Device & Laser
Non-ablative Fractional Treatment (Lips)in Charlottesville, VA
Refreshes the lip area and smooths lip lines without adding volume.
- Price
- $250
- Downtime
- Minimal
- Sessions
- Single visit
The fine vertical lines above the lip are a skin problem, not a volume problem. Filling the lip will not remove them, and often makes them more obvious.
This treats the skin itself. Fractional laser energy resurfaces the lip border and the area above it, softening the lines and improving the texture, without changing the size or shape of the lip at all.
What it helps with
- Fine vertical lines above the upper lip
- A lip border that has lost its definition
- Rough or crepey texture around the mouth
- Lipstick that travels into the lines
Who it's for
- Anyone bothered by lip lines rather than lip size
- Patients who have had lip filler and still see the lines
- Anyone who wants the area improved without adding anything
This adds no volume. If what you want is fuller lips, this is not it. It is often done alongside lip filler rather than instead of it, because the two address different things.
What to expect
Consultation
Jyl confirms whether the lines are a texture problem, a volume problem, or both, because the answer changes the treatment.
The week before
Preparation instructions arrive by email. Sun exposure and retinoids both need stopping beforehand.
The session
Numbing first, then the treatment itself, which is quick because the area is small.
Afterwards
Redness and a rough texture for a few days as the skin renews. Aftercare arrives the same day.
Before your visit
One week before
- Avoid sun exposure, tanning beds and self-tanner.
- Stop retinol and retinoids, exfoliating acids and chemical peels.
- Wear SPF daily.
- Arrive with clean skin, free of makeup or lotions.
The day before
- Your appointment is tomorrow.
- Come with clean skin, free of makeup, moisturizer and sunscreen.
- No sun, no self-tanner.
- If you have had any sun exposure since we spoke, or if anything has changed with your skin, call us today rather than tomorrow so we can decide together whether to go ahead.
After your treatment
Today
- Keep the treated area cool and leave it alone for the rest of today.
- No makeup, no actives, nothing beyond a gentle cleanser and the moisturizer you were given.
- Skip exercise, saunas, hot showers and anything that raises your heart rate or your body temperature until tomorrow.
- Stay out of the sun completely and wear SPF every day from tomorrow onward, including when you are indoors near windows.
- Redness and warmth like a sunburn are normal today.
- Call the practice if you have blistering, severe pain, or any area that looks infected.
In three days
- Redness should be settling and your skin may feel rough or look slightly darker in treated spots.
- If we treated pigment, those spots will darken, then flake away over the next several days.
- That is the treatment working and it is the stage people worry about unnecessarily.
- Do not pick, scrub or exfoliate anything that has not released on its own.
- Keep wearing SPF daily.
- Call the practice if you have blistering, increasing pain, or an area that is hot and spreading.
How Jyl approaches this
Jyl will often suggest this to someone who came in for more lip filler. If the complaint is the lines rather than the fullness, more filler is the wrong answer and she will say so.
More about JylQuestions
Will this make my lips bigger?
No. It treats the skin around and on the lip border. The size and shape of the lip are unchanged.
Can I have it with lip filler?
Yes, and the two are often done together because they address different problems. Jyl will advise on the order and the spacing.
How much downtime?
A few days of redness and roughness around the mouth. Makeup is usually fine once the skin has settled.
How many sessions will I need?
NEEDS APPROVAL: confirm whether Jyl treats this as a single session or a short series.
Often considered alongside
