Lip Augmentation Surgery
There are many different types of lip augmentation procedures, each with particular advantages and limitations.
Surgical: Surgical augmentation is only performed to correct lip deformities. This surgery is rarely performed.
Non-surgical: Lip augmentation using injections as implants.
Some injectables are temporary while some are permanent. Collagen injections are temporary as they usually last only 3 to 4 months. Some surgeons also use an injection that is made from skin covering the outer thigh. This injection lasts longer than collagen. Sometimes lip augmentation is achieved with the help of silicone implants. A few injections are permanent. Injections give the lips great volume while implants subtly define the lips.
Fat injections: Fat injections are also injected in the lips with small needles. The fat used is from another area of the body – most often the abdomen or the thighs – and is purified before it is injected into the lips. The result may last for a maximum of 2-3 years and the procedure may need to be repeated thereafter to retain the desired results.
Whether or not an anesthetic is necessary depends on the lip augmentation procedure. In case fillers are being used, most patients do not require any anesthesia. Topical anesthesia in the form of gel or a local anesthesia could be used for patients who cannot bear any discomfort.
The surgery is not complex, nor does it take a substantial amount of time to perform. You are injected with Lidocaine for pain relief and epinephrine, a vasoconstrictor, to restrict the amount of bleeding and bruising.
After making the necessary 4 incisions at each corner of the mouth, the surgeon inserts the implant using either an implant prethreaded on a trocar (a hollow cylinder with a sharply pointed end), or by using a pair of alligator forceps. After insertion, the surgeon cuts the implant to the right size for your lip and trims the ends of the implant.
The incision areas are then sutured with a thin dissolving or non-dissolving suture and you are cleaned up.
In a lip augmentation procedure with implants, the incisions are made on each side of the mouth right before the corner where the lips meet, resulting in 4 small incisions and little or no scarring.
The lips tend to heal quite fast as long as you don’t mess with them. These means no touching or picking at your incisions! Infection is already a risk, so try not to increase your chances of it.
Cold compresses should be used for 48 hours to control any mild swelling. During this time, talking and chewing should be avoided as much as possible. Antibiotics may be given to reduce the possibility of infection. To help avoid infection, it is also important to keep the lips clean. Some of the procedures offer permanent results, and some are temporary. If you want to experiment with a new look, you may want to begin with a temporary method. The results of lip augmentation vary according to the procedure used.
Most lip augmentations take 30 to 45 mins. Fat injections may take upto two hours.
It is quite possible that you will notice a difference in your smile, how you speak after a lip augmentation procedure, especially during the healing stage.
M.B.B.S., MS. Mch. FAIS Dr. Suresh Sanghvi is a Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeon who has specialized for 30+ years in plastic, cosmetic surgery, and laser treatments.
M.B.B.S. DCP Dr. Shobha Sanghvi is a cosmetologist and a specialist in laser and cosmetic treatments. A graduate of the Government Medical College, Surat, and a post-graduate from NHL Medical College, Ahmedabad.
M.B.B.S., MS. Mch. FAIS Dr. Suresh Sanghvi is a Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeon who has specialized for 30+ years in plastic, cosmetic surgery, and laser treatments.
M.B.B.S. DCP Dr. Shobha Sanghvi is a cosmetologist and a specialist in laser and cosmetic treatments. A graduate of the Government Medical College, Surat, and a post-graduate from NHL Medical College, Ahmedabad.
M.B.B.S., MS. Mch. FAIS Dr. Suresh Sanghvi is a Cosmetic and Plastic Surgeon who has specialized for 30+ years in plastic, cosmetic surgery, and laser treatments.
M.B.B.S. DCP Dr. Shobha Sanghvi is a cosmetologist and a specialist in laser and cosmetic treatments. A graduate of the Government Medical College, Surat, and a post-graduate from NHL Medical College, Ahmedabad.
