Thin lips, whether inherited or caused by factors like aging, smoking, or sun damage, are a common concern addressed by dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons. Thin, deflated-looking lips can make someone appear older, while plump lips can effectively rejuvenate their appearance. With various lip enhancement options available, achieving fuller lips has become more accessible than ever.
Summary
In today’s beauty landscape, thick, full lips are highly sought after. Celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Meghan Markle, Kylie Jenner, and Kim Kardashian are renowned for their luscious lips, often enhanced through makeup, fillers, and surgeries. The demand for lip enhancement has soared over the past two decades, with procedures like injectable fillers seeing a significant rise. According to the 2017 Plastic Surgery Statistics Report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, lip enhancement procedures have increased by 60% from the year 2000, while soft tissue filler treatments have climbed 312% in the same period.
The popularity of lip enhancement procedures means that those unsatisfied with their thin lips have numerous options to choose from. If you are interested in redefining your lips, this guide will help you understand the various treatments available.
Overview
The trend towards fuller lips has led to advancements in lip enhancement procedures. While makeup and lip-lining techniques can temporarily create the illusion of larger lips, skilled cosmetic surgeons offer lasting solutions through various permanent and semi-permanent techniques. Lip enhancement surgeries can address a range of aesthetic concerns, from redefining uneven or asymmetrical lips to rejuvenating aging lips that appear lined and wrinkled.
The Specifics
Signs and Symptoms
Candidates for lip enhancement range from teenagers unhappy with their naturally thin lips to older individuals experiencing a gradual thinning of the lips due to aging. Common signs and symptoms include a thin upper lip vermilion, a very small mouth, asymmetrical lip sizes, genetic deformities, or a general dissatisfaction with lip size and a desire to balance facial features.
In aging patients, symptoms of thinning lips include lines and wrinkles, a gradual loss of volume, a diminishing vermilion border, and fading lip color. Many also report changes in lip texture, with the skin feeling rough, dry, and damaged.
Medical conditions can also cause thinning lips at any age. Conditions like congenital disorders, atopic dermatitis (eczema), and psoriasis can lead to scaling, cracking, itching, burning, pain, and inflammation of the lips. Actinic cheilitis, a pre-cancerous condition caused by sun damage, can result in symptoms like loss of vermilion border demarcation, lesions, scaly papules, plaques, pale or yellow skin discoloration, ulcerations, and crusting.
Reasons and Causes
As we age, the muscles around the mouth become thinner, and collagen and elastin production slows down, leading to sagging, drooping, and creases in the skin. In the lips, these effects can be more pronounced due to genetic predispositions, sun exposure, smoking, hormonal changes, and dehydration. Smoking, in particular, can cause early thinning of the lips due to the repeated pursing movement and the toxins in cigarette smoke that break down collagen.
Other factors that can cause early thinning of the lips include hormonal changes, dehydration, and sun exposure. Keeping the lips hydrated with lip balms and drinking plenty of water can help mitigate these effects.
Treating Thin Lips: From Fillers to Facial Plastic Surgery
Treatment options for thin lips range from temporary fillers to permanent fillers and lip implant procedures. Here are some of the most common options for lip enhancement:
Temporary Lip Fillers
Temporary fillers, such as Juvederm®, CosmoDerm®, or Zyplast®, provide fuller lips without a permanent commitment. These minimally-invasive procedures typically last around six months and can be customized according to the desired fullness.
Semi-Permanent Lip Fillers
Semi-permanent lip fillers like Sculptra®, Bellafill®, Aquamid®, and Radiesse® last longer than temporary fillers, usually over a year, and stimulate natural collagen production.
Permanent Lip Fillers
Permanent fillers contain materials like polymethylmethacrylate microspheres, silicone, or hydrogel polymers that remain in the skin tissue indefinitely. While these fillers provide long-lasting results, they can be problematic if removal is desired later on.
Lip Implants
Lip implant surgeries involve inserting a specialized mold underneath the lip tissue using materials such as Gore-Tex®, EPTFE, or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. This permanent procedure redefines and enhances lip volume.
Lip Augmentation with Autologen
Autologous collagen lip injections use human collagen derived from the patient’s skin. This biological matter is harvested and stored for future injections, making it a safe and natural-looking filler option.
Lip Augmentation with Fat Transfer
In this two-part procedure, fat is harvested from the patient’s stomach, thighs, or buttocks and injected into the lips or other facial areas to add volume.
Lip Augmentation with SMAS Implant
Performed alongside sub-SMAS facelifts, this technique uses natural fat, collagen, and fibrous tissue from the superficial musculoaponeurotic system to add volume to the lips.
Lip Lift
A lip lift surgery alters the position of the upper and lower lips, enhancing the vermilion border and creating a more aesthetically pleasing lip shape.
Cosmetic Lip Tattoos
Cosmetic lip tattoos enhance the red color of the lips and define the vermilion border, making the lips appear fuller and more defined.
Makeup
Makeup products like lip liners, lip gloss, and lip plumpers can create the illusion of larger lips. Techniques include using lip liner to extend the natural lip line and filling in with darker shades of lip color.
The Takeaway
Thin or thinning lips can be effectively enhanced through various augmentation options, whether due to genetics, aging, medical conditions, or lifestyle factors. Options range from temporary makeup solutions to long-lasting cosmetic surgeries and filler treatments. If you are considering lip enhancement, consult with a board-certified physician or plastic surgeon to determine the best treatment for your needs. An experienced doctor can help you achieve fuller, more youthful lips and address any underlying medical concerns.
