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Fuller and plumper lips are all the rage nowadays. Men and women, but especially women, are always looking for easier ways to make their lips look fuller. A number of celebrities, like the Jenner Sisters, Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, and Blake Lively, etc. have undergone lip augmentation surgeries. Due to the influence of these celebrities, the number of women getting lip implants and fillers has rapidly increased.
In this article, we have shared some of the best natural-looking and permanent lip augmentation procedures. Moreover, we have mentioned the risks and side effects associated with these treatments. So, keep reading to find out the best procedure for you.
Permanent Lip Augmentation Procedures
There are four major procedures used for lip augmentation which are as follows:
- Lip Fillers
- Lip Implants
- Fat Grafting
- Tissue Grafting
Let’s discuss each procedure in detail.
1. Lip Fillers
Lip fillers are injections that are injected into the upper and lower lips. The commonly used fillers include:
- Juvederm
- Restylane
- Voluma
- Perlane
- Hyaluronic Acid
Lip augmentation using fillers is one of the most common procedures. The reason for its popularity is its non-invasive nature. The procedure is performed on an in-office basis and the patient can easily go back to work after the procedure is done. So, it can be termed as a lunch hour treatment as it hardly takes 15-30 minutes for completion.
Although the procedure can be performed in half an hour, the patient needs to visit their doctor prior to the treatment for consultation. In this session, the doctor analyzes the shape and texture of the patient’s lips.
He/she also guides them about different types of fillers and determines the best one for them. Moreover, the patient needs to share any medical conditions or previous cosmetic surgeries’ history with their doctor during this session.
Lip fillers are the most popular lip augmentation procedure but they are only a semi-permanent solution. Generally, lip fillers last for about 6-8 months. After that, the patient needs a touch-up treatment to continue having fuller and plumper lips.
2. Lip Implants
A permanent lip augmentation procedure that can be used in place of temporary lip fillers is lip implants. After lip fillers, lip implants are the most demanded procedure in the cosmetic industry. The number of people getting lip implants is steadily increasing with every passing day.
In a lip implant, a plastic implant is inserted in the lips. The procedure is not as non-invasive as fillers as it involves incisions and sutures. Usually, two types of implants are used to make the lips plumper:
- Silicone
- Expanded Polytetrafluoroethylene
Both these implants are FDA-approved and safe. However, the latter has been proved to yield more natural-looking results.
During the procedure, firstly, the skin is sterilized. After that, anesthesia is given to the lips to numb them and then an incision is made for the implant insertion. The implant is inserted between the lip fat and lip muscle. Lastly, after positioning the implant, absorbable sutures are made to close the incisions.
The entire procedure hardly takes 30 minutes for completion. Moreover, the patient can easily go home after the procedure.
3. Fat Grafting
Fat grafting is a type of implant procedure used for lip augmentation. In this procedure, the patient’s own fat from another part of the body (usually abdomen) is transferred to the lips.
During the procedure, the fat is taken from the patient’s abdominal area around the belly button. It is then purified and transferred to their lips. This lip augmentation procedure yield plumper lips that last for at least five years.
The entire procedure takes about an hour or an hour and a half for completion. Therefore, it is also an in-office procedure; however, it is performed under local anesthesia. So, the patient needs to be aware of this beforehand.
4. Tissue Grafting
Another procedure for lip augmentation is tissue grafting. This procedure takes a skin implant from the lower stomach region and uses it to fill the lip.
If a patient has a C-section scar, its resection can be done to use as an implant. Moreover, the skin removed during a facelift can also be used in this procedure.
This procedure is also performed on an out-patient basis as it takes about 60-90 minutes for completion. However, it uses local anesthesia. The results of tissue grafting remain for at least five years.
Risks and Complications
Some of the risks associated with lip augmentation procedures are mentioned below:
- The injection site may start bleeding.
- The treatment area may swell or bruise for a long period.
- The injection site becomes tender and sore.
- The lips may get infected or show an allergic reaction.
- The results may be asymmetrical.
So, if you are considering any permanent lip augmentation treatment, make sure you research properly beforehand.
