Lip Augmentation | Reduction

LIP AUGMENTATION | REDUCTION IN NEW ORLEANS

A growing number of patients are becoming interested in having larger, “poutier”, more youthful lips.  Dr. Velargo strives to accomplish your desires while maintaining a very natural look.

Dr. Velargo performs lip enhancement utilizing four techniques: non-surgical lip augmentation with fillers such as Restylane or Juvederm, a surgical lip lift, a surgical lip advancement, or a surgical lip augmentation with SMAS grafting.

WHAT CAN A LIP ENHANCEMENT ACCOMPLISH?

A Lip Enhancement can correct:

  • Small/ atrophic lips
  • Flat lips
  • Long “white” upper lip
  • Lip asymmetry
  • Drooping corners of the mouth
  • Poor lip outline
  • Fine wrinkles and lines around the mouth

WHAT HAPPENS DURING A LIP ENHANCEMENT IN NEW ORLEANS?

Surgical lip enhancement is an outpatient procedure, Dr. Velargo will discuss options regarding anesthesia with you. Surgical lip enhancement is most commonly performed under local anesthesia in Dr. Velargo’s clinic procedure room.  However, if it is being performed as part of another procedure (e.g. facelift or skin resurfacing), the level of anesthesia may vary.

The lip lift is performed by removing a strip of the white skin just under the nose (“bullring”) or around the lip. This serves to advance the red lip into the white lip. Placement of the incision in one of these areas ensures optimal scar camouflage upon healing.  Patients with a long white lip and minimal red lip are ideal candidates.

The lip advancement is performed with incisions made on the inside of the mouth. The goal of this procedure is to advance the red bearing lip mucosa on the inside of your lip to the outside of your lip thus creating fuller lips. This usually results in no visible scarring on the outside of the lip.

Lip augmentation via SMAS grafting is usually performed in conjunction with a facelift because Dr. Velargo is able to utilize the SMAS that he normally resects and discards to shape your new lips.  It can, however, be performed alone, but this will require additional incisions placed behind the ears to harvest the SMAS.  The SMAS is a collagen-rich sheet of fascia that covers the muscles of your face. It is durable and strong yet soft enough to feel natural when implanted into the lip. Incisions are made at the corners of the mouth and in the middle of each lip for optimal camouflage. The material is threaded into the lips and expertly shaped and sculpted by Dr. Velargo in New Orleans.

LIP REDUCTION IN NEW ORLEANS

Some lips are too large. Dr. Velargo is also an expert at reducing the size of lips.  In this procedure, excess red lip can be removed to help provide better facial harmony.  This is typically accomplished through incisions inside of the mouth.

Contact the New Orleans Center for Aesthetics and Plastic Surgery today to find out more about expert lip enhancement surgery in the New Orleans area.

Surgical lip enhancement via lip lifting, lip advancement, or SMAS grafting, the incision lines go through the usual maturation process in which the scar is pink and lumpy for a few weeks and eventually blends into the surrounding tissues as it flattens and turns white.  One must be keenly aware that the lips are highly vascular and will swell much more than any other area on the face.  As a result, your lips may appear “over-corrected” for several weeks.  Rest assured, they will decrease in size following any of these procedures.

Surgical lip enhancement via lip lifting and lip advancement is essentially a permanent procedure because the anatomy is surgically altered.

Surgical lip enhancement via SMAS grafting is a long-lasting procedure because the SMAS is recognized by the lips as “self”.  While lips will continue to shrink and age with time, Dr. Velargo has seen patients that have continued lip fullness 10 years following this procedure.

Lip Enhancement is considered a cosmetic procedure. Therefore, insurance companies do not generally cover the cost of surgery.