Our culture gives special attention to size and shape of our lips. We consider enhanced, sensuous, and full lips to be characteristics of beauty. In Los Angeles, lip enhancement gained particular popularity in the late 1980′s with the invention and availability of collagen. Over the past decade, plastic surgeons have looked for a variety of ways to achieve this look with products and methods that are both safe and long lasting. Today, patients can choose from a variety of methods including hylaforms, such as Restylane and Juvaderm, collagen, and fat injection.
With lip augmentation, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Dr Warren Lent, can augment and improve lip shape. Thin lips can appear at any age. As we age, the lip can change in shape and fine wrinkles can appear. With a lip augmentation, a plastic surgeon can rebuild volume as well as fill in fine lines around the mouth.
What are the Pros and Cons of Each Lip Augmentation Method?
Hylaforms are injectable substances made from hyaluronic acid, a substance that is naturally found in skin and other body tissues. The two most well known products are Restylane and Juvaderm. Since hylaforms is a natural occurring substance, the body is very likely to accept this substance. Experience has shown that there are very few allergic reactions to the hylaforms. Surgeons will typically not perform a skin test. Hylaforms come as a gel. The plastic surgeon will inject the gel into the deep dermal layer of the skin. This puffs out the skin giving a smooth, fuller appearance. Doctors will most commonly place the hylaforms along the border between the red and white portion of the lips. The injection of Restylane and Juvaderm takes only about 15 minutes. Patients can return to work or their daily routine. The hylaforms generally last between three to 6 months.
Collagen is also a naturally occurring substance. Collagen fibers are the building blocks of the skin. Collagen is an essential component of tissue strength and substance. Injectable collagen is most commonly obtained from bovine tissue. Consequently, it does contain some structural differences from human collagen. Occasionally, patients will have allergic reactions. About 3% of the population is allergic to bovine collagen. Doctors will require a skin test for all patients who elect to undergo collagen injections. Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, Dr. Warren Lent, typically recommends that his patients undergo two skin tests over a six-week period of time. Collagen will typically last for two to four months following the injection.
Fat injection is an excellent technique for lip augmentation as it offers the only natural method for potential permanent results. The surgeon will aspirate the fat from another part of the body, such as the abdomen or thigh. The doctor will then inject the fat into the lips. Since fat cells are living tissue, the body will recognize them. New capillaries will attach to the cells to keep them permanently alive. Since the fat cells are from the patient’s own body, they are not recognized as foreign and will not cause an allergic reaction. The fat transfer technique usually requires at least two to three treatments to achieve a permanent result as the body reabsorbs much of the injected fat.
Recently, doctors have attempted to use permanent, non-absorbable materials to augment lips. These materials, including Gortex and Artefill, suffer from the same problems. They can induce a rejection reaction from the body. Additionally, if there are any problems, such as lumps, malpositioning, or other complications, the material can be very difficult to remove and can leave severe scarring. At this time, Dr. Lent does not recommend using these products.
Lip Augmentation as a Complement to Other Procedures
Lip augmentation can be an excellent compliment to many facial plastic surgical procedures. It can be performed in conjunction with a facelift, with a forehead/brow lift, with laser eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty), with laser skin resurfacing, with nose surgery and with facial implants. Dr. Lent has performed thousands of these procedures with great success. To best understand all of your options, a full consultation with Dr. Warren Lent is recommended.
With lip augmentation, patients can increase lip volume as well as fill in fine lines around the mouth. With their new lush, sensuous, and youthful look, a person can invigorate their self-image and, in turn, their self-confidence.
Here at Dr. Warren Lent’s office, we show care for each patient from the initial consultation to the final post-surgery call. We look forward to hearing from you. For more information about lip augmentation, costs, or questions please contact us at:
150 North Robertson Blvd. Suite 140
Beverly Hills, Ca 90211