A full, well-proportioned lip is key to enhancing the face. There are proper proportions that the lips should have. Technically, the upper lip should be 2/3 the size of the lower lip. When the upper lip is the same size or larger than the lower lip, it catches your eye and looks untoward.
In addition, lip position and length are important. Too much space between the lip and nose produces proportions that distort the golden triangle of facial proportion. Similarly, too little space between the lip and nose is not ideal. All these dimensions can be changed aesthetically.
Finally, the angle of the lips must be horizontal and not downward slanting. This can be modified as well.
Changing the appearance of the lip, aka lip enhancement, can thus be performed based on what the issues are. The lips can be lifted, lowered, lengthened, shortened, reduced in size, increased in size, and the angle of the lip can be changed. It is not unusual for someone to have asymmetry in their lip meaning one side is bigger or smaller than the other.
All of these are relatively small procedures with rapid recovery that produce very significant improvements in appearance. Most lip enhancement procedures are performed with the patient awake and only a topical anesthetic that is very effective is needed. In fact, many patients rave that Dr. Schneider’s procedures hurt significantly less than those that they have received elsewhere.
Sometimes, however, these procedures are performed with the patient sedated either as part of another procedure or because what is required is a little bit more extensive.
Filling out the lips is the most common lip procedure we perform, and can be done with a variety of different techniques. Dr. Schneider utilizes both fillers and fat transfer for lip augmentation. The results are different for the varying treatments, and which one is used depends upon the patient’s desired look and size of their lips.
Lip raising and lowering procedures are performed through hidden incisions under the nose. Most patients are amazed at how immediate and significant the results can be from repositioning only a few millimeters.
The same is true with raising the corners of the lips and this is done just with a local anesthetic to numb the skin.
Similarly, lip reduction procedures are often done with just a local anesthetic. This treatment involves a small incision inside the lip and sutures which naturally dissolve. This can be used where one side of the lip is larger than the other. It can also be used if the patient would like to reduce both the upper and lower lips.