LIP AUGMENTATION PROCEDURE OVERVIEW
Palm Beach Institute of Cosmetic Surgery
Plastic Surgery for the Face and Body
The teenager with her young pouty, full lips frequently does not appreciate the gift that the good Lord has bestowed upon her to accentuate with lipstick. All too soon in the 20's, 30's and 40's the aging lip develops with first loss of fullness followed by lines that radiate vertically out from the lip and then the greatest insult - the corners of the mouth turn down. In order to rejuvenate the youthful lips and restore the fullness inherent to so many models, there are several solutions to thin lips. The first is an injectable implant that can be collagen, Radiesse or Restylane. Each of these fillers has advantages and disadvantages. Collagen is the gold standard and has been present for several years. Unfortunately, one has to have a skin test and it only lasts 3 months.
- Restylane, which has recently been approved by the FDA as hyaluronic acid does not require a skin test and is said to last twice as long as collagen (6 months or longer) in the majority of patients. However, there are exceptions and sometimes the Restylane doesn't even last that long.
- Radiance is calcium hydroxyl apatite and has been approved for injection in other parts of the body but has not been approved for the facial lines by the FDA. However, Dr. Dedo has been using this material now called Radiance for over 2 years. The advantage of Radiance is that it does not require a skin test, lasts up to a year if not longer and patients are overjoyed with the results. The downside of Radiance is that it can form nodules. If these develop, there are specific solutions that are not too bad. Dr. Dedo has found that by injecting and building up the lips slowly with Radiance that you get the longest lasting and safest result.
When the lines of the lips are permanent and are too numerous to be injected combined with the fact that the lips themselves become very thin and atrophic, an excellent solution is a deep chemical peel (Exoderm). This is a procedure that is similar to laser resurfacing but it does not carry the downtime nor the persistent redness. In addition, it does not bleach the skin as a CO2 Laser will.
Another alternative to thin lips is the Gore-Tex permanent synthetic implant. It is a "thread" of material that is threaded into the lip. The advantage of this is that it is a permanent solution to thin lips but the disadvantage is that it can be palpated and sometimes has to be removed because it is rejected or infected.
Frequently, Dr. Dedo will use a combination of fillers to achieve the safest and best cosmetic result. For example, Radiance injected along the border of the lip will evert it and give a beautiful pouty appearance. Restylane injected in the vertical lines that emanate out from the lips can create a smooth surface. Something to be considered with the Radiance injection is that the lip area must be anesthetized with a nerve block (similar to your dental anesthesia).
