It has been some time but every now and again I get asked if I offer 0.5ml lip filler.

Equally, I get asked occasionally why I don’t offer 0.5ml lip filler as an option for touchups. 

It’s a great question, so I thought I’d take the time to explain, rather than 1:1 as the occasion arises. 

0.5ml filler is an option in many if not most, chain clinics, especially for lip filler, which is among the most commonly sought out injectables among young people seeking enhancement rather than rejuvenation. 

Young people also have smaller budgets so it makes sense that they’d seek what they consider to be better value for their money by pursuing options they can downsize. 

And yet….

Anytime I’ve given in on the spur of the moment, I’ve regretted my decision & lost money saying yes and risked feeling resentment towards the person asking, which is not my preferred method for dealing with tricky conversations especially around money and boundaries. 

My personal feelings & business health aside, I’ve some solid reasons why I don’t offer 1/2 syringe options, ever.

• you’re paying for a service that includes my assessment, opinion & treatment. The syringe and how much of it I use is irrelevant to your stated and our agreed-to goal for what you wish to achieve. 
• I rarely agree to do touchups if I don’t feel you will need a decent amount of filler, usually > 0.5ml
• when you buy a meal you pay for the whole thing even if you only eat half of it, so why do we expect a 1/2 syringe option when the syringe comes in 1ml size? 
• once opened, that syringe can’t be stored so if I don’t use it, it’s wasted
• assuming I do it, it’s twice as long with two people, and more consumables including numbing cream on two people for the same price as 1 syringe. 
• legally that syringe is yours and yours only. I know many clinics will split a syringe between two friends on the same day but technically it’s not legal to do that. On the occasion I’ve done it, I’ve felt annoyed for feeling pressured to do it on the spot. 
• I dislike people “ordering” aesthetic treatments as if off a menu including number of units or mls.It’s not how I work and it doesn’t work for my business. 
• limiting me to your budget also limits what I’m able to achieve clinically. On the few occasions I’ve done this, patients have invariably come back for more because the dose (eg anti wrinkle) was inadequate to do the job or was barely visible (eg filler) once swelling settled.
• the dose I suggest we use, is the bare minimum to achieve the desired result/ outcome - this is a basic, sound medical principle, and dropping that dose to suit your budget often means you’ll get less than ideal results or need retreatment sooner. 
• I work in 3D and often need to use 0.6-0.8ml of a syringe on lips to achieve good results front, side and in aiming for symmetry, even for touchups. 

In saying all that, there are many people who do offer 1/2ml syringes. I’m just not one of them.

At Skin Essentials, I am all about as much transparency and healthy boundaries as possible and I like to think that patients who choose to see us understand and accept this. If they don’t then they should not be seeing me and I encourage them to go elsewhere. We value safety and following rules more than a quick sale, any day.