The chin and the lips are the most defining features of the lower third of the face. The size, color, and shape of the lips can have a dramatic effect on ones overall facial appearance. Enhancing the appearance of lips has been a goal of woman for centuries. Some individuals are born with thin lips whereas everyone will notice progressive thinning of their lips as they grow older. This progressive thinning can sometimes be camouflaged with lipstick, but oftentimes the lipstick will run into the thin vertical lines that have developed around the mouth.
There are several surgical options to improving the appearance of lips.
For younger individuals wanting fuller appearing lips lipotransfer of a small amount of fat from the thigh to the lips is effective. There can be some resorption of this transplanted fat and occasionally a small touch-up procedure is necessary.
For individuals with thin or asymmetric lips the lip roll advancement procedure is very effective. During this procedure additional lip surface is created be advancing a small portion of the inner lip to the outer lip surface. The result is a fuller natural appearing lip. The lip roll advancement is a simple effective procedure leaving a small inconspicuous line at the junction of the lip and adjoining skin, which is imperceptible or easily covered with a thin layer of lip covering. This procedure can be done one or both lips.
It is often possible to give the lips a fuller appearance by an intraoral mucosal advancement, whereby the inner lining of the lip is restructured to create additional lip fullness. This procedure can, also, be done on one or both lips.
For those wishing to improve the fine wrinkles around the mouth a chemical peel is the best procedure. This can often be done at the same time as other facial procedures.
To look at some before and after photos of Dr. Kaniff’s patients:
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