Lip augmentation, also called lip enhancement, can be the solution to thin, unattractive lips. Distinctive lips make an impression. Movie stars like Marilyn Monroe, Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson are known for their sensuous looking lips. Cosmetic companies have capitalized on the popularity of plump lips by offering products that promise to make lips appear to be bigger and sultrier. But with cosmetic surgery, your thin lips can be turned into plump lips for real.
In lip augmentation, synthetic or biological materials are implanted into the lips to make them more physically appealing. Lip enhancement surgery can create a greater sense of facial balance for someone whose lips are not well defined.
For some people, lip enhancement may not be enough to achieve a nice balance for your face. Your nose, chin, and lips should have an aesthetically pleasing relationship to each other and the rest of your face. For instance, did you know that the corners of your mouth are usually the same distance apart as the pupils of your eyes?
Many people who want to change their look through lip enhancement surgery may undergo other procedures as well, such as chin implant, cheek implant or a nose job. You may also need some skin resurfacing treatments if you have tiny vertical furrows around your mouth. A cosmetic surgeon will be able to examine your face to determine which procedures are needed to achieve the desired effect.
There are several techniques used in lip enhancement or augmentation. Some of them are more invasive than others; some are actually surgeries. Some types of lip enhancement consist of injections of various types of filler materials. The results of these injections generally do not last. There are several types of injectable filler and most of them are broken down in the body within several months. This happens faster in some people than in others, but injections of filler must be repeated on a regular basis for most people. Although you may want to avoid the surgical options in favor of the injections, you should understand that lip augmentation surgery may be less expensive in the long run when you factor in the number of repeat injections you may need.
Most lip augmentation procedures are performed in a doctor’s office. However, if lip augmentation is to be performed at the same time as other cosmetic surgery procedures, it may be done in a hospital or freestanding surgical clinic.
Lip augmentation is a cosmetic procedure. A health insurance company will rarely pay for any cosmetic procedure. This means that you will be responsible for all the costs and fees associated with the procedure. Financing is available, however.
Here is a little information about lip anatomy. The muscle that surrounds the mouth is the orbicularis oris muscle. The surface of the lips themselves and the inside of the lips is a tissue called mucosa. The edge of the lips, where the mucosa of the lips meets the regular skin of the face, is rather artistically called the vermillion border. The shape of a normal upper lip, which usually has two peaks just under the nose, is called the cupid’s bow.
Some common lip problems that affect many people include:
Thin, flat lips: Here, the lips are thin and have no fullness or definition. Often, the upper lip is a straight line with no cupid’s bow. Thin lips are usually the result of your genes, but smoking can be a contributing factor. As people get older, lip tissue tends to break down and the lips become thinner, which is one reason we think of fuller lips as being younger lips.
No upper lip: In this case, the upper lip is significantly thinner than the lower lip. A small upper lip may be also the remainder of a cleft lip that was corrected in childhood. Augmentation can be done on the upper lip alone. There is also a surgical procedure called a lip lift that can be done alone or combined with augmentation to create a fuller upper lip.
No bottom lip: Occasionally, the lower lip is significantly thinner than the upper lip, but it is rare. Augmentation of the lower lip can correct this and produce natural-looking results.
Irregular border: On some people, the right side of the lip is larger or smaller than the left side. This may occur on the upper lip, the lower lip or both. For this case, augmentation of the deficient portion of the lip is recommended. Other people may have an irregular border due to scarring or injury, or as the remainder of a childhood repair of a cleft lip. A good cosmetic surgeon can correct this either with lip augmentation or other procedures.
Lips that are too large: Although most customers for lip enhancement are looking for bigger lips, there are those who feel their lips are too big. Lips that are too large can be a result of a congenital problem or heredity. Rarely, a too large or drooping lip may be caused by trauma. Very prominent lips are a feature associated with some ethnicities. If your lips are too large, you can undergo a lip reduction surgery. This surgery can adjust a drooping or hanging lower lip for a more appealing look or reduce the size of both lips. If your lips are too large due to previous lip augmentation or other surgery, the corrective measures will depend largely on the original procedure. In this case, you should consult with your surgeon to determine a treatment plan.
