Lip Treatment

The teeth and lips are the essential elements of a mouth and therefore of a smile. The size of the lips, their symmetry, and the relative volume of one compared to the other are beauty criteria that have evolved over time, with significant geographical variations (“The Weight of Appearances”, J.-F. Amadieu, Ed° Odile Jacob).

The approach must be multidisciplinary since the aging of the mouth (like the rest of the body) affects the skin, muscles, underlying bone structures, and teeth.

Can injections provide a solution?

When the lips are too thin, they give an impression of severity or a “pinched” look. When they are asymmetrical, they can distort a smile and sometimes make it incomprehensible to others. These situations, for example, benefit from corrections by adding filler.

The most well-known of these is hyaluronic acid. This aesthetic procedure is intended for both upper and lower lips and involves a series of injections. Before performing this aesthetic treatment, the patient will be anesthetized either by applying a local cream or by injection (dental-type block anesthesia) to make the treatment painless.

This technique provides almost immediate and reversible results since the product is fully absorbable (see chapter on hyaluronic acid). One or more sessions may be necessary.

Another technique using your own cells can be used: it is “lipofilling” or reinjection of your own fat. The procedure is not quick; it takes more than an hour. Bruising is common, and swelling is often observed. There are no scars, and in most cases, the return to social life is relatively quick (a few days).

These various techniques all give the same aesthetic results, that is, a natural appearance.

Can fractional CO2 laser help in some cases?

Indeed, when aged, the lips not only show a decrease in volume but also sagging and wrinkles or fine lines. These phenomena are aggravated by smoking (“smoker’s lines”) and sun exposure (heliodermia). A resurfacing treatment (or CO2 laser peel) can, in one or more sessions, force the skin to regenerate since it is a controlled burn that erases part of the epidermis and, in depth, destroys some fibroblasts and collagen and elastin fibers (components of the dermis that give it its suppleness). Additionally, the thermal elevation around the micro-burns will cause a contraction of the residual collagen fibers, increasing the treated skin’s tone. This treatment can be applied to the entire face.

What about the lip border in particular?

It can be enhanced to meet a demand for volume increase either “anatomically” (thin, pinched lips) or purely aesthetically (full lips = sensuality?). Let’s recall that ethnologist Desmond MORRIS’s laboratory studies (“The Naked Ape”, etc.) have shown through the observation of eye movements that the mouth and eyes are the three poles of attraction for the gaze of those facing us!

PHOTOS

Photos of treatment results can be found on many websites, but their presence is now condemned by the Order of Physicians and Belgian law. That is why we do not show them here. However, it is legitimate for you to obtain personalized information on the topics that concern you. During your consultation, many photos will be shown to you so that you can judge and appreciate the results.

Would you like explanations and details concerning you personally? Come and meet us in consultation.