Lip Augmentation
Lip augmentation has fascinated both
plastic surgeons and patients for years. Thirty years ago there were several
different types of operations performed to enlarge the lips but the surgery was not very
effective. The easiest way of doing this was with "injectable"
material. Over the last 5 years this has become a reality.
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Lip
roll of both upper and lower lips
one year post-operative |
There are three common techniques for injecting
or inserting materials into the lip. Most people know about collagen
injections. They are easy to do, work very well, but have a short life
span.
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Upper
Lip Roll |
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Upper
Lip Roll |
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We also use a material that we are very happy with
called Alloderm. These are actual strips of human collagen and requires a
very small operation to insert. Alloderm has been used for about 3 years
in the United States and has an excellent track record. The most common
method used today is fat injections. The patients’ own fat tissue is
used and the results are excellent and appear to be very long lasting.
This procedure can be done more than once in order to build on what fat has already
been injected. We have the technology to freeze fat obtained from patients so they
can easily go back and insert more if necessary or desired.
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Upper
lip augmentation with Alloderm |
These all work well for a patient with some
degree of lip showing. What about the patient with a very thin, almost
invisible lip? None of the above methods work. These patients require a
procedure called the "lip roll" operation, which can create a
permanent fullness to the lip. When someone is requesting a lip
enlargement, we will cover all the options available and see which is the
best for the patient.
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Before |
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Upper
Lip Roll
One year post-operative |
