Lip augmentation is a superficial procedure that is performed to offer the patient fuller, plumper lips. Recently, most people are going for dermal fillers, which get injected into their lips and around the mouth. Most of these fillers are comprised of hyaluronic acid. This is a substance that occurs naturally in the body and helps in increasing the lips’ volume.
Another option that was used in the past was collagen. This substance used to be common dermal filler, but today, doctors prefer to use safer methods whose effects last longer. Also, doctors use fat injections and implants for lip augmentation. However, not many people prefer these options due to the risks involved.
Who Qualifies for Lip Augmentation?
Many women feel concerned about their thin lips, and it is the reason they opt for augmentation. This procedure helps them get fuller lips that don’t show lipstick lines by filling the creasing that appears along the lip border as a woman ages. The ideal lip augmentation candidates include:
- Any adult regardless of age
- Any patient with extremely thin lips or persons who have suffered age-related lip volume decrease
- People wishing to undergo this procedure should be medically fit and have measurable expectations of the results
What are the Medical Considerations?
Since it is possible for a patient to suffer from an allergic reaction to the material used during the procedure, it is important for all candidates to let the surgeon know whether they have any existing allergies. If the patient is considering undergoing a lip implant, the surgeon should be made aware of any respiratory issues that could be compromised by the anesthesia.
There are numerous dermal fillers and implants available out there to help with lip augmentation and not all of them are safe for every patient. Before going for lip augmentation, select a highly qualified cosmetic surgeon you can put all your trust in. Also, make sure that the doctor uses FDA approved products. Make certain that the method he chooses is ideal for all your cosmetic and medical needs.
Using Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
This substance can help improve your lips’ appearance through their volume, shape, and structure.
Its results last for up to six months after which you will need to go for more injections if you want to maintain the volume of your lips. There are many hyaluronic acid fillers in the market which are used in the same way and yield the same results too. Some of them even come with lidocaine which is a local anesthetic.
The Benefits of Hyaluronic Acid Fillers
Its benefits include:
- The slow pace of treatment- the injections don’t have to be applied all at once. They can be done gradually until the patient attains the desired results
- More control over the lips volume- it is easy to control the amount of substance to be injected, which means that the surgeon controls how much lip volume to create for a patient
- Dissolves easily- the lumps that the gel creates dissolve very easily
- Reasonably longer results- the hyaluronic acid fillers results last longer although they are not permanent
- Less bruising- this kind of filler comes with less bruising, unlike the other alternatives.
- Unlikely allergic reactions- since the fillers are made from substances that resemble those found in our bodies, it is not likely for a patient to get an allergic reaction. However, any patient who is allergic to lidocaine should let the surgeon know before the procedure.
Lip Augmentation with Fat Transfer
Any patient with the desire to get fuller lips but afraid of having foreign substances injected into their bodies can opt for a fat transfer. Since most lip fillers like collagen come from animal or human donors, fat transfer is different. This is because it uses the patient’s own body tissue thus, yielding a soft and natural-looking outcome.
The procedure involves the transfer of fat from a certain area of the body and injecting it into the patient’s lips. During the process, only the patient’s body natural tissue get used, which means that there are no chances of rejection or allergic reactions occurring. Once the surgery is done, the patient will have soft and natural-feeling lips that will last for at least six months and up to more than a year.
The Procedure
The doctor first removes fat from a specific location, usually from the thighs or abdomen through liposuction. This procedure is unlikely to affect the removal area unless the patient is also undergoing a body liposuction surgery. The fat gets injected into the lips using a syringe and a blunt needle, leaving tiny prick marks only.
This type of augmentation is usually done under local, or if need be, light general anesthesia as per the surgeon or the patient’s preference.
What are the Benefits and Risks Associated with Fat Transfer?
This procedure is considered to have relatively low risks. However, any surgical treatment comes with possible side effects. In this case, they might affect the injection area or where the fat was removed. The risks include infections, inflammation, bleeding, and slight discomfort.
However, there is one problem that surgeons are striving to rectify. Some of the fat cells die during the transfer. Any highly-qualified surgeon will, however, avoid this from happening by injecting the fat at intervals as opposed to doing it all at once.
One of the benefits related to this procedure is that it is unlikely for a patient to develop an allergic reaction. Also, the chances of the body rejecting the tissue are minimal since it is from their own body. The results are usually natural-looking.
This is a simple procedure that is usually treated as an outpatient case. Besides, it only requires a couple of hours for patients to recover and go home where after which they can resume their daily activities.
What are the Benefits and Risks of Permanent Lip Surgery?
As compared to other surgeries, lip augmentation is relatively a low-risk procedure. However, every patient should know the possible risks and be prepared. Some of these risks include:
- Scarring
- Implant rejection and migration
- Infection
- Lip stiffness
The good news is that the risks can be reduced if the procedure is done by a qualified surgeon. This type of lip augmentation comes with one main benefit; it offers permanent results, unlike in the use of temporary fillers.
If you are looking for a cosmetic surgeon to carry out lip augmentation for you, consider Dr. Agarwal of the Aesthetic Surgery Center. Anurag Agarwal, MD FACS is an expert on this field and can be reached at (239)-594-9100 at his office in Naples, Florida. His great work goes beyond surgery as he loves giving back to the society through pro bono humanitarian work.
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