Lip Augmentation Reduction

The most common way to increase lip size is with fat & injectable fillers. Each of these procedures has its own set of benefits and risks.

• Fat from one’s own body (autologous fat transfer) is aspirated by liposuction, purified, & used as a filler to augment the lips.
• Temporary fillers like Restylane, Juvederm, Esthelis are very popular due to less downtime. A touch-up treatment, performed a few weeks after the initial treatment, is recommended to achieve better results.

The Lip Reduction procedure is typically performed by using local or general anaesthesia. Oral anaesthesia may also be used through the final decision is usually taken by the surgeon. The surgical procedure may be performed in the surgeon’s office or in the hospital. For the completion of the procedure, the surgery may take about an hour or more depending on the condition of the lips and the number of procedures that are being executed at the same time.

The procedure begins with making incisions along the length of the lip which usually begins inside the mouth. Then, selected strips of tissues are removed carefully and then the incisions are sutured back. This similar process is executed both on the lower and upper lips.

Immediately after following the lip reduction procedure the patients will more feel sore and tight. But after few days some pain may be experienced which can easily be resolved with painkillers. The surgeon will provide some post-surgical instructions, which the candidates must try to follow minutely. Swelling and bruising are natural after following the procedure and this will also vanish gradually with time. The surgeon will also instruct about when to start normal activities and when vigorous activities can be resumed. Sleeping positions must also be followed.

Since the incisions are placed inside the mouth, eating would be the most difficult task in the beginning. So your surgeon will also instruct you to avoid some foods, that have a high acidic content like tomatoes, oranges as that may irritate the sutures. Only soft foods are recommended by the surgeon. The incisions must also be rinsed with some antiseptic mouthwash throughout the day to prevent the chances of any infection. Some patients may experience the formation of puss, that would result in some redness and pain around the incision sites. Under such side effects, contacting the surgeon will probably be the primary task. The surgeons will likely remove the sutures within a week or 10 days after following the surgery, by which most of the swelling vanishes.

Though Lip Reduction is considered as a safe procedure, like any other surgical procedure, lip reduction also includes some risks. The general risks include anaesthesia, complications, bleeding, and infection. Other risks may also include asymmetry, numbness in the lips, lumps and the formation of excess scar tissue in the lips, dissatisfaction with the cosmetic results.

• Fat: Following an AFT the swelling lasts for 7 – 10 days post op. Overcorrection that is done to compensate for the resorption of fat, results in a swollen up look which subsides in a week or two.
• Fillers:  While infrequent, potential side effects associated are redness, bruising, swelling, tenderness and moderate pain. Side effects typically dissapear within a few days.

The decision to undergo a lip reduction is a serious one and the decision must not be taken lightly or in a rush. It is always important to choose a certified Cosmetic Surgeon who designs the procedures is such a way that the chances to undergo safe procedure increases due to their successful surgical experience. The surgeon then determines whether the candidate is perfect for lip reduction surgery or not. The surgeon will then will examine the lips and will take the full medical history of the patient, to gain knowledge on the concerns and expectation.

Based on the obtained information the surgeon will then decide which anaesthesia will suit the patient and then will discuss it with the patient. The surgeon may instruct to stop certain medications and smoking, since that may interfere with the recovery. However, at the end of the procedure, the candidates may need to spend a night at the hospital depending on their condition. Then before leaving home, they are given with sets of post-operative instructions that must be followed minutely to avoid complications.