“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and to some people, beauty means fuller, plumper, smoother, and more luscious lips. Lip augmentation is the easily accessible answer to the kind of lips you want. Here’s everything you need to know about lip augmentation – what it is, how long it lasts, how the procedure/s goes, how much it costs, and more details.

What is Lip Augmentation?

To put it simply, lip augmentation is a cosmetic procedure designed to give you fuller, plumper, smoother, and more luscious lips. The procedure seeks to enlarge or reshape, restructure, and add volume to the lips to improve how they look in relation to the rest of the face. Lip augmentation is available in lip filler form or surgery. The more common method chosen by patients is lip filler. Lip fillers are minimally invasive, safer, have a quicker recovery period than surgery, and usually are more affordable. However, they do not last as long as lip implant surgery.

What is Lip Implant Surgery?

Lip implant surgery is the more permanent and more expensive form of lip augmentation. The surgery uses plastic implants to plump up the lips. The implants used are either silicone or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. Both types of plastics are generally safe. But expanded polytetrafluoroethylene responds better to the tissues in the lips. Plus, it is softer and feels more natural when implanted in the lips. Aside from using plastics for implants, lip implant surgery can also be tissue or fat grafting. Tissue grafting uses skin from the lower stomach to fill the lip. Fat grafting uses fat from the lower abdomen as the implant. The recovery time for a lip implant surgery lasts three days. However, most doctors recommend avoiding pressure or pulling on the lips for two weeks after the procedure.

What is Lip Filler?

This form of lip augmentation injects dermal fillers to fill the lips. It is minimally invasive; it requires no incisions and no anesthesia. If the patient wants it, topical anesthesia is easily administered to avoid needle pain. Dermal fillers use substances that trigger the body to make the lips plumper and more luscious. The most popular substance is hyaluronic acid, which attracts and binds with water. This substance increases the volume of the lips through hydration. Other substances trigger the collagen production of the body around the lips. Collagen helps make the skin firmer, more elastic, and better structured. Nuance Aesthetics offers Restylane® Defyne™, which contains hyaluronic acid, to its patients. The recovery time for a lip filler procedure is usually a day. However, soreness or swelling may last for a few days to a couple of weeks.

How Long Does a Lip Augmentation Last?

The two kinds of lip augmentation have varying lengths of effects. Lip augmentation through a filler can last several months, depending on many factors, such as the filler used or how much the lips move. Some fillers last for half to a full year. Others last for a couple of years to as long as five years. On the other hand, the effects of lip implant surgery can last for decades. Surgery gives permanent results. However, if the surgery produces results you are not satisfied with, you will need another surgery to correct or reverse the initial procedure.

How Does the Procedure Go?

Lip Implant Surgery Preparation

If you have lip surgery scheduled, you will need to prepare. If you take blood thinners or smoke, you have to stop doing so. If you have oral herpes, you need to take antiviral medication.

Lip Implant Surgery Procedure

The first step of the procedure is sterilizing and numbing the lips. Although general anesthesia is viable, it is not necessary; local anesthesia is sufficient. After sterilizing and numbing the lips, the doctor will make a small incision on either side of the mouth. Then the doctor inserts a clamp into the mouth to create a tunnel. The implants are inserted through the tunnel. Once the implants are in place, the surgeon removes the clamp and closes the incisions with small sutures. If no problem arises, the entire procedure will only last for half an hour.

Lip Filler Preparation

Once you have your dermal filler procedure scheduled, you have to make the following preparatory steps. Avoid blood thinners and supplements at least a week before the procedure. A couple of days before the procedure, stop applying topical products like anti-aging creams around the lips. Also, avoid waxing, tweezing, bleaching, or using hair removal products around the area to be treated. If the procedure is within a day, avoid any alcoholic drink.

Lip Filler Procedure

The doctor will apply topical anesthesia to your lips. In some cases, local anesthesia may be injected around the lips. Depending on the filler you chose, the doctor might perform a skin allergy test before injecting the filler into your lips. If you show signs of an allergic reaction to your chosen filler, the doctor will recommend another filler. If no allergic reactions occur, the procedure proceeds. The doctor will inject the filler into your lips once they are numb. When the filler is inside your lips, you may feel a mild stinging. You can expect minor swelling and soreness after the procedure. Bruising and your lips feeling a little different are common side effects. You should avoid pursing your lips for a couple of days after the procedure.

How Much Does Lip Augmentation Cost

On average, a lip implantation procedure costs somewhere around $2000 to $4000. A lip filler procedure, on the other hand, costs around $600 to $800. Their effects differ, however.

How Safe is Lip Augmentation?

Lip augmentation is a popular cosmetic procedure. It is not entirely new, and it is very safe. However, we at Nuance Aesthetics suggest lip fillers over lip implants. Lip fillers with Restylane® Defyne™ are incredibly safe and low-risk. The procedure is minimally invasive and has very few side effects – most of which vanish after a few days. There is less chance of bruising and allergic reaction.To get the best lip augmentation results, reach out to Nuance Aesthetics today. We specialize in bringing the best results from your natural beauty using quick, easy, and affordable treatments.