcends traditional lip filler methods to create smiles that not only volumise and enhance the lips but harmonise the entire face. By carefully considering the delicate interplay between art and science, LIPStrobing emphasises the importance of dimension, light, and balanced proportions, elevating the lips to their full potential within the context of facial architecture.
Understanding the limitations of lip fillers alone
Lip fillers have long been a staple for enhancing the appearance of the lips. They offer patients a quick and effective way to add volume, structure, definition, and correct asymmetries. However, focusing solely on lip filler as the primary solution for achieving a beautiful smile can be limiting.
While full, well-shaped lips are certainly desirable, they are only one component of a balanced smile.
Lips, though central, do not exist in isolation. The perioral area, along with the chin, nasolabial folds, and even the cheeks, all play a significant role in the overall appearance of the mouth and smile. The face, much like a canvas, requires attention to its entirety for a truly harmonious result.
While there are still some patients who only require lip filler for a subtle enhancement, solely addressing the lips risks creating an unnatural or disproportionate look, especially if the surrounding areas show signs of ageing, volume loss, or imbalance. This could potentially result in distortion with minimal attention to facial harmony.
The concept of LIPStrobing: Creating a cohesive canvas
LIPStrobing is a highly customised approach to lip enhancement that focuses on creating harmony between the lips and the surrounding facial structures. Rather than simply adding volume, this technique considers how the muscles around the mouth, chin, and cheeks interact, ensuring that each filler injection enhances both the lips and overall facial balance.
By strategically placing fillers, LIPStrobing can subtly strengthen certain muscles or weaken depressor muscles, effectively lifting and rejuvenating the mouth and perioral area. For example, a small amount of filler on the cheekbone can elevate the corners of the mouth and upper lip, contributing to a more youthful, vibrant smile.
This method views the lips as part of a greater whole, recognising that the key to a beautiful smile lies in supporting the surrounding structures. Areas like the jawline, chin, cheeks, and temples may also be enhanced to ensure a cohesive, balanced, and natural-looking result.
Each LIPStrobing treatment is uniquely tailored to the patient’s facial anatomy and personal aesthetic goals, respecting their natural proportions while subtly uplifting and rejuvenating the entire face.
Key components of LIPStrobing to consider:
- Chin and jawline enhancement: A well-defined chin provides structure to the lower face, supporting lip augmentation and ensuring a balanced profile. A receding chin can often make the lips appear overfilled, whereas a well-defined chin creates balance and strength.
- Nasolabial fold softening: Nasolabial folds can deepen over time due to ageing and volume loss, and can overshadow enhanced lips. Softening these lines allows the lips to stand out naturally without drawing attention to unwanted shadows or creases, creating a more youthful, balanced appearance.
- Cheek and midface augmentation: The cheeks serve as the frame for the entire lower face. By adding volume or contour to the cheek area and volumising the midface, we can create a subtle lift away from the centre of the face and mouth. This subtle contouring enhances both the lips and the overall youthful structure of the face.
- Marionette lines and oral commissures: Addressing marionette lines, which create a downturned or aged appearance, helps elevate the mouth corners, resulting in a more open, refreshed smile.
- Light-reflecting techniques and hydration: Using hyaluronic acid fillers and skin boosters that naturally attract and retain moisture gives the skin a hydrated, luminous, and radiant glow. This adds a soft, natural enhancement to the lips and perioral area without relying on excessive volume.
Patient education and bespoke results
A crucial component of LIPStrobing is patient education. It is essential to help patients understand that achieving a beautiful, natural result involves more than just filling the lips. Instead, it is about considering the face holistically and using a variety of techniques to create balance, harmony, and radiance. Lip fillers, while powerful, are only one part of the equation.
At Dr Nerina Wilkinson + Associates, we focus on providing bespoke treatment plans that respect the natural proportions and unique beauty of each patient. LIPStrobing allows us to elevate the practice of lip enhancement, ensuring that the entire face radiates beauty, balance, and natural elegance. By focusing on the surrounding structures, we can create a smile that isn’t just fuller, but brighter, softer, and in perfect harmony with the rest of the face.
For patients seeking more than just lip volume, LIPStrobing is the artful solution to achieving a timeless, radiant smile.
MBChB; Dip PEC; Dip HIV Man; AdvDip (Aesthetic Medicine)
Dr Cindy Kerbel is a dedicated General Practitioner with a passion for Aesthetic Medicine. She graduated from the University of Cape Town in 2005 and holds diplomas in Primary Emergency Care and HIV Management. Mentored by industry leaders, Dr Kerbel continues to advance her expertise through ongoing training and has earned the Advanced Diploma in Aesthetic Medicine cum laude. Her holistic approach encompasses aesthetics, anti-ageing, and regenerative medicine, including hair and intimate wellness. Specialising in injectables and regenerative treatments like PRP and radiofrequency therapies, she tailors every intervention to her patient’s unique needs. Dr Kerbel has also contributed to articles on intimate wellness, reflecting her commitment to comprehensive care for women.