In the world of cosmetic treatments, lip filler is easily one of the most popular procedures. We’ve come a long way since the days of over-filled unnatural-looking lips, and now, lip filler is a trusted way to add a little—or a lot—of volume to your pout in a way that is safe, natural-looking and easy.
For some time now, RHA fillers have been one of the top-tier, FDA-approved fillers products for addressing dynamic wrinkles and folds and dynamic lipstick lines. Known for their natural, moveable qualities, RHA Redensity, RHA 2, RHA 3 and RHA 4 fillers have been working wonders on the face for years, but recently, RHA 3 has been FDA-approved for use in the lips. Ahead, everything you need to know about the innovation in lip filler technology.
RHA 3 For Lips: What It Means
RHA fillers—short for resilient hyaluronic fillers—come in four variations: RHA Redensity, which is approved for the correction of moderate to severe dynamic perioral rhytids, RHA 2 and 4 which are approved for the correction of moderate to severe dynamic facial wrinkles and folds in adults 22 or older, and RHA 3 which is now officially approved for the correction of moderate to severe dynamic facial wrinkles and folds and augmentation of lip fullness in adults 22 or older.
Since the collection’s launch in 2020, RHA fillers have been redefining what it means to create natural-looking results, and RHA 3’s approval for use in the lips only furthers that initiative. What really sets RHA 3 apart from traditional lip fillers is its dynamic, moveable quality—no one wants to get their lips done and have them look great while resting but strange when smiling or expressing. That plastic-like look that comes with some traditional lip filler has to do with the product’s lack of movement, but with RHA 3, the filler adapts to your natural movement, creating lips that are fuller but still inherently you.
As New York plastic surgeon Jennifer Levine, MD explains, RHA 3’s impact on the world of lip filler has been “a long time coming. What’s really special about this collection,” Dr. Levine continues, “Is that it was really designed for the face. The muscles of facial expression are not skeletal muscles—they are actually much thinner and finer muscles that are all connected to form the superficial musculoaponeurotic system, or the SMAS. It’s the beauty of these muscles and their ability to move and elevate different parts of the face to create expression that is remarkable and universal throughout the animal kingdom.”
So, why does Dr. Levine amongst so many other swear by RHA 3 for lips? “What our patients want is a dynamic filler—one that moves with our facial expression,” Dr. Levine explains. “The beauty of this product is that it has a hyaluronic acid in it that is very similar to the hyaluronic acid naturally produced in our bodies gives our skin radiance. The RHA collection actually has a similar hyaluronic acid makeup to that of the body, which is truly remarkable and helps to really solidify that natural look.”
RHA 3 For Lips: Clinical Results, Before and Afters
At the end of the day, the numbers and the photos speak a thousand words when it comes to cosmetic treatments. Not only is RHA 3 designed to last up to one year in the lips—longer than the traditional filler—95 percent of patients treated with RHA 3 reported lips looking and feeling natural even 12 weeks post-treatment. Below, check out some amazing before-and-after images of real patients treated with RHA, both at rest and while moving their face to really get the whole picture of what RHA 3 can do.
Pictured above is 38-year-old Kirsten. As the brand explains, “Kristen’s lips and corner creases were treated with 1.1 mL of RHA 3, and her lipstick lines were improved with 1.0 mL of RHA Redensity. Images were captured before and two weeks after treatment.”
Above is 47-year-old patient Amy. According to Revance Aesthetics, “Amy’s lips and corner creases were treated with 0.9 mL of RHA 3, and her lipstick lines were improved with 1.2 mL of RHA Redensity. Images captured before and two weeks after treatment.”