Türkçe Our lips are the most attractive part of our face. Well-defined, full lips with a slight upward curl are a generally recognised sign of beauty and youthfulness. Since time immemorial women have painted their lips to accentuate this effect. As people get older, vertical wrinkles emerge, the lips become thin and small and sagging, covering the upper row of teeth and laying bare the lower row. A sharp vertical line forms in the corners of the mouth and extends down to the jaw line. Fully developed, the jaw section they outline looks like the lower jaw segment of a puppet head, hence the name marionette line.
Frequently asked questions about lip augmentation:
What are the main aesthetic problems associated with our lips?
Most patients complain that their lips are too small, others want a more balanced relationship between upper and lower lip. Other reasons are a sagging upper lip, drooping corners of the mouth, marionette line and cigarette wrinkles.
How can I achieve fuller lip contours?
Dermal fillers and fat injections are the most widely used methods. Fat injections are less popular, however, because they are accompanied by relatively long lasting swelling, they are not permanent and require a clinical environment for their application. They may be used as part of a general face rejuvenation treatment.
Off-the-shelf dermal fillings can be applied in an office environment. Application does not take much time, they do not cause excessive swelling and their effect is more easy to control.
What substances are used as lip fillers?
A wide range of temporary and permanent dermal fillers is available. Permanent fillers are critical because the effect is not reversible. It is more advisable to use a degradable product like hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is a natural component of our connective tissue and the risk of allergic or immune reactions is low. HA products specially designed for use in lips are available.
Where is the filler injected?
The dermal filler is injected along the contour line or inside the red section of the lips. The individual application is determined by the patient’s needs.
What are the procedural steps of the treatment?
The treatment is carried out in an office environment; a local anaesthetic (crème) is sufficient. Patients with low pain tolerance receive an injection with a local anaesthetic. Novel dermal fillers contain a local anaesthetic which further simplifies the procedure. The entire session takes only 5-10 minutes.
What other enhancements are carried out in the mouth region?
- Filling and smoothing of the marionette line contributes significantly to a youthful look
- Shortening of the upper lip, which tends to extend with age, with a cut immediately under the nose
- Enlargement of the red lip section with a cut on the inside of the mouth
- Lifting of the corners of the mouth with the aid of Botox
- Women in particular complain about cigarette wrinkles that cause lipstick “bleed”. The most effective method is microdermabrasion. For tiny wrinkles special fillers have been developed.
- Drooping corners of the mouth can be permanently lifted by cutting the responsible muscle on the inside of the mouth.
Is lip augmentation noticeable?
Like every other augmentation the difference between a natural and an unnatural result depends on how skilful the method is applied