Lip Augmentation Before & After | Cannula Technique for Volume and Definition

Lip augmentation performed with a cannula rather than a needle, restoring volume and redefining the vermilion border in a patient with age-related lip volume loss. Oblique view, which shows projection and border shape more honestly than a straight-on photograph.

A cannula is blunt-tipped. It moves through tissue by displacing it rather than piercing it, which means fewer entry points, less bruising in most patients, and a lower risk of entering a vessel. That last point matters more than comfort. Vascular occlusion is the complication that turns a lip treatment into an emergency.

The trade-off is control. A needle places product precisely at a fixed point. A cannula places it along a path, so the technique depends on the injector knowing the plane they are working in. Dr. Sabeen Munib, MD performs every lip treatment personally.

Results vary between patients. Starting anatomy, tissue laxity, product selection and volume all change what is achievable and how long it holds.