Luscious lips are a key element of almost every photo in every fashion magazine. It seems that luscious lips are everywhere.  For centuries, a woman’s lips have been viewed as a sign of her sensuality. Yet there should be caution as lip augmentation before and after are not always the same things. 

Enhancement Surgery – Is it Right for You?

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. 

Patient Concerns Before and After Augmentation Surgery

Cosmetic plastic surgery providers often advise  their patients that many options now exist for improving the appearance  of the lips. Most practitioners also admit that successful lip augmentation is highly dependent on the skill  of the provider, with that skill stemming from many years of experience injecting the lips of many types of patients.

Moreover, the surgeon must master the various injection techniques. With many injectables, the benefit to the patient is an immediate return to normal, usual activities. A few surgeons offer a procedure known as surgical flap augmentations in which small sections of skin near the lips or inside the mouth are excised and added to the lips. But the technique does not add volume  and achieves only a slight outward protrusion of the lips.

The most frequently requested cosmetic procedures for the lips are enhancement and rejuvenation.  Options range from the newest and high tech laser treatment to natural injection of fillers or synthetic implants.  All filler treatments are done with soft pliable substances that have a natural feel. 

What to do Before Surgery, Expectations Following Surgery

Lip enhancement is not a one size fits all procedure.  A detailed discussion is required with a qualified surgeon to find out what treatment would be best for each patient.  Every surgeon will have a preference for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the shape of the patients lips, the desired results and the expectations of the patient. This will help to ensure that lip augmentation before and after surgery is exactly the patient wants.

Recovery from each procedure varies.  Enhancement done by injectable products will cause the lips to remain swollen for a few hours.  When implants are used for lip augmentation, discomfort is minimal. Some swelling may last up to a week. Laser lip rejuvenation requires a slightly longer recovery period. Most of the healing occurs during the first one or two weeks.

Lip augmentation has been used by many patients for a variety of reasons.  It can be used to enhance the appearance of small, aged, or deformed lips. It is also the perfect way for individuals to achieve that seductive, fully plump pout and helps provide a harmonious balance to the facial features which allow people to feel better about the way they look. 

The two most common methods of enhancement are non-surgical lip augmentation and lip augmentation surgery.  Non-surgical enhancements include the injection of a variety of substances into the lip region to increase the size.  Surgical lip augmentation in achieved by using injectable fillers, implants or more advanced surgical procedures of rolling or lifting the lip region.  The difference with synthetic implants is that the results are permanent.

Planning for Augmentation Surgery

Accurate preoperative planning between the doctor and patient planning is a very important step since even minor asymmetries are always clearly evident to the patient and observers. In addition, it is recommended that an accurate psychological evaluation be conducted that should focus on identifying patients with unrealistic expectations.

Preoperative digital imaging or photo modifications can help in illustrating postoperative outcome and in operative planning. 

Once this is completed, it should be predetermine where the incisions will be made for lip implant insertion or the tunnel which is made to accommodate the implant. The surgery is normally completed as outpatient and will last anywhere from 30 minutes to 90 minutes.  Most patience are given a general sedation, however it is patience now only receiving a local sedations is increasing.

What Happens During Surgery?

A variety of materials are being used for lip augmentation surgery.  These include biomaterials such as fascia, dermis, and decellularized donor dermis (AlloDerm.  Synthetic materials such as Gore-Tex/PTFE have been used successfully and allow for a controlled application with ease of use.

Expanded tetrafluoroethylene is becoming more popular due to availability and ease of use by the doctor.  These substances are implanted in the subdermal plane at the vermillion border. 

Recovery from Enhancement Surgery

Immediately following lip augmentation surgery, the patient’s lips will swell and feel tender.  Most will be stiff and sore for a few says and will more than likely not want to move too much.  The swelling can last for up to a month and a half, however the residual swelling after 2 weeks is usually nominal and only noticed by the patient. Eating and drinking may be difficult during the first week. Patients should be encouraged to refrain from any strenuous physical activity for the first 2 to 3 weeks.

Lip augmentation has been used by men and women to create fuller, plumper lips and also to reduce fine wrinkles and other markings around the mouth. Many techniques have been used for lip augmentation. The most common method have been to inject the lips with collagen or with fat transferred from another site in the patient’s body.

The problem with both liquid collagen and fat are that they are eventually absorbed by the body and repeat treatments are necessary to maintain results. Newer, longer-lasting options have been developed which include implantable materials like AlloDerm and SoftForm.

Injections for Lip Augmentation:

The technique used to enhance the lips depends on the method selected. Injections are the quickest and simplest procedures. A determination of which material is made, either a natural or synthetic biocompatible material, or the patient’s own fat.

This substance is then injected or implanted into the lips. One injection is usually sufficient to produce the desired result, however these results may only be temporary, depending on the material used. For this reason, injections may need to be repeated periodically.

Implants for Lip Augmentation

If it has been determined that implant will be utilized, then the procedure will take longer and may be more complicated, as proper placement of the material is important. A common implant material is AlloDerm, a natural collagen sheet made from donated skin. AlloDerm is inserted through tiny incisions inside the corners of the mouth. Once the AlloDerm implant is in place, it eventually becomes integrated with the body’s natural tissues. Gore-Tex, SoftForm and soft ePTFE are other synthetic implant options which have recently been used.

Rejuvenation, the Newest Technique

Finally, a new technique that has grown in popularity is laser lip rejuvenation. While this does not increase the fullness of the lips, it does tighten the natural collagen and elastic tissue beneath the lips, reducing wrinkles and providing a more youthful appearance.

Benefits and Considerations:

Lip injections usually allow you to return to normal activities immediately. These injections, while temporary, can allow the patient to experiment with the appearance of fuller lips, without making the complete commitment. Collagen injections have a short-lived effect (9-12 weeks); fat injections provide longer-lasting results, but are sometimes unpredictable as to the degree of improvement, can have lumping or scarring effects.

Implants, while longer lasting, can also require a longer recover period. AlloDerm and Dermalogen do not require patients to provide donor tissue and are not rejected by the body, because they are human tissue. Usually they have a pliable, natural feel. Soft-form is a foreign body and may become infected or be rejected.

Allergic reactions can range from prolonged redness, swelling or itching, to firmness at the injection site. Other possible complications include bleeding, lip asymmetry, and migration and extrusion of the implant. Normal swelling and bruising lasts from three days to a week. While many techniques exist for lip augmentation, none are ideal.