Lip Injections San Francisco | Lip Fillers Bay Area

The fragile skin of the lips can be one of the most vulnerable areas to the aging process. You might start to notice changes around the mouth earlier than other places on the face, which can make you appear older than you feel. Alternatively, you may feel that your lips are not as well shaped or voluminous as you wish. If those signs have become apparent to you and a cause for concern, the good news is there are many ways to change them. Dr. Maas features a variety of lip enhancing treatments, from quick office procedures to more permanent surgical solutions.

Your Changing Lips

There are different reasons why you may see your lips change over time. One of the biggest culprits is collagen loss. This essential protein provides necessary support to the dermal structure that produces a smooth, supple look to the skin. Over time, your body produces less collagen, which results in skin laxity and the formation of wrinkles. Collagen depletion also leads to thinning lips, giving you a perpetually angry or aged appearance.

Sun exposure can also lead to damage to the skin, resulting in fine lines and skin tone that has lost its luster. Too much sun also causes lips to become dry and cracked, further exacerbating the aged look. Certain motions of the mouth, such as when you suck on a straw or laugh, can contribute to aging symptoms as well.

The Fine Art of Rejuvenation and Enhancement

Dr. Maas understands that lip enhancement is a much more intricate, artistic process than merely restoring or adding volume to the mouth with a few injections of fillers. He breaks down the aging or thin lip into categories that include both the pink portion of the lip (vermillion), the white area and the border between the two. His goal is to create an enhancement of the lip border, elimination of the fine lines in the white portion of the lip and appropriate fullness to the entire lip without producing too much projection.

When you seek lip enhancement from Dr. Maas, he will first assess what needs to be addressed, whether it is the volume, shape or contour of the lips. He will then evaluate the condition of the skin’s surface, to identify any wrinkles or fine lines that might need to be treated. The third step is to ensure the correct anatomic configuration of the lip, which entails a determination of the optimal lip height and an appropriate proportion between the white and pink areas of the lip. By taking each step into careful consideration, Dr. Maas produces lip enhancement that is natural, beautiful and more youthful.

Nonsurgical Volumizing Treatments

The most common nonsurgical treatment for aging or thin lips is a dermal filler injected directly into the lip to restore youthful volume and smooth away lines. However, some patients shy away from this approach because they have seen overdone lips resulting from this treatment, also known as “duck lips.” Dr. Maas assures all his nervous patients that when fillers are done correctly, the result is entirely natural, and most people won’t even realize you had a treatment performed. The aim is to provide you with an attractive look you could have been born with.

Dr. Maas prefers the hyaluronic acid fillers for lip enhancements, particularly products in the Restylane line. He also uses Juvederm and Belotero when appropriate. He likes these fillers best for the lips because they are both reversible and adjustable. They also produce soft, natural results for his patients. Oftentimes, it is not the type of filler used, but his specific injection technique that is most crucial in creating beautiful outcomes for his patients. During your in-person consultation with Dr. Maas, he will be able to provide you with a range of options that will suit your needs, and all the information you need to make an educated decision.

Because Dr. Maas uses a topical numbing cream as a standard step with all of his injectable procedures, patients can rest assured the treatment will be quick and comfortable, with results that should last for many months. Dr. Maas does not recommend permanent fillers for the lips, such as silicone and Bellafill, as a general rule. He has written papers to this effect, after treating patients that have suffered side effects like granulomas. These inflammatory nodules can be difficult to manage and may become a permanent fixture on the lips that create an unattractive and unnatural appearance. For patients that want a long-term lip enhancement solution, Dr. Maas offers surgical techniques that tend to produce much better results overall.

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Surgery for Permanent Enhancement

Surgery offers permanent enhancement for lips, and with a variety of techniques to choose from, Dr. Maas will customize your procedure to your precise needs and the look you hope to achieve. Options include:

Lift to the corners of the mouth, creating a more youthful shape to the mouth overall
Direct lip lift, which focuses on enhancing the border by advancing the red part of the lip
Sub-nasal lip lift that elevates the red portion of the lip while minimizing the white area
Insertion of ultrasoft lip implants to produce a fuller shape with a natural look and feel

No matter which technique is used for your lip enhancement, the procedure will likely be performed as an outpatient surgery using local anesthesia. Dr. Maas carefully places incisions where visible scarring will be minimal. In some instances, there will be no external scarring left behind. The recovery process is generally short, with most patients back to regular activities within a few days.

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Say Goodbye to Lip Wrinkles

While dermal fillers are a popular choice for smoothing away fine lines around the lips, Dr. Maas also recommends laser skin resurfacing, intense pulsed light (IPL) and chemical peels for this purpose. In addition to reducing the appearance of wrinkles, these treatments improve color differentiation, managing the entire spectrum of lip aging in a single office treatment. If changes to your lips are contributing to an aged appearance, many treatments can help reverse these changes and rejuvenate your look.

If you wish to improve on the shape and contours of thinner lips, Dr. Maas is also able to help sculpt a naturally beautiful look for you. Contact The Maas Clinic^TM today at (415) 567-7000 or contact us to find out which treatment may be right for your aesthetic needs.

The information about lip augmentation was reviewed by Corey S. Maas MD^TM. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us using our contact form on the sidebar.