Lip lift and lip reduction: Both of these are surgical procedures. A lip lift can be performed on the upper lip in addition to lip augmentation or instead of it. If you have an upper lip that covers your teeth almost completely, a lip lift can give you a better smile and improve your appearance since it also rotates the upper lip outward slightly, causing more of the pink part of the lip to show. In a lip lift, an incision the width of the nose is made directly below the nose. A thin strip of tissue and skin is removed. The incision is closed, which pulls the lip up and rotates it outward very slightly. The procedure, done under local anesthesia, takes about 90 minutes and stitches are usually removed in about a week.
Lip reduction surgery involves an incision just inside the lip that is almost the width of the mouth. A thin slice of mucosa and underlying tissue is removed and the incision is closed, pulling the lip inward and reducing the size of the lips. It can be done on either lip alone or on both lips. This is also performed under local anesthesia.
For both surgeries, the risks are similar to those seen with any minor cosmetic surgery, such as infection, excessive bleeding or asymmetrical results. There is the possibility that you will be unhappy with how your lips look.
Injectable Temporary Fillers: These products are injected into the lips to create a fuller appearance. The results of lip filler injections are temporary, typically lasting from a few weeks to several months. The two most common types of lip injection filler are collagen and fat that is transferred from elsewhere in your body. The treatment is performed in a doctor’s office with local anesthesia.
Collagen is made from animal sources and an allergic reaction is possible. Other products that are used in lip augmentation include Restylane and Perlane (hyaluronic acid), and Radiance (calcium hydroxylapatite). Allergic reactions are possible with almost any injectable filler. You may be asked to undergo a pretreatment allergy test several days to a few weeks before your lip augmentation.
Usually, just one lip injection is needed to get the results you want, but proper placement of the injected materials is important. Any type of injection carries a tiny risk of infection. Complications include uneven placement, lumpiness, or lips that look too puffy and large. But as with good results, bad results are temporary, too. Temporary fillers can be a good way to experiment with fuller-looking lips.
Injectable Micro-implants: These products are made from a variety of substances. They are injected into the lips to create a fuller appearance and the results are usually permanent. However, the majority of micro-implant products have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Some are FDA-approved products, but have not been approved for cosmetic use although they can legally be used that way. Be cautious about these materials and get as much information about them as possible. Some surgeons are injecting tiny amounts of silicone oil into the lips to plump them. A few types of silicone oil are approved for injection into the body, but others are not, and none are approved for cosmetic use. There is no long-term information on whether the silicone oil stays in place or migrates. The lack of long-term follow-up information is also true for several other types of micro-implants.
Injectable Biocatalysts: These products cause the body to increase formation of collagen or other tissue. One such substance is polyacetic acid, which has been used for decades as a material in sutures and other medical products. The results appear to be long lasting, but some of the increase in lip size appears to be permanent. These products, which include New Fill (also called Sculptra), may not be approved for cosmetic use
Synthetic Lip Implants: These products are implanted under the surface of the lips. Implants are normally made from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE). The most common brand name is Gore-Tex, which is the same material used in raincoats. The surgeon makes a tiny incision at each corner of the lip and a special instrument is passed from one incision to the other. A thin tube of the implant is then pulled through to the other side. The results remain until the lip implants are removed. If an infection occurs, it will be necessary to remove the lip implants.
Cadaver or Human-Derived Implants: These materials are harvested from human donor cadavers. The tissue is then sterilized and processed into thin sheets. A thin strip of this is then implanted under the surface of the lips in the same way as a synthetic implant. These implants may last up to two years, but usually the results are evident for up to 9 months.
You must think seriously before you have lip augmentation or any other cosmetic surgery. You must be in good physical health, which will reduce the chance of complications, and be in good mental health. You have to have realistic expectations about what lip augmentation can do for you. It can change your appearance, but it cannot change other things in your life.
If you have taken the following medications or have the following diseases or conditions, you may not be a good candidate for lip enhancement:
The healing process can be difficult. You may go through a short period where your lips are swollen and look too large. For most types of lip enhancement, the treatment must be repeated on a regular basis for the best results. You should discuss the desired results of lip augmentation with the surgeon to ensure the goals can be attained through surgery. Looking at before-and-after lip augmentation photos can help both you and your doctor agree on how you want to look after lip augmentation surgery.
