Plastic Surgery

For centuries, a woman’s lips have been viewed as a sign of her sensuality. A while ago, the film Pretty Woman and its lead actress brought the lips back into the forefront of fashion. Look around. It seems that luscious lips are everywhere.

Luscious lips are a key element of almost every photo in every fashion magazine. Unfortunately, not everyone is blessed with a pair of naturally beautiful lips. The few who are don’t get to keep them without a little help. Over time the sun, the elements, smoking and the aging process take their toll. The corners of the mouth begin to droop. The V-shaped area of the upper lip known as Cupid’s ‘Bow begins to flatten out and lose its youthful fullness. Vertical wrinkles or Smoker’s Lines begin to appear, causing your lipstick to bleed. That once sensual look is gone or greatly diminished.

Thanks to today’s many medical advances there is help. Aging lips can be rejuvenated and less full lips can be enhanced.

What are my treatment options?

Lip enhancement and rejuvenation are two of the most frequently requested cosmetic procedures. Your options range from the latest in laser treatments to natural injectable fillers or synthetic implants. All of these fillers are s0ft, pliable, and have a natural feel.

Which treatment is best for me?

Your surgeon will select the procedure best for you. Every surgeon will have his or her own procedure preferences for a variety of reasons, including the range in shape of each patient’s lips and the results desited.

Laser lip rejuvenation

The “Remington Lip” is an exciting procedure using a combination of laser treatments to rejuvenate the wrinkled or aged lip. During the healing process of this procedure, the collagen and elastic tissue beneath the skin will tighten and remodel, restoring the “V” to Cupid’s Bow and providing a more healthy, youthful shape to your lips.

What is recovery like?

Following lip enhancement with one of the injectable products, your lips remain swollen for a few hours only. You may return ro normal activities the same day. Touch-up treatments may be necessary. When implants are used for lip augmentation, discomfort is minimal. Small stitches may be used to close the implant site. These stitches will be removed in a few days. Some swelling may last up to a week. Elevating your head and applying cold compresses during the first 24 hours will help keep this to a minimum. Postoperative discomfort can be controlled with medication. Chewing food and brushing your teeth may be a little uncomfortable for a few days. There may be some bruising which can be covered with make-up.

Generally, patients experience a slightly longer recovery period after laser lip rejuvenation. Most of the healing occurs during the first one or two weeks. During this rime the treated areas must be kept moist. Postoperative discomfort can be controlled with medication. The initial redness fades to a light pink.

Injectable lip enhancement

Your injectable options include AlloDerm®, Autologen®, Dermalogen®, Fascian®, Fat Transfer and Zyderm® or Zyplast® collagen. Artecoll®, HylaForm® and Restylane® are options that may be available soon.

Zyderm and Zyplast injectable collagen are used to enhance the natural silhouette of the upper border of the upper lip and Cupid’s Bow. They also fill in the vertical lines along the upper lip that often cause lipstick to “bleed” beyond the lip line. Autologen, Fascian and Dermalogen can be used in the same way that Zyderm and Zyplast collagen are used. Autologen is made from your own skin.

Usually, this tissue is obtained from any excess tissue you may have had from a previous cosmetic procedure performed in our office. Dermalogen and Fascian are injectable forms of human collagen made from donated skin and recovered by an accredited tissue bank.

Fat Transfer, also called autologous fat transplantation or micro-liposuction, plumps up your lips using fat taken from inconspicuous sites on your body. Fat transfer to the lips is a safe, natural, non-allergenic procedure designed to restore damaged or diminished dermal deficiencies.

Implant augmentation for lips

AlloDerm is a dermal graft/implant that was initially used as a skin replacement for burn patients. Now surgeons worldwide recognize its benefits as a safe, natural implant to replace aged or inadequate lip tissue and rejuvenate the wrinkled or aged lip. SoftForm® and soft “ePTFE”(expanded polytetrafluoroethyLene) implants lead the way in synthetic options. SoftForm and soft “ePTFE” implants have proven to provide a safe, predictable, non-allergenic improvement for thin or aging lips.