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Last week, Kylie Jenner shocked the world when she revealed that she decided to embrace her natural pout by dissolving her now-famous lip injections. The 20-year old, who is on her way to becoming the youngest self-made billionaire in history (watch out Mark Zuckerberg) took to Instagram last Sunday to share a series of snaps. When one fan commented that Jenner looked like “old Kylie”, Jenner responded: “I got rid of all my filler.” But how do you get rid of fillers anyway? To find out, we spoke to Dr. Jaffer Khan, founder of Aesthetics International and Nova Clinic, and Dr. Irena Ivanovska, specialist dermatologist at Euromed Clinic Center Dubai.
“The best part about filler is that it’s completely reversible,” explains Dr. Khan. “Most people can either wait it out, or opt for dissolving it, which is the more instant way.” Fillers, which can last up to one year, can be dissipated using an enzyme called hyaluronidase (Hyalase), which breaks down hyaluronic acid. “We’d use Hyalase to dissolve the filler either partially or completely depending on the ideal result. Most of the fillers that we are using today are hyaluronic acid-based, and we can sometimes see the Hyalase work straight away or within 24 hours,” he added.
Dr. Ivanovska chimes in: “Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are commonly used fillers for lip augmentation worldwide. What makes them superior is the safety of the products and the natural results that can be achieved. This is because HA is already part of the normal structure of the skin, and allows the products to be dissolved and removed entirely with the hyaluronidase enzyme, as in the case of Kylie Jenner.”
Though the mother of five-month-old Stormi hasn’t been vocal about why exactly she decided to abandon her most notable beauty asset, Dr. Khan explains that most patients opt to dissolve their lip injections when they simply aren’t pleased with how they look. “Fortunately, most of the time when someone has lip fillers, the results are good. However, there may be occasions where there may have been some movement with the filler.” Echoing his statement, Dr. Ivanovska adds: “Patients request this procedure when they are no longer happy with how the lips look and want to reverse them back to their natural state. That, or they have been at another clinic where the placement of the fillers has not been done by a skilled expert, which has caused an unflattering result such as irregularities or lumps, an uneven shape, or asymmetric lips.”
Are there any side effects? “There will be a degree of discomfort and swelling immediately following the Hyaluronidase, which can last for two or three days,” says Dr. Ivanovska, who suggests that patients schedule a one-on-one consultation with their doctor to discuss potential allergic reactions and post-op care prior to undergoing the procedure. Additionally, the treatment can be quite painful, despite lasting only a few minutes. Dr. Khan recommends that patients do it under an anesthetic block to prevent discomfort.
The cost of Hyalase injections depends on how much is needed, but it ranges between SAR/AED 300 to SAR/AED 1,500 for the treatment.
Now Read: The Effective New Way to Plump Your Lips With Natural Results
