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It is a no-brainer how an attractive smile can put anyone at ease and one simply cannot ignore the role played by beautiful lips here. What is a shapely lip is totally a subjective matter and comes down to personal taste. However, there seems to be a general liking towards fuller lips.
“Bee-stung lips” is quite a common term and arouses the awe and admiration of a sizeable crowd. But to be nicknamed one may not go down well especially say for a girl in her teens and could very well foray into the territory of embarrassment.
19-year-old Reena recently finished her orthodontic treatment and was eagerly waiting for the day her braces would be removed. However, she burst into tears when she looked at the mirror. She was embarrassed at the way her lips were looking and spiralling fast towards depression when she was introduced to the idea of Lip-plasty.
Quintessential selfie generation likes fuller lips, age no bar. With social media playing a huge role in everyone’s life, one cannot help but be totally aware of what is posted in their timelines. Although a large group is looking to enhance their lips, there is an equally strong contingent who may need Lip Reduction or Lip-plasty.
A good majority of the population looking for lip reduction are youngsters who have recently finished their Orthodontic treatment and done away with their braces. In an effort to prevent the lips from getting injured, they have a tendency to constantly keep their mouth open. Also, repeated injuries to the lips from the metallic hardware can cause it to enlarge.
Lip reduction surgery is a simple procedure that can be completed in a day with local anaesthesia and the person being sent home the same day itself. The incision is made in the region where the lip colour changes from red to pink, usually hidden from vision. After the surgery, there will be sutures on the lips that are removed in about two weeks’ time. Apart from a course of antibiotics, and painkillers, a short course of medicines to bring down the swelling are also prescribed. Maintenance of proper hygiene during this period is mandatory. Swelling subsides in 2 to 3 days.
Once the stitches are out, the scar heals quickly and in a short time, the surgery is often forgotten.
For a lip cosmetologist, the most common request that comes in is to increase the lip size. There is a range of methods to do this which include injectable fillers, injecting fat, inserting a dermafat graft, inserting an implant into the lips etc.
Injectable fillers– are commercially available gelatinous substances that are injected into the lips to give a desired size and projection. Fillers get absorbed over time, ranging from 6 months to an year. Hyaluronic acid containing fillers are the most commonly used type.
The advantage of using fillers is that the procedure is a simple injection with very little recovery time, and also that it can be reversed at any point if one chooses not to have it. However the effect lasting only a short time means for long-term results, the procedure needs to be repeated.
Fat Injection- is similar to filler. Fat from one’s own body is removed with the help of liposuction and the sucked out fat is processed and injected deep into the lips. Tummy or the buttocks or even the thighs are possible source areas from where fat is sucked out. Local anaesthesia is a prerequisite both at the lips and also the site from where it is harvested.
Advantages of fat are that it gets absorbed much slowly compared to fillers and hence the results stay longer. Also, since fat is derived from one’s own body, there are fewer chances of a reaction or side effects. The disadvantage of this method is the possible formation of lumps and swellings in the lips which may need correction later.
Nanofat is another modification to fat grafting but it adds little bulk to the lip and is primarily aimed at removing dark pigmentation and other blemishes from the lip.
Dermofat graft- was practised more commonly years back, but is now done only selectively. The results are more permanent in nature. A piece of tissue under the skin along with a small amount of fat is removed from a part of the body. It is then rolled and inserted into the lip to shape it.
The advantage of this method is that it can be used for moderate to large increase in size and the results are permanent. Also, it is possible to remove the graft if the person desires not to have it later on. A disadvantage is that it’s a surgery, needing few days to recover from the swelling, operation on a body part other than lips and of course stitches.
Lip implant- is another form of permanent lip augmentation where implants made of materials like Gortex or Silicone is inserted into the lips to create augmentation. It is also possible to reverse the effect if the person desires not to continue with it.
Apart from size modifications, requests are quite common regarding the lip colour as well. Increased pigmentation can occur naturally or due to some diseases and also among smokers. Apart from the application of different medications, there exist some techniques to reduce lip colour like bleaching, lasers etc. Nano fat injection has shown promise in reducing the pigmentation.
Another common condition is vitiligo affecting the lips which can occur as generalized lightly pigmented lips or as patches. Various measures used are camouflage creams or lipsticks, light therapy, lasers etc. Transplanting pigmented skin from another part of the body has shown good results for this condition.

Bring out the best smile in You!