What is the Most Natural Looking Lip Enhancement?
Most individuals seeking lip enhancement fall into one of two groups: younger patients who perceive that their lips are genetically thin and would like the voluptuousness seen on celebrities; or older people with lost volume who have seen definition of their vermillion border erode, vertical lines appear, or have philtral tubercles. Either way, the goal should be creating a natural appearance.
Reversible
Lip enhancement refers to any procedures which increase lip volume or change their proportions reversibly, whether through adding volume or changing proportions reversibly. When considering any lip augmentation procedure, its primary goal should be achieving natural appearance by way of proportions, symmetry and harmony with other features of your face - especially for the Cupid's bow where over-inflation or widening can give an unnatural "duck-like" effect; common mistakes include injecting large boluses into philtral tubercle injections giving off this "duck like" appearance resulting in overinflated bow peaks that give an unnatural "duck-like" effect; this especially holds true with Cupid's bow injections where overinflation or widening can create unintended "duck-like" features that make this bow look like it would appear as in nature; therefore creating natural-appearance should always be achieved; aim should always aim towards naturality rather than unnatural "duck-like" appearance when injecting large boluses into philtral tubercle injection site giving off-balance results in unnatural "duck like" appearances which should look natural; otherwise known as Lip Enhancement procedures can produce results which give unnatural "duck like" results due to injecting; this especially true with regard to Cupid's bow where over-inflation or widening can create unnatural looking bow-shaped bows which is achieved using objective measures such as proportions, symmetry, symmetry as these goals must always aim. This makes its key element! This should always strives or using large boluses (philtral tubercle). This gives unnatural "duck appearances!
Fat transfer offers permanent lip augmentation solutions that may last, including harvesting and purifying one's own fat cells to be transferred directly onto the lips of patients for permanent lip enhancement. It is an effective choice for more dramatic changes that cannot be accomplished with Restylane filler alone.
Natural
Lips are an integral feature of facial features and play a critical role in facial expression, speech articulation, masticatory competence, maintaining oral seal integrity and delineating soft tissue boundaries. Patients typically seek lip enhancement for one of two reasons: they feel their lips have lost volume with age or they desire the "social media-ready" voluptuous lips seen on celebrities. Three essential principles must be observed when performing any cosmetic procedure: preservation of existing Cupid's bow and GK points, avoiding over-inflation of philtral tubercle to avoid creating a duck-like appearance, and using small triangular filler aliquots at the peaks of Cupid's bow peaks.
No Botox
Lip and perioral areas are key aesthetic units in the face. Achieving youthful lips requires features like an arching Cupid's bow, philtral columns and vermillion border that are clear as water as well as neutrally located oral commissures to complete their look. Any patient seeking natural-looking lip enhancement should leave with all these characteristics restored as well as slight volume increase and pigment distribution throughout their lips.
Patients seeking lip enhancement typically come to me for one of two reasons: (1) they believe their lips have thinned with age or genetics and would like to restore them; or (2) they already possess strong existing architecture but want additional volume - Restylane or Juvederm fillers are the go-to fillers to achieve this aim.
One technique I have found effective in creating more subtle, natural-looking results is fat transfer. This process involves extracting and purifying some of a patient's own fat from areas like their hips, stomach or thighs before injecting it into their lips for injection. Although more complicated than simply using dermal fillers, fat transfer has produced impressive yet natural-looking results.
No Downtime
Lip enhancement procedures typically don't require lengthy recovery times compared to surgical cosmetic procedures, like lip lifts. While swelling and bruising may appear initially, most patients return to work or social activities immediately following the treatment. An experienced practitioner will carefully maintain any existing Cupid's bow or GK points without overinflating or producing an unnatural duck-like appearance, while adding small triangular aliquotes into Cupid's bow peaks to achieve natural shape and volume.
Fillers not only help add volume and definition to lips, but can also smooth vertical lip lines, correct asymmetry between upper and lower lips, and improve vermillion border definition.
