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Those lips. Maybe you love yours, or maybe you don’t. If you don’t, you can certainly change them, and you wouldn’t be alone. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, last year just over 26,000 people underwent lip augmentation with “other than injectable materials,” to try and achieve the perky pouts of Georgia May Jagger, Kim Kardashian, Scarlett Johansson and of course, Angelina Jolie.
Popular injectables include hyaluronic acid products such as Juvederm, Restylane and Perlane, those temporary, predictable fillers that last between six and nine months. Some people may choose fat injections, which doctors do say can be unpredictable. Fat must be removed from the body and “harvested,” and a certain portion is lost when it’s injected. Lip implants include AlloDerm—although it’s been around a long time—and the newer PermaLip, which can be removed.
Take care with lip enhancement
No matter what you want to do for your lips, make sure and seek out the right doctor. Both dermatologists and plastic surgeons can administer injectables, but if you’re considering a more complex procedure, you’ll want a board-certified plastic surgeon with plenty of experience doing the procedure you’ve chosen.
Frances Palmer, III, M.D., is medical director for The International Center for Aesthetic Surgery and The Palmer Code in Beverly Hills, Calif. Dr. Palmer was also director of facial plastic surgery for the University of Southern California School of Medicine.
He reminds us that it’s critically important to consider the entire face and not just the lips, a concept he explains as part of The Palmer Beauty Principles also featured in his book, “What’s Your Number: The Palmer Code.” A qualified and experienced plastic surgeon will look at the “whole you” the same way, since a whole is equal to the sum of its parts.
How I’d enhance my lips
In this Mind Your Body video, I asked Dr. Palmer to share his expert opinion on fillers or injectables as two potential solutions to my own thin lips. Hint: I haven’t had success with injectables. And no, I didn’t order these skinny minnies. I inherited them from my mom, who got same from her mother, my “Nanny.”
To make thin lips even more pronounced, our lips get thinner as we age, as I discuss with Dr. Palmer here. See what suggestions he had for me and my pretty (thin) pout, and meet our surprise guest who wanted to do something about his thin lips—and he did, with Dr. Palmer’s help. If you’re considering lip enhancement, here’s to more information to aid in your decision.
MWAH!