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Risks and Complications

Each and every option on cosmetic procedures has its own risks of potential complications that vary with the procedure. While major complications and bad results are very rare, they still can occur even under the most expert care. Most problems fortunately are minor and either resolve spontaneously with time or require minor revisions to correct. Even these are infrequent, but are best handled when there is open communication, patience, trust, and respect that is mutually shared between the patient and physician.
 

 

 

Lip Augmentation

There is just something sensuous and sexy about full, nicely shaped lips on a woman. While lip augmentation has not reached the heights of popularity of breast augmentation, more women are seeking some additional fullness to their lips. There are a number of options to accomplish this. These vary from both temporary and permanent injectables to insertion of fat and other tissue taken from the person’s own body. Restylane is probably the best temporary currently available injectable. It lasts usually eight to 10 months and usually costs around $600. It is great because it is done in the office without surgery and the patient can check it out with a mirror while it is done. If you want a little more fullness here or there, it can be added right then or at any time later. If you decide after a while you do not really like it that much, wait a year and it will be gone. There are some newer permanent injectables like Sculptra and Radiesse which show great promise if there are no long-term problems discovered.

Autologous tissue like fat and fascia can be harvested from your own body and either injected or inserted through tiny incisions. Fat tends to resorb a lot which makes results very unpredictable and often frustrating to both patients and surgeons. There are some other biologic and synthetic materials available as well, but they sometimes can get infected and require removal or stiffen the lips some.

Last, for really thin lips, a strip of skin around the pink-colored vermillion can be excised and the vermillion lip skin advanced to create more lip show.

Right now, I tend to favor the injectables or a non-fat tissue implantation. Lip size and shape is a very personal and subjective preference, but the options are there for those who want it.