SHOP NOWThe lips are a central part of our face and are essential in expressing ourselves. Aging lips can lose volume and definition of the vermilion border, while some patients simply weren’t born with the lip volume required to achieve the perfect pout they desire.
Lip augmentation, also known as lip enhancement is a cosmetic procedure aimed to improve the shape and form of the lips as well as create fuller lips and reduce fine wrinkles around the mouth.1 Dr. Tal Roudner is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Miami specializing in lip augmentation. Using his meticulous skill, Dr. Roudner can achieve natural and youthful-looking lips by using minimally invasive procedures like lip injections with dermal fillers or autologous fat injections or by performing surgical procedures to enhance the lips.
Dr. Roudner’s surgical goal is to revive the natural youthful appearance of the lips by restoring the shape, form, fullness, and appropriate ratio of the lips. For a consultation regarding lip augmentation contact our Miami office by calling 305-767-7719.
- What Is Lip Augmentation?
- Benefits of Lip Augmentation
- Lip Augmentation Techniques
- Preparing For Lip Augmentation
- The Lip Augmentation Procedure
- Lip Augmentation Recovery
- FAQs About Lip Augmentation
Featured Lip Augmentation Case
There are surely a lot of surgeons to opt for when going for a lip filler. I couldn’t be any happier to have met Dr Tal.The natural but visible results that I was able to achieve are so amazing that I actually went back to 3 times.He is characterized by professionalism, expertise and a great attitude.
– Review by Gioicy
What Is Lip Augmentation?
Lip augmentation can be achieved with cosmetic surgery or minimally invasive non-surgical procedures. These procedures aim to improve the appearance of the lips by enhancing lip definition, increasing the fullness of the lips when needed, and maintaining or correcting the ideal ratio between the upper and lower lips.
Full lips with a defined border and proper upper-to-lower lip ratio are an integral part of a beautiful and youthful appearing face.2 As with other parts of our faces, one of the effects of human aging is atrophy (loss) of facial fat including the lips.
Throughout history, many different products have been used to achieve the desired enhancement of the lips including silicone, collagen, and even implants. With the latest advancements in soft tissue fillers, new products such as hyaluronic acids like Restylane, Perlane, and Juvederm, with their long-lasting qualities and no need for allergy testing, have become the standard materials used in lip augmentation procedures.
Benefits of Lip Augmentation
Lip augmentation has many benefits, including:
- Adds volume to thin lips
- Reduces the appearance of lip lines or smokers’ lines
- Lifts the corners of the mouth
- Rejuvenates aging lips and reduces lip wrinkles
- Can balance the facial features
- Offers lasting results
Lip Augmentation Techniques
Local anesthesia is often used for lip enhancement procedures as well as the anesthetic with adrenalin that is included in the formulation of many hyaluronic acid fillers. For some patients, a regional block such as an inferior orbital and a mental block (upper and lower lips respectively) may be used to anesthetize the lips. The procedure is performed using tiny 30-gauge needles which makes the procedure much more comfortable for the patient.
Lip filler composed of hyaluronic acid can be formulated with or without anesthetic and is injected using 30-gauge needles using a retro or antegrade, linear, or depo threading method into the sub-mucosal layer. At times some massage may be needed to even the injectable filler into the ideal subdermal position. In my experience, Juvederm tends to last the longest once injected into the lips with results visible for up to 12 months.
Other types of lip augmentation include silicone or Gore-tex lip implants which I do not perform due to a higher rate of complications.
Preparing For Lip Augmentation
Prior to the procedure it’s important to stop taking any blood thinning medications, including ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen for at least two weeks because they can increase bruising, bleeding, and hematoma. If needed, we recommend using Tylenol for pain or fever.
Patients should arrive for their lip augmentation appointment without any makeup, serums, lotions, or self-tanner on or around the treatment area. If requested, we can provide a topical anesthetic to apply one hour before treatment to minimize discomfort.
The Lip Augmentation Procedure
Lip augmentation procedures result in immediately noticeable results with significant swelling for 5 -10 days. The lips look over-corrected in the initial phase due to the swelling. Once the swelling subsides the desired results are noticed.
Lip Augmentation Recovery
Lip augmentation procedures result in immediately noticeable results with significant swelling for roughly 5 -10 days. The lips can often look over-corrected in the initial healing phase due to swelling. Once the swelling subsides the desired results are visible. The lips are highly vascular tissues and at times some bruising may be noticed after the procedure that may last a few weeks.
