Facial Plastics

Everyday I come across an article, blog or television show that mentions some form of lip augmentation. Curiosity got the best of me and my research began. Unbeknownst to me, it kept going and going. Lip augmentation has many options to choose from and, as with ANY form of procedure, it comes with benefits and risks.

Statistics have shown a slow, but steady growth to people who chose lip augmentation in some form, other than injectables. For example from 2000 – 2008 the numbers have increased from 18,589 – 23,585.

Lip Augmentation is an enhancement procedure with the end result being larger, more shapely, fuller lips. Options available to woman AND men are lip implants, injectable fillers (most common) and fat transfer.

LIP IMPLANTS: You would be surprised at how many there actually are; some of the most popular types are Gore-Tex, SoftForm, AlloDerm and Advanta. Each one works a little differently, however, your end result is fuller, more shapely lips. These are all made of non-toxic materials and have proven track records.

Gortex: a foam-like material that is composed of micro pores. One of the most commonly heard complaints about this product is the rigid nature of it; making lips slightly stiff.

Advanta: belongs to the newest generation of lip implants. Making them popular is the fact that they are much softer than Gore-Tex.

Softform: are tubular in shape, which allows tissue growth that helps to keep the implant sturdy and in place. A benefit, it’s softer than Gortex & Advanta.

Alloderm: an implant made with donated human tissue. The material, natural collagen from cadavers, making these implants exceptionally soft. Since it is human tissue, there is about a 2% chance of an allergic reaction. To ease your mind, there are very strict regulations that go along with these implants.

YES, this is a painful procedure...nobody said beauty came easy! Four small incisions are made at the corners of your mouth; the implants are embedded and then cut down to size accordingly. Post surgery, you should expect swelling, soreness, difficulty eating and possible bruising. Your lips are extremely sensitive and will become quite tender from the surgery. However, much like your hands, your lips heal quite quickly.

* With any of these implants, infection and irritation is a possibility. Keep in mind, it is a foreign object in the body, and is also fairly easy to remove in such instances.

INJECTABLE FILLERS: Are the becoming the quick fix for someone who may be terrified to go under the knife, or just not that interested in such a dramatic change. These procedures are done daily in the office of a doctor, dermatologist or medispas with licensed professionals around the world. Instant results are guaranteed with little to no down time. Some patients will experience minor swelling, a bit of soreness for a day or two and occasional minor bruising in the area in which need was inserted. Below are the popular fillers that I have found to be among the top of everyone’s lists.

Collagen Injections - help to replenish the skin's natural collagen.

Bovine Derived Collagen Fillers - collagen derived from cows. Your doctor will need to do a sensitivity test before the procedure, as this is alien to the body and may produce an allergic reaction in some. Zyderm and Zyplast are brands that are injected just below the surface to help replace the collagen that your skin loses as it ages.

Human Derived Collagen Fillers - last 4+ months. Since it is human derived in nature, there is no pre-injection skin test to be performed. CosmoDerm and CosmoPlast are the two most popular brands; they do essentially the same thing as the bovine derived fillers.

*Note: With any of the collagen fillers, the lip is typically over-filled because the collagen will deplete within time.

Hyaluronic Acid Fillers - are said to offer longer lasting results than collagen fillers.

• Juvederm – Hyaluronic acid based filler, which means it has a natural sugar compound to its make-up. Therefore, the body will eventually absorb this clear gel filler. Results last 6 – 9 months.
• Restylane – Similar to Juvederm in its make-up and absorbability by the body. Both these products are biodegradable.

*Juvederm and Restylane are FDA-approved for certain cosmetic purposes and used off-label for others.

FAT TRANSFER: Lip augmentation with fat transfer is done by liposuction being performed on a specific part of the body and the fat removed is used for your lip augmentation. Allergic reaction and body rejection is rare.

The area where liposuction is performed is a very small site that will not make any altered disfigurement. The one down-side of this procedure is that some of the fat cells may die in the process of transfer, therefore, leaving lip augmentation via fat transfer a non-permanent procedure.

As you can see from these few procedures, there are plenty of options out there. If for some reason you are unhappy with your pucker…don’t fret, do your research and chances are that you will find an augmentation procedure that suits you, your pain threshold and your wallet!