LipLase® in Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, SC

Reviewed by Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, ABAAHP  |  A4M Board Certified  |  Updated October 4, 2026

A gentle erbium laser can refresh lip color and texture and may add a hint of fullness, without a needle. Here is what the small body of research shows, and how it compares with filler.

So the fair way to think about LipLase is as a soft refresh for people who want to avoid injections and are happy with a modest, gradual change. If you want a clearly fuller lip shape, hyaluronic acid filler has far stronger evidence, along with its own risks.[3][4] This page explains how the laser works, what the study measured, how it stacks up against filler, and what recovery looks like, so you can choose with real numbers in front of you.

• LipLase uses an erbium laser in a non-ablative, heat-only mode on the inside and outside of the lips, with the goal of prompting collagen renewal rather than adding material.[1]
• The main published LipLase study enrolled 15 adults and 13 finished. About half (53%) felt their lip volume improved, and all felt their lip color improved, at a three-month check.[1]
• That study had no control group, a small sample, and short follow-up, which its own authors list as limitations.[1]
• Hyaluronic acid lip filler is FDA approved for lip augmentation in adults over 21, and in one randomized trial 61.8% of people still showed fuller lips at one year.[3][4]
• Filler carries a rare but serious risk of blocking a blood vessel. LipLase does not involve an injection, but it can cause peeling, dryness, and temporary darkening without good sun protection.[1][3]
• If you get cold sores, have a tan, or recently had lip filler, mention it before booking, because each one can change the plan.[1][6]

How a laser can change a lip without a needle

Your lips lose some fullness, color, and collagen as the years go by, and sun, nicotine, and alcohol all play a part.[1] LipLase is Fotona's name for a lip protocol, one of several laser treatments we offer. It uses an erbium (Er:YAG) laser set to a heat-only, non-ablative mode, which warms the tissue without removing the surface layer. The idea is that controlled warmth prompts the body to rebuild collagen, which may slowly add a bit of body and smooth fine lines.[1]

In the published protocol, the laser was passed several times over the inner lip, then over the outer lip, and a second laser wavelength (Nd:YAG) was used on the skin around the mouth.[1] Nothing is injected, and nothing stays behind in the tissue.

At Solcara, a session starts with numbing cream, and the laser work itself usually takes under about 30 minutes. Most people describe a sense of warmth rather than sharp pain. In the study, most patients rated discomfort as mild to moderate, even with 30 to 40 minutes of numbing cream first.[1] Two patients noticed an instant plumpness that faded within a few hours.[1] That short-lived swelling is not the result you are paying for. Any real change from collagen builds over weeks, which is why LipLase is planned as a series rather than a single visit.

What the research found, and how thin it is

We searched the main medical research database (PubMed) for LipLase by name and found no indexed studies. The best study we could locate was published in 2026 in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery. It treated 15 adults with darker skin tones (Fitzpatrick types IV and V) once a month for three months. Thirteen finished; two stopped after the first session because of dryness and peeling.[1] The authors themselves note that only a handful of studies and single-case reports on LipLase exist.[1]

For a sense of scale, here is how that study compares with the trial that led to FDA approval of one hyaluronic acid lip filler.

The numbers are not a head-to-head contest. The studies used different people, different measures, and different time frames. What the comparison does show is the size of the gap in proof. The filler trial randomized more than 200 people and followed them for a year.[4] The LipLase study is a useful early signal, but it cannot tell us how much of the improvement came from the laser and how much from expectation or chance, because no one received a sham treatment.[1]

A separate 2025 trial of 36 women looked at lines around the mouth, not lip volume. Three sessions combining erbium and Nd:YAG lasers smoothed upper-lip lines and corner-of-mouth wrinkles, and the authors called for larger, longer studies.[2] That supports laser for texture around the mouth more than for plumping the lips themselves.

LipLase or hyaluronic acid filler: matching the tool to the goal

The two options solve different problems. Filler places a gel into the lip, so the change is immediate and you can see the shape on the day. The FDA approves hyaluronic acid fillers for lip augmentation in adults over 21. Because the gel is slowly absorbed, results fade and repeat visits are needed; how long they last depends on the product and the area treated.[3] In the trial above, close to two in three people still had fuller lips a year later.[4]

Filler also has a safety net that laser does not need: hyaluronidase, an enzyme that dissolves hyaluronic acid. Clinicians use it off label to correct lumps, overfilling, or unevenness. A 2022 review found no randomized trials on its use, so dosing still relies on experience.[5]

The serious risk with filler is an accidental injection into a blood vessel. The FDA calls the chance low, but it lists tissue death, vision loss including blindness, and stroke among reported complications.[3] Common reactions are more ordinary: in the lip trial, nearly everyone had some swelling, tenderness, firmness, or bruising, and most of it settled within two weeks, though lumps or firmness lasted up to a month for some.[4]

LipLase skips the needle and the gel, so it carries no risk of blocking a blood vessel with filler. The trade-off is a smaller, slower, less certain change. A reasonable rule of thumb: choose LipLase for texture, color, and a hint of softness, and talk about lip filler if shape and clear volume are the goal.

Peeling, cold sores, sun: the recovery and the reasons to wait

Most people go back to their day right after a session, with lips that feel warm and look a little flushed. Over the next few days, dryness and light peeling are common. In the study, 8 of 13 patients peeled on and around the lips for three to four days, and moisturizer handled it.[1] We send you home with a plan for a plain occlusive balm such as Aquaphor or ALASTIN Soothe + Protect Recovery Balm.

Sun matters more than people expect. Two study patients developed temporary darkening of the lips after skimping on sunscreen; it cleared with a month of topical treatment.[1] Use a lip balm with SPF every day during a series. The American Academy of Dermatology also advises against laser treatment over a tan or sunburn.[6]

A few situations call for a pause or a change of plan:

• Cold sores. If you get them, the AAD advises taking preventive medicine before laser treatment, and the LipLase study excluded anyone with an active outbreak, so a current sore means rescheduling.[1][6]
• Recent lip filler. The study excluded anyone with previous lip injections, so there is no data on combining the two.[1] Ashley will ask what you had and when.
• Sun-sensitizing or immune-lowering medicines. These were also exclusion criteria in the study.[1] Bring your full medication list.
• Retinoids and smoking. The AAD advises stopping retinoid or glycolic acid products for 2 to 4 weeks, and quitting smoking for at least 2 weeks, before laser treatment.[6]

Prone to cold sores, or had lip filler before? Call 843-981-0870 before you book a lip session. Ashley can sort out timing, preventive medicine, and whether laser or filler suits your goal, so your first visit is not a wasted trip.

Planning a lip series with Ashley in Mount Pleasant or downtown

A LipLase plan at Solcara starts with a look at your lips, your skin type, and what you actually want to change. Ashley Harwyn, PA-C is board certified in anti-aging and functional medicine (A4M) and holds ABAAHP certification. She will tell you plainly whether laser is likely to give you the result you are picturing, or whether filler, a skin treatment around the mouth, or simply better lip care would serve you better.

If LipLase fits, plan on a series rather than one visit; the study used three sessions a month apart.[1] Take clear photos in daylight before the first session, so you can judge the change honestly rather than from memory. The study authors cite earlier reports that results last about four to six months, but no controlled trial has tested how long the effect holds, so we treat touch-up timing as something to judge by your own photos.[1]

You can see Ashley at our Mount Pleasant office at 496 Bramson Ct, Suite 120, or downtown at The Longevity Club, 163 Rutledge Ave, Suite 202.