Question:
I’ve been getting my lips injected with Restylane for the past year and a half. I love the results, but I’m tired of having to have the injections all the time since they haven’t lasted that long. Are there any non-surgical permanent lip augmentation procedures available? I don’t want to have surgery.
Answer
Most patients who have Restylane or Juvederm placed into their lips for augmentation and definition are pleased with their results. Unfortunately, these products only last about 6-7 months when used in lip augmentation. More permanent fillers have been used in the lips for augmentation but the use of these products comes with significant hesitation as several complications have occurred with more permanent fillers used in the lips. Liquid silicone is one such substance. Although a small number of my colleagues have used this product for lip augmentation with great success, the majority of practitioners would rule against its use because of potential permanent complications.
If you are willing to have a small surgical procedure performed under local anesthesia, then lip augmentation can be achieved with the use of permanent silicone implants. These implants are FDA approved, safe, and completely reversible. I would be happy to discuss the placement of permanent implants into your lips for augmentation.
Posted by Dr. Philip Schoenfeld