Lip Augmentation Surgery – Overview
Lip augmentation surgery is a type of cosmetic procedure to increase lip fullness through enlargement using a filler such as hyaluronic acid, fat or implants.
Full and plump lips have often been associated with beauty and youth. Over the years, people have introduced various materials into and through the upper and lower lips to enhance beauty.
These days, an injectable dermal filler is the most commonly used method of lip augmentation.
There are many types of dermal fillers that can be injected into the lips and around the mouth. But the most common fillers today are products that contain substances similar to hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid is a natural substance found in the body. It helps increase volume in the lips.
These types of dermal fillers are sometimes called “hyaluronic acid fillers.”
Collagen, once the most common dermal filler, is used less often today. The newer options are safer and the effects last longer.
Fat injections and implants are other methods to plump lips. But they aren’t used as much today because the results vary and there is a greater risk of side effects.
lip augmentation before and after
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Indications for Lip augmentation surgery
If the patient is bothered by the appearance of thin, lined or asymmetrical lips, lip augmentation surgery may be indicated.
Specific changes that a skilled cosmetic surgeon can make through lip enhancement include:
- Restore volume to thin or aging lips
- Smooth vertical lip lines
- Improve symmetry between the upper and lower lip
- Refine the shape of thin or flat lips
Contra-indications for Lip augmentation surgery
Due risk of complications with the surgery, some patients are advised against the procedure. These include patients with:
– Allergy to the common local anesthetics like lidocaine
– Cold sore
– Blood clotting problems
– Diabetes
– Autoimmune disease, e.g lupus
– Smokers
– Severe hypertension
– Recurrent herpes simplex lesions
Risk and Complications
Like any surgical procedure, lip augmentation surgery has its own risk of complications.
Common reaction and complications can range from:
– redness
– swelling
– itching
– bleeding
– misaligned lips
Overaggressive injections can lead to lumpiness while too little can result in ridges.
lip augmentation before and after
Non-surgical Alternatives
These are methods that make the lips appear full without undergoing any surgical procedure.
Lip plumper is a cosmetic product used to make lips appear fuller. These products work by irritating the skin of the lips with ingredients such as Capsaicin. This makes the lips swell slightly, temporarily creating the appearance of fuller lips.
Suction pumps, a special device for lips uses vacuum pumping to increase blood pressure in each lip and to pull them out a bit, making it quite an instrument to adjust proper lip length/value in a slow determinate step-by-step way
Cost of Lip Augmentation
The total cost for lip augmentation surgery depends on a lot of factors such as the anesthetic fee, private hospital fee, private operating facility fee and insurance coverage.
Most often than not, lip augmentation surgery cost is considered a cosmetic procedure and as such is not something that is covered by insurance plans.
Since each patient’s insurance coverage is different, it’s important to understand your plan in order to know how much, if any, of the surgery will be covered. For example, some patients may have high deductibles where insurance will cover only a small portion of the associated costs.
On the other hand, some patients may have 80/20 plans where the insurance may cover a significant amount and the patient is only responsible for their copay.
Fillers are usually priced per syringe injected. The cost will also depend on how much material is required. The total cost of the procedure is around $500 – $2000.
