Lip Augmentation

Options to achieve fuller or smoother lips

Plump, youthful lips never go out of style, but the aging process can leave them looking thin and lined. A skilled cosmetic surgeon can use one of many techniques to help you achieve smooth, voluptuous lips with a natural look. Keep reading to learn more.

Guide to Lip Enhancement

Lip enhancement includes a suite of procedures that add or restore volume to the lips and smooth vertical lines around the lips and mouth. While surgical procedures, such as lip implants, remain an option, cosmetic surgeons are increasingly using minimally invasive treatments to achieve very natural-looking results that can last for up to 1 year or longer.

Why consider lip enhancement?

If you are bothered by the appearance of thin, lined or asymmetrical lips, cosmetic treatments can address your concerns and help you feel more confident in your smile. Specific changes that a skilled cosmetic surgeon can make through lip enhancement include:

• Restore volume to thin or aging lips
• Smooth vertical lip lines
• Improve symmetry between the upper and lower lip
• Refine the shape of thin or flat lips

What are my treatment options?

Cosmetic surgeons use a variety of approaches to help patients improve their lip appearance, ranging from temporary filler injections to lip implant surgery. Many patients choose to start with a temporary treatment and later progress to a longer-lasting treatment.

Dermal Filler Injections

Hyaluronic acid fillers, such as Juvéderm and Restylane products, are a popular non-surgical option, offering temporary lip enhancement at an affordable cost. When administered by an experienced provider, dermal fillers can last 4 to 12 months and achieve soft, natural-looking results. Depending on the product, fillers can boost lip volume, enhance lip shape, and smooth vertical lip lines (perioral rhytids).

Benefits of dermal lip fillers

• Treatments take only 15 to 30 minutes
• A skilled cosmetic surgeon can adjust the amount of filler used to achieve results with precision
• Little to no downtime is needed
• Improvements are usually noticeable immediately after treatment
• Results are final within 2 weeks
• Side effects are typically mild and include temporary bruising, swelling or redness at the injection site. Serious complications are extremely rare when treatment is performed by a qualified provider

Considerations

• Treatments must be repeated periodically to maintain results
• Beautiful, natural results require a provider with immense skill and experience
• A very small percentage of patients may be allergic to ingredients in manufactured fillers