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Procedure Summary
| Pain Level After Surgery | Mild-Moderate |
| Anesthesia | Topical anesthetic or heavy sedation |
| Duration of Surgery | 15-60 minutes |
| Scars | Depends on the procedure |
| Final Results | Varies depending on type of procedure |
| Return to regular activity | Varies depending on type of procedure |
| Resume Exercise | 1 day later |
Lip Enhancement in Northern Virginia- Fairfax, Manassas and Vienna
By: George J. Bitar M.D. Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
IntroductionPreparing for the Procedure
The Lip Enhancement Procedures
Post-operative Care
Introduction
Lips are intimately involved with beauty, sensuality, and intimacy. Lip enhancement may be non-surgical or surgical depending on the type of procedure sought. For non-surgical enhancement, I offer my patients Juvederm or Restylane injections. If someone wants more long-term results, I offer fat grafting to lips. If the lips are very thin, and need enhancement, my answer is an upper and/or lower lip lift. With this technique, sedation or general anesthesia is given, and the upper/lower lip lift is performed to show more "lips'.
Preparing for the Procedure
An initial consultation is set-up where we discuss your options for non-surgical or surgical lip enhancement, and whether you are a good candidate for the procedure. Since the face has excellent blood supply, patients are encouraged to stop medications that cause bleeding, such as aspirin, or aspirin products (Motrin or Ibuprofen), a week before this procedure.
The Lip Enhancement Procedures
- Lip augmentation with fillers (Restylane or Juvederm):
The procedure takes about 15 minutes, in general. If a patient is a good candidate for the procedure, I will apply a topical anesthetic, or just ice, to numb the area before the injection. The results of the fillers are immediate with minimal discomfort. These fillers are natural and used to transform thin lips into luscious ones. This procedure gives a huge improvement that can last up to nine months. My patients have not reported any side effects or complications, and they have happily returned for repeat treatments. Some minor lumpiness can last a few days and can be massaged to form nicely uniform lips. - Lip Augmentation with Fat Grafting:
This is a surgical procedure performed in the operating room. Anesthesia is given and after you are comfortable, fat is removed from the abdomen, processed in a special way, and injected into the lips. This will cause a 2-3 week swelling and bruising period, but the final results can be permanent with very naturally looking lips. - Lip Lift:
A lip lift is performed when the lip (either upper or lower) is very thin, or the distance between the nose and the upper lip is very long. This procedure achieves two permanent goals; removing the wrinkles surrounding the lip and making the lip more visible. The disadvantage is that skin is removed at the border of the lip in order to lift it, thus creating a scar. This scar can be covered with make-up, either regular or permanent, to decrease its visibility.
Post-operative Care
Our office will provide you with a detailed post-operative instruction sheet that will be individualized to your needs.
For more information about this procedure call our office and speak to our friendly staff member at 703-206-0506 or 1-800-BEAUTIFUL (MD, DC, and VA).
Information on this web site is for information only. Do not use the information to diagnose or treat your plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery problems. Please contact your plastic surgeon with all questions and concerns.