Pain Associated With Lip Augmentation Is Minimal

Written by Dave Stringham

Before a lip augmentation, a complete medical history is taken by a surgeon to evaluate the general health of the potential patient. Also, a careful examination is also conducted. Your cosmetic surgeon will describe to you the procedure, the type of anesthesia to be used, what results might realistically be expected and possible risks and complications, and his choice of implant or filler material and why. Digital pictures will be taken and imaging will be done prior to the surgery to illustrate the amount of improvement that you will see. In order to minimize the possibility of excess bleeding, the elimination of certain drugs containing aspirin will be included in the pre-operative instructions. For a few days prior to surgery, you will be prescribed antibiotics to prevent infection.

People with large lips will rarely be able to receive a lip reduction, because dental occlusion problems are usually why they are larger. An unnatural display of teeth or lip position may be produced if large lips are reduced. Lip reduction may be used for bumps or scars appearing after trauma.

When a plastic surgeon says, “lip augmentation” he or she is talking about making the entire lip bigger. When he or she says, “lip enhancement” they are talking about accentuation of the lip by making the borders more pronounced. To augment your lips, your plastic surgeon may use soft form implants. However, to determine whether or not the patient is a good candidate, an individual consultation must take place. This method’s infection rate is fairly high, therefore, this option is not performed in many practices.

Fat or dermis transplantation is performed by removing fat or skin from the patient’s body, and then preparing it properly to be inserted or re-injected into the lips. This type of cosmetic procedure is commonly performed. Because plastic surgeons are grafting your tissue in this method (can take up to three treatments) results are long lasting or permanent. With the help of a cosmetic surgeon, you can decide if this procedure is right for you.

There are many cosmetic surgeons who have an array of filler materials which do a fantastic job of augmenting or enhancing the folds between the nose and cheeks, the lips, and many other areas of the face including the cheeks, chin, lower eyelids, and forehead.

The procedure is associated with minimal pain and any discomfort is controlled with medication. Your cosmetic surgeon may also prescribe antibiotics to further help and prevent infections. Typically, patients are up and moving the day of their lip augmentation, but strenuous activities should be avoided for a while. Your cosmetic surgeon will determine when you may resume them.