Introduction
As we grow older, our lips become thinner and less defined due to the decreased production of the protein collagen by our body.
Lip augmentation can help increase the fullness and enhance the definition of our lips to create a more desirable and youthful appearance and defined smile. It helps in restoring the volume to thin or aging lips, smoothen the vertical lip lines, improve symmetry between the upper and lower lips, and refine the shape of thin or flat lips.
Lip augmentation, also called Lip Enhancement procedures falls into two broad categories:
- Temporary Lip Augmentation: utilizes minimally invasive procedures
- Permanent Lip Augmentation: employs longer, more detail procedures but the results are permanent.
Lip Augmentation is not recommended for patients suffering from:
- An active infection like oral herpes
- Diabetes
- Lupus
- Blood-clotting problems
Lip Augmentation Types
The different lip augmentation methods recommended by doctors are:
- Using Synthetic Implant: like dermal filler is the most common material used to enlarge lips. The most frequently used lip fillers are hyaluronic acid fillers, a naturally occurring substance or gels such as Restylane. Some of its benefits are:
- Control over lip volume
- Gradual pace of treatment
- Bumps dissolve easily
- Less bruising
- Reasonably lasting results
- Allergic reaction unlikely
- Using own body tissue: such as a fat or dermis graft. This is long lasting and being their own tissue, chances for allergies will be negligible. However, it can take more time, as the tissue has to be extracted.
Fat can be harvested from our body, usually from our abdomen, hips or thighs by liposuction. It is then processed and cleansed by being spun at a high speed in a centrifuge before being injected into the lips.
Side Effects
- Bleeding from the injection sites
- Injection site might have swelling, bruising, redness and tenderness
- Reactivation of cold sores or fever blisters of the lips or area surrounding the lips
- Loss of tissue due to injection into a blood vessel
