Lip Augmentation Description & Benefits

Lip augmentation procedures enhance the fullness of lips and make them more attractive. Like the rest of our skin, our lips loose collagen and fat during the aging process. Other factors which accelerate the signs of aging around the lips include smoking and sun exposure. Lip augmentation is an ideal procedure for patients who have always had naturally thin lips that they are self-conscious about, and also for those who want to return their lips to the shape and fullness they had when they were younger. This is accomplished by implanting synthetic or biological materials into the lips to make them plumper and more appealing. Most people who are thinking about a lip enhancement procedure want fuller lips that are smooth, plump, wrinkle-free and youthful looking. If you are interested in lip augmentation, you have a variety of options. These include lip augmentation surgery, and injected substances. Lips may be injected with collagen or with fat transferred from another site in the patient's body. Both liquid collagen and fat are absorbed and repeat treatments are necessary to maintain results.

Lip Augmentation Procedure Steps

A procedure can take up to two hours depending on the complexity, and you will be sent home the same day. Local anesthesia is commonly used during lip augmentation procedures. There are several different substances commonly used in lip augmentation procedures such as AlloDerm, synthetic implants, fat grafting, and local flap grafts.  These products are injected into the lips to create a fuller appearance. Your surgeon will most likely use topical anesthesia (painkiller applied directly to the lips) for injections, possibly with additional pain relief. The doctor will normally inject your lips in three to four points on your lips, and you will probably feel a slight sting each time.

Lip Augmentation Recovery

Lip augmentation patients are usually back to normal activities within 2-3 days. The main drawback of these lip enhancement injections is that the fat and collagen are absorbed back into the body after a period of time and repeated treatments are required to maintain the result you want. After the lip augmentation procedure, you may experience some pain and swelling. This usually lasts a few days, and your recovery will depend on your lifestyle and which lip enhancement you undergo. Apply ice packs to your lips intermittently for the first 48 hours, take painkillers if needed and sleep in a semi-upright position for the first week. Talking and chewing should be limited during the first 48 hours and limit smiling and laughing for the first week. If you are having injections, your recovery can take just a couple days, though the swelling or bruising may last longer. If you are having surgical implants or grafts, your recovery can take up to two weeks after the surgery. It may be necessary to take some time off work, two to three days is normal.

Shop for Lip Augmentation Recovery Products

You can find a way variety of products designed to help you have the best preparation and recovery from your procedure at the:

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Lip Augmentation Side Effects & Risks

Some of the complications that occur with lip augmentation include allergic reactions, prolonged redness, swelling, itching, and firmness at the injection site. Other possible complications include bleeding, loss of natural lip line, lip asymmetry, permanent stiffness in the lip, and migration and extrusion of the implant.

Lip Augmentation Costs

The average cost of a procedure is anywhere from $1700-2100, depending on the physician and areas treated.

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