Baltimore, Maryland Lip Augmentation Surgery
Dr. Adam Summers

Your smile is one of the most important parts of your face, but thin or uneven lips can diminish all of your other attractive features. Lip augmentation is a great way to achieve the memorable smile (and kissable lips) you have always wanted. 

There are several different types of lip augmentation. The most common procedures involve the injection of natural or synthetic substances. Other procedures include the insertion of implants. 

By far, the most common procedure used to enhance the appearance of thin lips is injection of hyaluronic acid (e.g. Restylane, Juvederm, Captique, etc.)  However, each of these substances is fully absorbed over time.  For those patients who desire a longer lasting result, Dr. Summers performs a surgical lip augmentation procedure.

Surgical Lip Enhancement:

• If you have small, thin lips, lip augmentation can make them fuller and sexier.
• Asymmetrical lips can be reshaped with lip augmentation procedures.
• Lip augmentation can repair damaged lip tissue.
• If your upper lip droops, it can be lifted through lip augmentation.
• Wrinkles around the lips can sometimes be reduced with lip augmentation. 

A surgical lip augmentation is an outpatient procedure at the Maryland Plastic Surgery Center.  Typically, Dr. Summers performs the procedure under a local anesthetic only, but you may choose to have sedation. 

Fat Transfer Procedure: With fat transfer procedures, Dr. Summers first harvests the fat from the abdominal or buttock region.  After the fat is purified, Dr. Summers will inject the fat into the lips and sculpt the lips to obtain the desired size and shape.

Lip Implants:  When implants (e.g. Gortex, Alloderm) have been chosen,  Dr. Summers will make an incision in the corner of each lip (this typically heals without a visible scar) to insert the implant.  The incisions are closed with absorbable sutures.

Fascial Implants:  Fascia is a soft but tough layer of tissue found throughout the body.  Fascia can be harvested from the scalp, face or thighs and used to augment the lips.  The rate of absorbtion appears to be less than that of fat, thus achieving a long lasting result.

Dermal Implants: The dermis is the living cell layer that is underneath the surface of the skin.  This cellular layer can be harvested from skin that is removed from other procedures (e.g. abdominoplasty) and used to augment the lips.  The rate of absorbtion is similar to fascia, resulting in a long lasting effect.

After your lip augmentation procedure at the Maryland Plastic Surgery Center, you may go home and resume normal activities the same day.  If you were given a sedative for your lip augmentation procedure, you will need someone to drive you home.  You will experience tenderness and swelling after the procedure, which will cause your lips to look larger than they will be ultimately. The swelling usually disappears within a week, but the tenderness may remain awhile longer. Dr. Summers will prescribe pain medication for you to alleviate any post-operative discomfort. However, after a surgical lip augmentation procedure many patients report surprisingly little pain after the procedure. In fact, most patients experience numbness, which makes it difficult to use your lips normally (e.g. for drinking, etc.) for a couple of days. If the stitches have not been absorbed, they will be removed one week after the procedure. When permanent lip implants are used, the shape of your smile may be slightly altered, but the movement of your lips and mouth will remain very natural.