Lip Augmentation

For centuries, a woman’s lips have been viewed as a sign of her sensuality. More recently, the entertainment and fashion industry have brought the lips back into the forefront of fashion. Look around. It seems that luscious lips are everywhere.

Sensual lips are a key element of almost every photo in every fashion magazine. Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with a pair of naturally beautiful lips. The few who are don’t get to keep them without a little help. Over time the sun, the elements, smoking and the aging process take their toll. The corners of the mouth begin to droop. The V-shaped area of the upper lip known as Cupid’s Bow begins to flatten out and lose its youthful fullness. Vertical wrinkles or Smoker’s Lines begin to appear, causing your lipstick to bleed. That once sensual look is gone or greatly diminished.

Thanks to today’s many medical advances there is help. Aging lips can be rejuvenated and less full lips can be enhanced.

What are my treatment options?Lip enhancement and rejuvenation are two of the most frequently requested cosmetic procedures. Your options range from the latest in laser treatments to natural injectable fillers or synthetic implants. All of these fillers are soft, pliable, and have a natural feel.

Which product is right for you?

Each of these products has different properties that result in variances in the length of time the product lasts in your lips. These same properties also lend themselves to physician preferences. During your consultation your doctor will help you choose the correct product to achieve your desired results.

Injectable lip enhancement

In the eighties and nineties, collagen was the injectable of choice for lip enhancement. Although collagen is still very popular, it is not your only option. Today, there is a long list of products that doctors use to replenish and enhance lips.

Soft tissue fillers

Some of the most popular soft tissue fillers include, but are not limited to, the following injectables: Restylane®, Perlane®, Zyderm® and Zyplast®, CosmoDerm®, HylaForm®, Captique®, and JuvaDerm™.

Fat transfer

Autologous fat transplantation, or micro-lipo-injection, plumps up your lips using fat taken from inconspicuous sites on your body. Fat transfer to the lips is a safe, natural, non-allergenic procedure to restore damaged and diminished dermal deficiencies.

Lip implants

Soft implants made of “EPTFE” (expanded polytetrafluorethylene) have been proven as safe, semi-permanent options for lip augmentation.

AlloDerm is a dermal graft/implant initially used to treat burn patients. Doctors worldwide recognize its benefits as a safe, natural implant to rejuvenate or replace aged and/or inadequate lips.

Silicone oil

Silicone oil is approved by the FDA as a Medical Device. Some doctors use it as a long-lasting, alternative treatment for lip augmentation.

Laser treatments

In some cases it may be beneficial to combine lip augmentation with a laser treatment to treat the fine lines along the edges of your lip. The laser helps to stimulate new collagen beneath the skin to tighten and remodel while restoring a more healthy and youthful shape to your lips.

What is recovery like?

Following lip enhancement with one of the injectable products, your lips remain swollen for a few hours only. You may return to normal activities the same day. Touch-up treatments may be necessary.

When implants are used for lip augmentation, discomfort is minimal. Small stitches may be used to close the implant site. These stitches will be removed in a few days. Some swelling may last up to a week. Elevating your head and applying cold compresses during the first 24 hours will help keep this to a minimum. Postoperative discomfort can be controlled with medication. Chewing food and brushing your teeth may be a little uncomfortable for a few days. There may be some bruising which can be covered with make-up.

Generally, patients experience a slightly longer recovery period after laser lip rejuvenation. Most of the healing occurs during the first one or two weeks. During this time the treated areas must be kept moist. Postoperative discomfort can be controlled with medication. The initial redness fades to a light pink.

This information is intended to supplement, not replace, a consultation with a board certified physician. To find out if you could be a candidate for one of these procedures or to learn more information about these procedures, we invite you to contact one of our doctors for a private consultation.

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