Lip augmentation, a cosmetic procedure designed to increase the size of your lips, is one of the most common forms of plastic surgery. Depending on your genetics, you may not have been born with the plump, luscious lips you want to properly fill out your face, not to mention the thinning effect that aging can have on lips as well as the wrinkles that develop around your mouth over time. Whether you simply want to increase the size of your lips in general or want to reverse the effects of aging, lip augmentation can help.
When it comes to lip augmentation, there are two primary types: lip implants and lip injections (sometimes known as fillers). Both options come with their own distinct set of pros and cons, depending on what you want to get out of your procedure.
What are lip implants?
Lip implants are the insertion of a small silicone strip (much like a breast implant) into your lips through an incision in one or both of your lips. Depending on the desired size, different sizes of the silicone strips can be inserted into the lips. This surgical procedure is very quick and safe. You may have heard of fat injections for lip implants, but inserting fat can produce unreliable results as some fat can die during the procedure or from a patient “massaging the area too often.
Lip implant surgery is the only long-lasting solution. With lip implants, a single implanting session can last for many years, so you don’t have to worry about constantly going back for more surgery. If you desire plumper lips that will last indefinitely, lip implants are a great choice for you.
What are lip injections?
Lip injections, or lip fillers, are the injection of collagen or other filler material into one or both of your lips using a needle. Today, hyaluronic acid (a naturally occurring substance in the human body, like collagen) is one of the most common filler materials used in lip injections. Like lip implants, some patients will elect to use fat from elsewhere on their body for their lip injections.
Lip injections are much less invasive than lip implants and generally come out to about half the cost or less. However, lip injections don’t come with the same long-lasting guarantee that a surgical procedure would. If your surgeon uses hyaluronic acid fillers in your injections, they will most likely last between six months to a year. Procedures that use fat from elsewhere on your body can be more permanent, but also run the risk of being reabsorbed by your body over time, making it unreliable. If you’re not so comfortable with invasive surgery right off the bat and want to try out a semi-permanent form of lip augmentation before going under the knife, lip injections are your best bet. It can be more cost effective in the long run to get lip implants, by the time you pay for 3-4 sessions of lip fillers, which last 9-12 months, you could have paid for the implants.
Though one is a long-lasting minimally invasive surgery that takes less than one hour and one is a semi-permanent non-invasive procedure, lip implants and lip injections are both amazing options for improving your confidence in the appearance of your lips. The best way to decide which procedure is right for you is to consult with a highly trained surgeon that can help you pinpoint your exact wants and needs.
Dr. Beverly Fischer has been proudly serving the Baltimore area for over 20 years, helping women of all ages to look and feel their best through state-of-the-art cosmetic surgery. Are you ready to step into your confidence and feel amazing? Call Dr. Fischer at 410-308-4700 to schedule a consultation, or online.