Lip Enlargement

Lip Enlargement has become a very popular procedure. Some individuals are born with small thin lips; others would just like them more full. Aging also results in loss of fullness.

The two major approaches to increase lip volume involve either the injection or surgical insertion of a volume filler into the lip. Examples of injectable options include human collagen (CosmoPlast®), hyaluronic acid (Restylane®, HylaForm®, Captique ®), and fat. Volume enhancers that are surgically inserted include scar or other tissue from one's own body, implantable donor human tissue (AlloDerm®), and artificial materials (Gore-Tex®).

Collagen is a very common and plentiful structural protein found throughout the body. CosmoPlast®, a human collagen, works extremely well to plump up the lips and give natural looking results. It can also be used to give greater definition to the lip margins. There is usually minimal discomfort when it is injected and little post-injection swelling. Duration of results is usually less than 3 months.

Restylane®, Hylaform®, and Captique® are all made from hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance present in large quantities throughout the body. They are very effective in creating larger lips. The results may last 3 - 6 months or more which is significantly longer than the results obtained with collagen. Local anesthesia is usually administered for your comfort during the treatments. You may be presentable almost immediately.

Fat injections are another method to create larger lips. The fat is harvested from sites such as the abdomen, processed, and then injected into the lips. Usually more than one session is needed to obtain longer lasting results. There is, however, considerable variability in the survival of the fat. No guarantees can be made regarding how long the results will last. Swelling after the procedure can be considerable and last several days or longer, depending on the amount of correction.