Lip Augmentation
What if you could smooth out wrinkles and replenish your natural beauty instantly? Lip augmentation will restore your lips to their youthful appearance or give you the full lips you’ve always wanted.
If you have been wondering how to get rid of your wrinkles but aren’t ready for surgery, dermal filler lip augmentation may be the answer. Now a natural product can help you meet your goals without fear of an allergic reaction. This synthetic, biodegradable hyaluronic acid has been used in Europe for years.
Facial wrinkles and creases begin to appear as the underlying collagen and elastin fibers begin to break down and wear out. While this breakdown is part of the natural aging process, it can also result from excessive squinting, frowning and smiling. Until recently, the most frequently used material for filling lower facial wrinkles and frown lines was injectable collagen. However, collagen injections aren’t for everyone. A very small percentage of patients are allergic to bovine collagen and most people are disappointed in how quickly collagen resorbs.
What is it?
If one were to analyze the ingredients of the skin, you would see that hyaluronic acid composes 90% of the skin’s volume. This is the material that holds the skin’s collagen and elastin molecules in place. Hyaluronic acid is much more hydrophilic than collagen. This allows it to attract water molecules to the injected sites resulting in a more natural longer lasting augmentation that resists lumpiness.
Where does it come from?
Hyaluronic acid is made using recombinant DNA, the same way that scientists now make human insulin for diabetics. This process is so exact that your body cannot tell the difference between this injectable hyaluronic acid and the hyaluronic acid that your own body produces. In contrast to other biodegradable implants, This means very little to no risk of allergic reaction. Therefore, they are perfectly safe to use instantly without pre-testing.
How do they work?
Dermal fillers deliver hyaluronic acid into the lips in the form of a crystal-clear gel. Hyaluronic acid is a material that naturally belongs in the skin, but decreases with age and wrinkling. It is injected into the skin to lift the lip, wrinkle or fold. Once in your skin, it attracts the body’s water and creates volume, resulting in a healthy and vital appearance. When injected into the lip they can restore a more natural, youthful look or depending on your needs, give a more sensuous pouty look.
How will I look after my treatment?
Following your injections, normal activities can be resumed immediately. Discomfort is minimal. The treatment site may have a little swelling, which may last a few hours to a few days. There may be some slight bruising which can be covered with make-up. Because of this possibility, we recommend that your social calender is cleared for 2-4 days.
Depending on the area treated, initial correction usually lasts from six to twelve months. People usually get used to their appearance during this time and then want more plumping even though the initial augmentation has not yet worn off. The nice thing about this is that the material seems synergistic on repeated injections. This means that your 2nd treatment, if done at the right time will give you a larger or longer augmentation than the first one did. By experience, these products last almost 3 times as long as collagen.
Is it safe?
Yes. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in the body and therefore it also dissolves naturally with time and is integrated into your body’s tissues. Synthetic, biodegradable hyaluronic acid has been used in Europe and Canada for many years. And there has never been a confirmed reported allergic reaction.
What are the treatments like?
At Plateroti Dermatology, the experience and care of our medical team ensures that your procedure will be as safe and pain-free as possible. Prior to your treatment, we help our lip augmentation patients prepare by suggesting they discontinue the use of Advil, Aspirin, Vitamin E, fish oil, and other blood thinners at least one week before injection to help create maximum results. In order to reduce the risk of visible bruising, we may also suggest taking Arnica tablets a week before your scheduled injection. This natural botanic remedy can be picked up at any health food store. Our team is also highly trained on the use of cannulas during injection, significantly reducing the amount of discomfort. This technique also helps reduce post-treatment bruising. During your consultation at Plateroti Dermatology, we will discuss all additional ways you can prepare and what you can expect from your lip augmentation treatment.
How much will I need?
Your age and what your concerns are, will influence the quantity that will be needed. We naturally lose skin thickness as we age, typically 1% of the skin’s volume is lost per year. As a rule of thumb, if you are in your 30’s, you have lost about 1/3 of your skin thickness and will usually need one syringe to achieve a proper correction. If you are closer to 50, then 2 syringes are often needed. There is no reason why you must do both syringes at the same time. In fact we have noticed better results in some patients if they have one treatment and the have the second treatment the following month. This way you can achieve a slower augmentation that will not interfere with your social schedule.
If you’re interested in a lip augmentation, don’t hesitate — contact Plateroti Dermatology today to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation with our new aesthetic nurse.
