Lip augmentation is a series of different procedures that are designed to improve the form and function of your lips. There are numerous lip augmentation options available in Toronto and the GTA. Before you settle on any particular method—whether it’s lip surgery or getting lip fillers—make sure you’re well-informed and fully comfortable with your decision. If you have any doubts whatsoever about the procedure, the clinic, or your physician, listen to your gut instincts and reconsider.
What Does the Lip Augmentation Process Entail?
Your physician will want to schedule an initial consultation with you to discuss all of your procedural options, possible complications, possible side effects, and what to expect during your recovery period. They’ll also ask you a series of specific questions about your physical and mental health to make sure you’re physically eligible to undergo the procedure and make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons and don’t have unachievable expectations. Always be sure to ask your physician for lip augmentation before and after pictures so that you can compare and contrast the type of work they’ve done in the past. You should also make sure the surgeon is fully board certified and that they have all of the proper credentials to perform facial cosmetic procedures.
Methods of Lip Enhancement
- Fat Transfer Injections: This involve extracting viable fat cells from other parts of your body and injecting them into your lips.
- Filler Injections: Filler injections are an alternative material to fat. They can either be synthetically made in a lab or derived from natural materials. The objective is to plump up and contour the lips.
- Dermal Graft Surgery: This a more permanent form of lip augmentation. The surgeon makes small incisions inside the mouth, moulding the lips to make them protrude forward. A dermal fat graft is extracted from another part of the body and then placed under the lining of the lip, giving it a fuller appearance.
- Vermillion Advancement Surgery: This is when the surgeon must make small incisions along the coloured part of the lip, extract a piece of skin, and then stretch out the coloured part of the lip so that it covers a larger surface area.
- Lip implant Surgery: Lip implants involve making tiny incisions from within the mouth and injecting them with synthetic materials to plump up the lips.
- Lip Lift Surgery: This is most commonly used to remove excess or loose skin around the lips and lift them up.
Ideal Candidates for Lip Augmentation
Anyone who’s interested in improving the look and feel of their lips is an ideal candidate for this type of cosmetic procedure as long as it’s been determined that they’re doing it for legitimate reasons and not just because they want to look identical to a specific celebrity. Whether your goal is to plump up thin lips, reduce the size of your lips, alter the shape of your mouth to make it more symmetrical, or to reduce the amount of gum-show every time you smile, lip augmentation is a viable option.
Hyaluronic Acid (HA) Fillers
The human body naturally creates and generates hyaluronic acids, so it makes sense that HA fillers are now being used more frequently and that collagen injections are becoming a thing of the past. There are many benefits of using HA fillers, including the fact that they last approximately six months and have very limited side effects compared to the other treatment options listed above.
Lip Enhancement Downtime, Aftercare, and Recovery
You’ll notice immediate results after undergoing any form of lip enhancement procedure and most patients typically require about one week of downtime to fully recover. Within the first few hours following the surgery, your lips will most likely become inflamed with red spots or bumps, and you might notice some stiffness or difficulty moving your lips. This is because the fillers are still becoming situated and the incisions are still fresh. During the recovery time, your surgeon will most likely advise that you go on a liquid diet to avoid shifting the fillers inside your lips.
Dr. Andres Gantous, MD, FRCS (C) is a double board-certified cosmetic surgeon who specializes in otolaryngology as well as facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. Throughout the 20+ years he’s been working at the Toronto Facial Plastic Surgery clinic in Toronto, he’s helped hundreds of patients achieve their cosmetic surgery goals. To learn more about the clinic or to schedule a consultation with Dr. Gantous, please contact us today!