20 Nov 2024 | by Dr. Vickram Tandon
The lips play a critical role in facial aesthetics as they serve as an anchor for the
lower part of your face. If they are too small or misshapen, it can throw off the
harmony of your facial features. Furthermore, since the human eye is wired to
perceive a face that is in proper proportion as being more youthful, thin lips may
also be aging. To add fuel to the fire, the lips, like the rest of your skin and tissues,
lose volume with every passing birthday. At Boston Center for Plastic Surgery
(BCFPS), we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of innovation, providing our
patients with the full range of cutting-edge treatments, including the best lip
enhancement options. These include the deep plane lip lift and a lip augmentation
with dermal fillers or fat injections. Each option has its pros and cons.
Benefits of a Deep Plane Lip Lift in Boston
A deep plane lip lift is a surgical procedure that repositions the upper lip tissues to
produce a more lifted, youthful and harmonious appearance. What distinguishes
the deep plane lip lift is that I am working on the deeper structural tissues,
specifically the SMAS or Superficial Musculoaponeurotic System. As you age, the
SMAS layer weakens, resulting in sagging skin and wrinkles. By addressing this
deeper layer, I can improve your lip shape and volume without any weird tugging
on the surface of the skin for a completely natural looking result.
Other benefits of a deep plane lip lift include:
• Increased lip volume
• Restore or create lip symmetry for improved shape
• Reduce lip lines around the mouth
• Create more tooth show
• Address multiple signs of aging at once
• Fast recovery
• Long lasting outcome
The latter is an important consideration. Although there is recovery time associated
with any surgical procedure, one of the biggest advantages of the deep plane lip lift
versus a non-surgical lip augmentation is that the latter requires continuous
upkeep. This entails an investment of both time and money.
Lip Augmentation with Fillers
A non-surgical lip augmentation may be performed with either dermal fillers or fat
injections. The right choice for you is going to depend on your anatomy and needs.
The biggest advantage of a non-surgical approach is no real downtime and no
incisions. I typically use a combination of dermal fillers as I’ve found the outcome
to be more predictable than fat grafting. My goal is to restore natural looking
volume and shape without over-plumping the lips. I will generally use a heavier
weight hyaluronic acid (HA) based filler around the vermillion border or edge of
your lip if you’ve lost definition with age. This will restore structure to your lips.
For the pads of the lips, I will utilize a more plumping filler. And if you have any
vertical lip lines, a common side effect of aging even among non-smokers, I will
precisely fill these in with an appropriate weight filler.
Fat Injections to Increase Lip Volume
Some patients, however, prefer the idea of using a more “natural” filler and
nothing is more natural than your own fat. With a fat grafting procedure, I remove
a small amount of fat via syringe from an area where you have extra and this is
what we use to plump your lips. It is important to keep in mind that it may take
more than one treatment to attain your desired result as not all of the injected fat
cells will “take”. However, the end result is long-lasting. During your initial
consultation, we can go over the pros and cons of each option as they relate to your
individual anatomy and goals so that you can make the right decision for you.
To find out more about a lip augmentation with fillers or fat injections, a deep
plane lip lift, or any other surgical or non-surgical procedure with Dr. Vickram
Tandon at the Boston Center for Plastic Surgery, contact us today or call (617)
402-2768 to schedule a consultation at his Boston or Brookline offices.
