Lip augmentation, also known as lip enhancement, can create fuller, plumper lips and even reduce fine wrinkling around the mouth. There are a variety of options for augmenting the lips, including the use of injectable fillers and implantable materials. Some options provide temporary results while others are permanent.
Candidates for lip augmentation should be physically healthy and realistic in their expectations. Patients who are looking to experiment with fuller lips rather than commit to them are ideal candidates for temporary procedures like injectable fillers.
Lip augmentation procedures involving injectables are often performed in a surgeon’s office while surgical procedures using implants may take place in an outpatient surgery center or hospital. Anesthetic options include topical anesthesia, local anesthesia or a numbing agent for many injectable fillers, and general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation for surgical procedures. Procedural times will vary, taking as little as fifteen minutes for injectable filler procedures but longer for surgical procedures.
For injectable fillers like collagen, Radiesse, Hylaform and Restylane, the lips are first numbed. A needle is then used to inject the filler material directly into the lips. For fat injections, fat is first removed from another area of the body, such as the buttocks or hips, and then reinjected into the lips. Lip augmentation with implants requires that small incisions be made, typically at the corners of the lips. The implant is then inserted and the incisions are closed. There are a variety of implantable materials including AlloDerm, SoftForm and Gore-Tex.
Injectable filler procedures typically involve minimal recovery, whereas surgical procedures usually have a more involved recovery. Swelling and bruising may occur with either procedure but typically fade within a few days to a week. Patients undergoing surgical procedures may experience more discomfort which can be controlled with medication. Stitches made for surgical procedures may be removed or dissolve on their own within seven to ten days. Normal activities, including work, can typically be resumed right away after injectable filler procedures and within about a week after surgical procedures. |
Rhinoplasty
