Fuller lips are desirable for many women who wish to enhance their overall facial appearance. Since Julia Roberts happened on the scene in the eighties, Lip Augmentation has become a frequently requested cosmetic surgery procedure. In fact, Lip Augmentation represents a group of procedures, which are used alone or in combination to achieve the desired result.

The upper and lower lip may be augmented with permanent soft implants of Gore-Tex^®. The implant(s) is/are placed under local anesthesia through very small slits in the red portion of the lips to bulk them or at the junction of the red and skin portion or roll of the lip to give subtle definition.

The implants are usually well tolerated and minimally palpable. They may be easily removed if further enhancement is desired. Rejection of the implant can occur, but is usually a minimal risk.

Various filling substances that either resorb completely over time or partially resorb over time may be used to accomplish Lip Augmentation. Examples include collagen, Alloderm^® and Restylane^®.

If foreign substances are objectionable to the patient, the patient’s own fat may be utilized. Please see Fat Augmentation, which is covered on this website.

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