It’s safe to say that the plumped pout trend is rising, and we don’t expect it to end anytime soon. Lip fillers are so popular that one study found that demand for soft lips fillers has increased by almost 312 percent in the past year. 1
Unsurprisingly, there have been more permanent options in recent years. The obvious question is: Can there be permanent lip filler, or are permanent options like lip implants? To put it mildly, the answer is complicated. We spoke with Dara Liotta (plastic surgeon), Roberta Moradfar (nurse practitioner), and Rachel Maiman (dermis), who discussed a few permanent and more long-lasting options for lip augmentation, provided details about each and gave guidelines to help you determine if you are a good candidate.
What are some long-lasting or permanent lip filler options?
Do you want a pout that will not quit? The following options are the most popular, according to our experts.
Longer-Lasting Filler
Some fillers, such as Restylane and Juvederm, can last up to six months. According to Moradfar, Vollure, a Juvederm product, has been proven to last 18 months. This is due to the ‘cross” technology. It consists of low and high molecular weights of hyaluronic acids, making it more difficult for the body to break down. Vollure is not approved for use on the lips. This means that the treatment is being used in a different way than it was intended. These practices are safe and common, provided that the practitioner can use their discretion to determine which filler best suits their patient.
Fat Transfer
Fat transfer involves taking small amounts of fat from one part of the body, usually the abdomen or thighs. The fat is then transferred to the lips with a cannula needle. This procedure is similar to injecting fillers. Liotta says that not all fat transferred will be able to take up a new blood supply or live in the new environment. Therefore, augmentation with fat transfers can be a bit of an intellectual guessing exercise and may require several sessions over the course if you want to get a long-lasting, even result.
Implants for the lips
Lip implants are a permanent solution and continue to gain popularity yearly. They involve using soft plastic implants, such as silicone and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene,” Maiman says. This approach is only recommended for people with symmetrical, erected lips at the baseline and enough lip tissue to cover the implant.
Lip lift surgery may also be an option. However, Liotta says it’s not a true lip-augmentation procedure. She explains that a lip lift involves lifting the skin above the lips and rolling the red lip upwards to increase the height and reduce the distance between the nose, lip, and mouth. It does increase the volume of the upper lips, but it is not lip augmentation.
Benefits
Permanent lip augmentation is better than fillers that last longer. You will need to do fewer touch-ups. Moradfar states that a longer-lasting filler will gradually decrease the shape and volume of the lips. This allows you to schedule more frequent treatments. The need to touch up is eliminated with a permanent option such as a lip implant or fat transfer.
How to Prepare
Maiman says that pre-treatment is the same regardless of whether you are getting ready to have a longer-lasting filler or for surgery such as lip implants, fat transfer, or lip replacements. The goal is to reduce swelling and bruising. She advises that you avoid aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen as they can cause blood to thin. It is recommended that you avoid alcohol consumption for 24 hours before the procedure. However, some offices recommend stopping drinking alcohol for at least a week.
Lip implants are a surgical procedure. There are additional precautions. Maiman says to avoid smoking for at least two to four weeks before the procedure. Also, ensure you have someone to drive you home if you take sedatives.
What to Expect
- Longer-Lasting Lip Filler: Your doctor will use the same technique to inject longer-lasting hyaluronic-based fillers. Maiman says that after numbing your lips with a topical cream, you will be cleaned and infused with a needle or cannula to increase volume. The entire process takes approximately 30 minutes.
- Fat transfer involves removing a small amount from another area of the body, either via liposuction (or pulling from a small volume reserved for the lips). Maiman estimates this could take anywhere between one hour and five hours. She says that tiny, strategically placed incisions will be made in all cases. The suction cannula will then be inserted to extract the required fat volume via a vacuum. The extracted fat is then thoroughly purified to remove any excess fluid, oils and cellular debris and then is transferred to the lips.
- Lip Implants Your surgeon will first apply antiseptic to the area. Next, they will use a topical anesthetic. Maiman explains that the surgeon will make two small incisions on the lips to insert the silicone implant. Once it’s in place, the surgeon will close the incisions with dissolvable stitches. The procedure will take around 30 minutes if only one lip is implanted. If both are, it will take approximately 1 hour.
