A beautiful smile softens our emotions and warms our hearts. From the mouths of babies to the screens of Hollywood, we all recognize how that perfect smile will force us to smile as well. Just try to stop!
At Goldman Center for Facial Plastic Surgery, Dr. Neal D. Goldman says that improving aging lips is a daily request in his practice, which specializes and is limited to facial plastic surgery.
“Fillers are not the only answer,” shared Dr. Goldman. “The success of marketing for fillers has led many to overlook the other options available.” While fillers can be effective, sometimes the most natural treatment is another procedure called a lip lift.
By definition, “a lip lift is a plastic surgery procedure to modify the cosmetic appearance of the lips by reshaping them to increase the prominence of the vermillion border and to enhance the facial area above the lips into a more aesthetically pleasing shape.”
As lips age, the fat deflates, and the tissues lose tone. The red lip falls and begins to point down instead of forward. As a test, simply hold your finger under the nose and roll the white part up. See the difference? A lip lift may be what you’re looking for. People want fullness in their lip and to see more of the red portion, and a lip lift can help roll the red lip up.
“We perform the procedure, considered minimally invasive, under local anesthesia and hide the incision around nose or inside the nostril when doing a lip lift,” shared Dr. Goldman. “The patient will be swollen for about a week during the recovery process.”
Other options for treatment of lips?
Treatment of the lips has changed significantly over the past 15 years. In earlier years, collagen was the only filler available with the results lasting about eight weeks. To accomplish longer lasting results, surgeons began injecting fat or placing fat grafts harvested from the abdomen to make the lips more full.
People who want a more permanent, yet still reversible, option may choose a lip implant like Gore-Tex® (strings of Gore-Tex® or fibers) in varied sizes, depending upon the desired results.
Not every lip problem will be solved with fillers; consideration of a patient’s unique look needs to be discussed. Dr. Goldman shared, “Patients should come for a consultation where we can determine together what is the best for their goals and their anatomy.” At Goldman Center, patient care and comfort are paramount. Consultation to determine expectations is the first step. “I prefer a more natural look with lip augmentation,” noted Dr. Goldman.
Gummy Smiles?
Do your gums show when you smile? “Many patients don’t even know there is a possible nonsurgical treatment,” says Dr. Goldman. Botox® injections may be the answer. The Botox® injection acts as a muscle relaxer and usually lasts for three to four months. Placement of Botox or other similar medications can relax the smile muscles in the upper lip. This helps keep the gums covered when smiling. The same injection sites can also be used to soften the upper lip lines or “smoker’s lines” which are caused by the upper lip muscle contraction, another example of how treatments other than fillers may help the appearance of lips.
For more information on lip lifts and other facial procedures, or to schedule an appointment or consultation, please contact Goldman Center for Facial Plastic Surgery at their Advance, NC location (108 Dornach Way), phone 336.245.9595. Their Boone, NC office is at 717 Greenway Road, phone 828.278.9230. You can also visit The Goldman Center website at FacialPlasticSurgeryNC.com.
