Lip Augmentation Is On The Rise
The Desire for Fuller Lips Through Lip Augmentation
Many people in the Harrisburg region are interested in a fuller lip or better symmetry in the size of the upper and lower lips. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, lip augmentation using fillers or fat grafting has a 94.8% satisfaction rate! Many thousands of injections are performed in the United States every year, but lip augmentation is not a one-size-fits-all procedure.
Dermal Fillers for Lip Augmentation
Due to advances in filler technology, lip augmentation has become quite popular. For many years, Dr. de Ramón used Restylane for lip augmentation with excellent results. Approximately a year ago Restylane Silk was FDA approved for lip augmentation. This is the same product as Restylane, but it is processed to much smaller particle size. While its flow characteristics were good, it did cause significantly more swelling than Restylane. In addition, patients did not seem to get the lasting results they wanted, so we have stopped recommending it.
Another filler specifically formulated for use in the lips, Volbella, is made by Allergan, a company we have worked with for many years. Due to Vycross technology in the crosslinking of this product, it may last longer than Restylane. This is a new product so we do not have long-term data on it, but our patients in Central PA seem to like it very much.
For some older patients, their desire is to treat lip wrinkles along the vermilion border (the normally sharp area between the lip and the adjacent normal skin) rather than to change the size or volume of their lips. For those patients, fillers can work very well to improve the projection and pout of the lip without adding volume. This can also be achieved using fat grafting as described below.
Fat Grafting for Lip Augmentation
Alternatives to filler include fat grafting or micro fat grafting with the patient’s own fat. This is a more involved process than just using injectable filler since this process requires Dr. de Ramon to harvest and process the fat prior to injecting it. The advantage, however, is that it is your own tissue and generally 50% to 80% of it will be successfully grafted to the new area in the lip and be a permanent solution for lip augmentation. Grafted fat tends to act as the donor site so this procedure is generally reserved for people that have a long-term stable weight. People who gain and lose weight may find that their lip volume also fluctuates.
Dermal Fillers for Lip Wrinkles
For some older patients, their desire is to treat lip wrinkles along the vermillion border (the normally sharp area between the lip and the adjacent skin) rather than change the size or volume of the lips. For these patients, fillers can work very well to improve the projection and pout of the lip without adding volume.
Nano fat for Lip Wrinkles
A much newer procedure involves the use of nano fat to treat fine lines of the lip. This can be combined with micro fat. Again, this requires the processing of the patient’s own tissue. Therefore it is a longer procedure than just using filler (which is readily available off the shelf) and may involve a slightly higher risk of bruising.
Lip Lift Surgery
An option which has gained popularity in the last few years is an office-based procedure called the lip lift. This procedure shortens the distance between the nose and the top of the lip to make the Cupid’s bow more defined and enhanced. It exposes more of the red portion of the lip. The incision is hidden at the base of the nose between the nose and the upper lip. The permanence of this procedure is attractive to people who tire of repeated injections, but patients must keep in mind that a lip lift cannot be reversed.
Patient Comfort and Excellent Results
When injecting fillers in the lip, Dr. de Ramón has been using microcannulas on Harrisburg area patients for many years. Microcannulas offer significantly less risk of bruising and significantly less pain. In addition to the use of microcannulas, Dr. de Ramón often will provide a lip block if the patient desires. This allows fillers to be placed in the lip virtually painlessly.
The biggest consideration in any lip injection is for the physician to be acutely aware of the subtle and nuanced curves of the lip. Therefore, Dr. de Ramon performs all lip injections in the practice as opposed to a nurse or esthetician. Artistic placement of filler to enhance the normal contours and enlarge the lip but create a natural-looking lip is Dr. de Ramón’s goal. This outcome has more to do with injector training and technique than with the type of filler that is used.
If you are interested in lip augmentation or treatment of lip wrinkles, call us at 717-791-2880.
