Lip augmentation or lip enhancement is a group of various plastic surgery procedures to enhance the shape or size of the lips. The procedure is beneficial in someone who either has thin lips, or would just enjoy an increase in the size of the lips or the definition of the lip borders.

The first thing to decide is exactly what you would like changed with the lips. Is the pink portion of the lips (the vermillion) too thin? Would you want a more defined border of the lips? How long-lasting would you like the results to be and do you want a surgical procedure or an injection? The answers to these questions will determine the best cosmetic surgery procedure for you.

The major methods for lip augmentation are collagen injection, fat injection, and dermal fat graft. I do not perform fat injection into the lips because of lumpiness and inconsistent long-lasting results. I also do not place foreign material such as Gore-tex because of risk of infection or ability to feel the implant. My two methods therefore, are collagen injection and dermal fat graft. The results of both of these are different in what they enhance and how long they last.

Collagen injection is a fairly easy process that injects collagen as a filler material. The results last on average 2-4 months. The advantage of collagen is that it can be very precisely placed and can be used to enhance the border of the lips. It can also increase the "show" of the pink portion of the lips. A testing period is necessary prior to collagen injection to determine possible allergic response to it.

Dermal fat grafting is a plastic surgery procedure that primarily increases the size of the pink portion of the lips and does not enhance the lip border. This is done by removing a strip of skin and fatty tissue usually from the lower abdomen and placing this in the lip through a small incision in each end of the lip. There is a limit to how much can be placed at one time, and if further size increase is desired, I often recommend a repeat of the procedure a few months later. The surgery is done either under straight local anesthetic in the office or it can be done under intraveneous sedation at the surgery center. These procedures can improve the aesthetic appearance of the lips and give a fuller, more youthful appearance.