Lip Augmentation

What do you see when you notice a beautiful face? Perhaps the eyes?  The beautiful skin?  Maybe the lustrous hair, but always the mouth. The mouth and lips contribute a considerable component to the overall beauty of a face.  Lips that are plump, while sensuous, are a sign of youth and vitality.  Many of us are lucky enough to have full, curvaceous lips that look even better with artfully applied lipstick.  But as we age, our lips thin and they no longer have that youthful appeal. Some of us have never had the advantage of shapely lips and wish to improve the mouth. Our lips may be small, asymmetrical, or wrinkled and the problems become more pronounced over time.

Lip augmentation, also known as lip enhancement, is a cosmetic treatment that includes a wide range of procedures designed to add volume to the lips.  The procedures range from simple injections that provide a temporary or permanent enhancement to implants that will permanently shape your lips. A consultation with Dr. Shervin Naderi at either the Herndon, Virginia or Chevy Chase, Maryland office will help you determine which procedure is right for you. In just fifteen minutes, Dr.  Naderi, using the artistic eye and skilled hands of a plastic surgeon, can give you the injections that will create the lips you have always wanted. These injections can be done in Dr. Naderi’s offices at both locations.

Injectable fillers are a marvelous solution for fuller lips; there are now quite a few natural and synthetic injectable fillers available. Temporary injectable fillers include collagen, and the hyaluronic acid fillers such as Hylaform®, Perlane® and Restylane®. Collagen is a natural “plumping” protein; this product requires a skin allergy test but is easily injected into the lips. Results last for up to three months. Fat transfers may last longer than that. Hyaluronic acid fillers, such a Hylaform®, mimic the effects of natural hyaluronic acid found in our tissues. Eventually this product is absorbed by the body, and maintenance injections are suggested two to three times yearly. To prevent any pain from the injections, a numbing agent or topical anesthetic will be applied. The procedure is very quick as the fillers are injected along the borders of the lips. After augmentation, the lips may be painful and swollen.  In rare cases, redness and swelling may last for two weeks. The biggest disadvantage is their temporary nature and the need for repeat injections every three to six months.  But you will have the prettiest lips in the Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. areas!

Permanent injectable fillers include silicone and Artecoll. Silicone is not widely used any more. Artecoll, or polymethylacrylate, is produced in tiny microspheres and blended with lidocaine and collagen. Once injected, the collagen will eventually be broken down, but the microspheres remain as a framework for natural collagen to form.

Lip implants are another permanent solution. Lip augmentation surgery is performed by Dr. Naderi at the hospital in Chevy Chase and Herndon on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia or local anesthesia with sedation. Gore-Tex® and Softform® are made with polytetrafluoroethylene, a material that is not rejected by the body. It is a strip of hollow foam-like material that is inserted through four small incisions at the outer corners of the lips.  It is porous which allows your own tissue to grow within the implant. The natural implant material is made from thin layers of skin taken from human cadavers and processed.  With lip implants, initially it may be difficult to eat or drink due to swelling of the lips. The swelling may cause some numbness and pain, and pain relievers may be prescribed. Swelling will be gone within a week for most patients but lips may be pressure-sensitive for a few weeks more. Permanent implants last 2-5 years or longer.

Each filler carries its own risk. Collagen from animal sources may provoke an allergic reaction, while collagen from human sources usually does not. The temporary synthetic fillers  have fewer side effects yet some patients have a longer recovery due to swelling in addition to inflammation. Side effects of the permanent fillers include a hard, bumpy scar, severe inflammation, necrosis, extrusion and infection. Complications of lip implants include shifting of the implant, irritation if it is a poor fit, permanent discoloration, scarring and deformity.