COVID Brings a New Focus on Lip Procedures such as a Lip lift
Since the beginning of the pandemic, plastic surgeons and dermatologists have noted an increase in demand for cosmetic lip procedures. These include temporary solutions like facial fillers, though longer-lasting surgical options, like the lip lift, have also welcomed new popularity.
“One of the primary causes of the surge in lip lift demand is that we have all been wearing masks,” says Dr. Jacono. “Patients don’t have to worry as much about swelling and recovery time. They can leave the house comfortably with their faces covered.”
What Makes a Good Lip Augmentation?
One of the most encouraging aspects of lip augmentation is that it offers subtle changes. In other words, most treatments do not make patients look unnatural or “overfilled.” The goal, then, is not to substantially alter facial anatomy, but to tweak and enhance it in aesthetically pleasing ways.
“Many of my prospective lip augmentation patients are afraid of getting treatment because they see so many exaggerated outcomes,” says Dr. Jacono. “More traditional techniques can create overfilled lips, but newer, more evolved approaches avoid them altogether.”
According to most surgeons, the key to plumper lips is an upper-to-lower lip proportion of one-third to two-thirds. When the upper lip is larger than the lower lip, the results can look distorted. To strike the right balance, it is best to consult with a professional who has demonstrated expertise.
“If you want excellent results, you need to consult a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon,” Dr. Jacono elaborates. “These kinds of doctors have years of training in cosmetic treatments for all areas of the face, including the lips.”
Lip Fillers vs. Lip Lifts: What Is the Difference?
Both lip fillers and lip lifts provide outstanding outcomes that can alter the aesthetic harmony of the face. That said, there are some differences that all lip augmentation patients should be aware of.
Lip Filler
Lip fillers are dissolvable injectable compounds that offer short-term cosmetic results. A single lip filler session can provide patients with plumper lips for anywhere between 6 months and a year, at which point maintenance is required.
“Fillers had a bad rap in the past because some people want visibly overfilled lips,” says Dr. Jacono. “However, the vast majority of patients who undergo a lip filler treatment opt for more subtle changes. In these cases, half a vial or less of filler is all that is needed.”
To further assuage worry, surgeons and dermatologists have their patients watch the procedure in a mirror to monitor how much filler is being used. And, if a patient is unhappy with the result, doctors can inject an enzyme, called hyaluronidase, to dissolve the material within a day.
Lip Lift
The lip lift, on the other hand, is a surgical treatment that directly manipulates facial architecture. Surgeons remove a strip of skin from between the nose and the lip, tighten the underlying muscle, and raise the upper lip to a more youthful position.
If the skin between the base of the nostrils and the border of the top lip has become longer with age, and a patient wants their top lip to have more volume, then a lip lift is perhaps the strongest option on the market. The best lip lifts are well-executed enough to be inconspicuous, and with recent technological and surgical developments, they have become even more reliable.
“For many years, the lip lift resulted in serious scarring and other post-operative complications,” says Dr. Jacono. “Thankfully, these issues have been almost completely resolved, and the lip lift has become one of the safest facial plastic surgical procedures.”
Unlike lip fillers, the lip lift is a permanent solution and does not require touch-ups every few months. This means that, while it is a more expensive procedure, it is more cost-effective over time.
“The lip lift is one of my favorite procedures to perform,” says Dr. Jacono. “It’s a simple technique, but it has the potential to rebalance the face’s broader aesthetics. It’s incredibly rewarding to see my patients so happy with such understated changes.”
