Full, curvaceous lips instantly light up one’s smile, making it so much more alluring and charming. Most certainly, a provocative pout exudes an air of confidence and sex appeal, making it the object of envy and desire.
Today, lip enhancement surgery is probably one of the most popular procedures in the field of aesthetic plastic surgery.
Despite the recent rise in demand for it, lip enhancement surgery is not a new invention. It has dated back to ancient times, when women have used plant dyes and coloured clays to enhance the appearance of their lips. In the 1980s, collagen injection was introduced, which soon became popular and widely adopted by practising surgeons all over the world.
Now a new graft technique in lip surgery has been recently discovered that can certainly bring a smile to those who seek a simple and safe procedure that can produce a more prolonged result and look.
A team of plastic surgeons from the Aesthetic Surgery Centre in Naples, Florida recently discovered the new breakthrough that involves the use of muscle tissues along the patient’s neck. To date, the team has successfully carried out the surgery on 25 patients.
According to findings which were published in the Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery, the lip graft can be carried out simultaneously with a facelift surgery. This new technique adds fullness and shape to the appearance of one’s lips and reduces any signs of aging around the area of one’s mouth.
Renowned cosmetic surgeon, Dr Anurag Agarwal and his colleagues have employed this latest technique on many of their patients by using segments of the sternocleidomastoid muscles along the sides of the neck as well as their connective tissues to add fullness to their patients’ lips.
Dr Anurag and team are confident that this new surgical advancement produces a more prolonged result, which can last for at least two years. The procedure is also straightforward with quick uncomplicated recovery. As soon as the swelling subsides in a few weeks, the patient gains the luscious full lips she desires.
The new technique has fared well with all its patients who think that it produces a more natural feel than using artificial filler or implant. Even though they are optimistic about its results, they also acknowledge that the technique is not perfect and cannot altogether eliminate the signs of aging.
According to cosmetic surgeon and past president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, Mr Douglas McGeorge, this new technique produces a far more permanent result.
He said that this technique certainly pose the same risks as in all surgery procedures however slight the risk may be. He also warned that if a patient has not performed facelift simultaneous to the lip enhancement, the removal of the neck muscle tissue may leave a minor scar along the hairline.
There are all sorts of theories on why women desire fuller lips, ranging from having the sex appeal of movie actresses to simply looking more desirable. Lip augmentation providing a go to procedure in order to produce the desired look.
While thin lips betray age, full lips cover it up. Since lip augmentation, creates smooth, full lips and reduces the fine lines around the entire mouth, this type of procedure enhances beauty and appears to reverse aging.
In fact, the irresistible appeal of beauty and anti-aging has created all sorts of solutions, including the following:
*Injections of collagen, primarily collagen derived from cows, bovine collagen. The effects last for up to 4 months before requiring repeated treatment.
*Injections of Hylaform and Restylane, derived from hyaluronic acid that is similar to that naturally found in humans. The effects of Hylaform last for up to four months and the effects of Restylane last for about six months before requiring repeated treatment.
*Injections of Radiance, microscopic spheres of calcium in a water-based gel that stimulates collagen production and regenerates tissue. The effects last for about one or two years.
*Injections of autologous fat, derived from the patient’s own body. However, the fat is reabsorbed, although results last longer than collagen. While this may seem like an ideal solution, there are side effects: lumps and scars form and different areas of the body have to be harvested with each treatment.
* Other injected substances include alloderm, derived from cadaver tissue, autologen, derived from the patient’s skin, fascia, derived from donated white connective tissue, gore-tex, derived from a synthetic material, and verafil, derived from saline implants.
Besides injections of various materials that the body does not reject, but which require repeated treatments, there are also surgical procedures like the V-Y lip-plasty, where internal incisions are made then sewn back to roll the lips outward to appear fuller. In addition, there is laser lip rejuvenation, where the lips are lifted and smoothed, thus tightening them because of the underlying support from elastin and collagen
However, there is now a new procedure that has been reported in Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery (AFPS), a medical journal. It uses the sternocleidomastoid muscles, the neck muscles, for grafts. These muscles, also known as SCM, turn the head and pull it to the chest. The AFPS study reported that after an average of two years, head movement remained unaffected. The new procedure appears to provide positive long-term results.