Schedule A Consultation For Lip Augmentation
If you have questions about lip augmentation or would like to schedule a personal consultation in Miami, please contact us today.
FAQs About Lip Augmentation
What can lip augmentation do for me?
Lip augmentation, also known as lip enhancement is a procedure aimed to improve the shape and form of the lips as well as create fuller lips and reduce fine wrinkles around the mouth. It may enhance lip definition, increase the fullness of the lips when needed, and maintain or correct the ideal ratio between the upper and lower lips. Lip augmentation can also create full lips with a more accentuated border and proper upper-to-lower lip ratio, both of which are an integral part of a beautiful and youthful appearing face.
What anesthesia is recommended for lip augmentation?
A topical anesthetic may be applied to the area one hour prior to the injection of the soft tissue filler. Another option is to perform a regional block with an injection of an anesthetic such as Lidocaine. Most soft tissue fillers today come pre-mixed with an anesthetic or are mixed with an anesthetic right prior to the injection to reduce the discomfort of the procedure. For fat injections, a regional or local anesthetic with adrenalin is used for the donor and precipitant site.
How long does lip augmentation take?
Depending on the extent and the amount of injectable soft tissue filler used the procedure may take anywhere from 10 minutes up to half an hour.
Who is a good candidate for lip augmentation?
Any healthy patient that desires correction of volume, shape, or definition loss, as well as depressed scars or asymmetries and deformities from previous permanent fillers such as silicone, may be treated with soft tissue fillers unless a contraindication to the injections exists such as allergy to the components of the fillers.
Patients that are taking medications such as blood thinners may be injected with caution due to an increased possibility of bruising or hematoma (localized collection of blood).
Patients with a history of connective tissue disorders should consult with their rheumatologist prior to injections with soft tissue fillers.
Patients with active infections, open wounds, or cancer in the area of proposed treatment are not candidates for injections at the time of active disease.
Can I combine any other procedures with lip augmentation?
Yes. Many patients choose to combine lip augmentation with other facial rejuvenation procedures such as facelift surgery, or non-surgical anti-aging procedures such as Botox.
How long will I need to recover from lip augmentation?
The recovery time depends on the filler used, the amount used, the area treated and the specific patient on average the swelling and redness may last from a few days to about two weeks. If the patient suffers from minor bruising it may last slightly longer.
Is recovery from lip augmentation uncomfortable?
Unless there is some type of complication such as infection or a moderate to severe allergic reaction the recovery period after the procedure should be painless and mild to no discomfort.
Does lip augmentation have any risks or side effects?
The most common reactions after lip augmentation can range from swelling, bruising, redness, or itching at the injection site. Other complications may include bleeding, lumps or nodules, granulomas, and asymmetry. When an implant is used, movement of the implants or extrusion can be seen as a complication.4 Vascular compromise due to intra-arterial injections are extremely rare but serious complications.
Extremely rare are allergic reactions to the common local anesthetics like lidocaine or the preservative in the anesthetic solution.
Patients who have an active skin infection, or cold sore should avoid the procedure at that time. Patients that have conditions such as blood clotting problems, diabetes, or connective tissue disease should consult their primary care physician prior to being treated and if so should be treated with a heightened awareness for possible complications.
Lip augmentation by fat injections may be permanent although the amount of fat survival after the transfer is unpredictable and may depend on the vascular blood supply and the mobility of the area injected. Lumping of the fat deposited may also be seen with fat transfers to the lips. The fat donor site usually heals without any morbidity.
Gore-tex PTFE implants are a foreign body and may have a higher rate of infections and possibly have issues of implant migration or rejection.
Overfilling of the lips may result in unnatural results “duck lips” and is seen often when the procedure is done by inexperienced untrained physicians, health care providers, or salon and spa personnel. Severe deformities are commonly seen with liquid silicone injections and are extremely difficult to correct without leaving permanent deformities.
1 Cleveland Clinic. Lip Augmentation. Available: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22782-lip-augmentation. Accessed November 3, 2022.
2Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. Lip Augmentation. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33750653/. Accessed November 3, 2022.
3ASPS. Surgical and nonsurgical options to plump up your lips. Available: https://www.plasticsurgery.org/news/blog/surgical-and-nonsurgical-options-to-plump-up-your-lips. Accessed November 3, 2022.
4J Cutan Aesthet Surg. Managing Complications of Fillers: Rare and Not-So-Rare. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4728901/. Accessed November 3, 2022.
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Dr. Tal Roudner has either authored or reviewed and approved the content on this website.
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