Lip Aesthetics

Full and pouty lips are associated with beauty, youth and sensuality. The lips and eyes form the central triangle of the face which attracts most amount of attention. The beauty of the lips depend on the volume, shape and also on the beauty of the adjacent features like teeth, nose and naso labial folds. Needless to say, a complete lip enhancement should take into account the surrounding areas.

Cosmetic problems with lips-

 Loss of volume

 Thin lips

 Thick lips

 Peri oral lines

 Gummy smile

 Long lip 

Lip plumping- increasing the volume of the lips is most often achieved by injecting filler into the lip. Non Animal Source Hyaluronic Acid (NASHA) is the most commonly used filler world wide- well known brands include- Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm, Esthelis etc. Hyaluronic acid is a normal component of human cells and stroma. Newer cross liked NASHA is less likely to cause lumps and lasts up to a year.

Collagen and silicon injections are no longer popular in cosmetic practice.

Lip fillers are injected as an office procedure under local anesthesia. Minute quantities of the filler are slowly deposited into the required areas to sculpt the lips.

Fillers can achieve the following objectives-

 Enhance the lip line

 Enhance the philtral columns

 Increase lip volume in the central area for more pout

 Create a more rolled out effect on the lips.

The effect of Hyaluronic acid filler lasts for 9-12 months.

Lip enhancement can be performed surgically also by adding one’s own tissue into the lip. Grafts can be harvested from behind the ear, fat or muscle. The effects are longer lasting and the surgery is a minimally invasive procedure.

fat cells harvested by gentle technique can be processed and injected as tiny beads into the lip and adjacent areas for replacing lost volume. Fat grafting/ fat injection as a procedure require meticulous technique and attention to detail. Touch up procedures may be required if some of the fat cells do not survive. Fat grafting may also help to transfer stem cells into the lips and face, the practical aspects of which are still under research.

Small measured doses of Botox can be used to evert the lips. When injected to certain parts of the lip muscle, the selective weakening makes the lips to roll out to some extent. Botox is also useful to decrease the drooping of the corner of the mouth. In well selected cases Botox can reduce the naso labial lines. Most cases of lip enhancement are benefited by the combined use of Botox and fillers.

Peri oral lines are seen with ageing – probably from loss of volume and effect of contractions of the sphincter muscle of the mouth. Although called smokers lines, it can occur in non smokers too. Peri oral lines create an aged look to the lips and cause lipstick bleed.

Peri oral lines can be effectively treated and reduced by 

 Fillers

 Botox

 Chemical peel

 Laser resurfacing

The dynamic component of the peri oral lines is reduced by Botox. Static component can be reduced by any of the other treatments mentioned. Hyaluronic acid fillers have instant effect with no down time and provide good aesthetic correction.

These lines start from the corner of the mouth and go down to the chin area. The lines and the droop of the corner of the mouth create a disappointed or grim look. Combination of Botox and fillers can reduce the droop and the lines. If associated with significant ageing changes on the rest of the face, a face lift surgery will correct all the unwanted changes in one shot and with longer lasting results. 

Gummy smile can be corrected in 2 ways- increasing the functional length of the upper lip or by modifying the gums (Gingivoplasty).

In some cases, the elevator muscles of the upper lip may be hyper active and cause a canine smile or increased elevation of the inner portion of the lip.

Muscle modification by Myotomy surgery and release of the lip lining can create an increase in the lip length. Botox can also be used as a temporary measure in well selected cases.

In cases where the gums are at a lower position than normal and obscuring the teeth show, a Gingivoplasty performed by a periodontal dental surgeon can help to enhance the smile.

Botox, fillers, fat grafting, lip surgery and gummy smile correction for lip enhancement are performed by Dr. Hari Menon at a quality accredited facility of international repute- Lakeshore hospital in Cochin, Kerala, India at affordable cost.