Are you bothered by the shape or size of your lips? Has aging around the mouth left your lips wrinkled, thin, flat, and even hiding your upper teeth? Silhouette Surgical Spa provides patients with an excellent solution to improve the shape and volume of their lips: lip augmentation and lip lift. Dr. Ptak specializes in a complete rejuvenation of not just the lips but the whole mouth structure and their relationship to the dental architecture.
Lip augmentation and rejuvenation procedures around the mouth are truly one of the “last frontiers” of facial rejuvenation surgery. At Silhouette Surgical Spa, we use cutting-edge technologies to naturally enhance your lips and provide you with beautiful, long-lasting results.
What is Lip Augmentation?
A lip augmentation treatment is usually a non-surgical procedure that will enhance the volume and re-adjust the borders of your lips to naturally enhance your facial features. In an initial lip augmentation treatment, Dr. Ptak will usually suggest a non-permanent injectable filler to enhance your lips to provide you with a more subtle, fuller volume and shape.
There are several types of fillers and grafts that can be used to improve the volume and shape of your lips both temporarily and even permanently. Even more important is a wholistic evaluation of the entire mouth, including the thickness of the lip skin and wrinkles, fullness of the whole mouth structure beyond the lips from nose to chin and between the nasal folds, including the relationship of the lips to the dental configuration both at rest and when smiling.
Dr. Ptak is a renowned, board-certified plastic surgeon who has been noted amongst the most respected surgeons in the world by virtue of his 32 years of experience and membership in the prestigious American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
He has studied, performed, innovated, and perfected numerous surgeries in the facial area for more than thirty years and is dedicated to helping his patients experience their ideal outcome. All lip procedures are performed by Dr. Ptak in his office surgery suite under a very mild sedation and local anesthesia.
Autografts
These are formed from your own tissue, such as fat or fascia. Fat is easily harvested from many areas around the torso or upper thighs. Fascia (the covering of a muscle) or dermis (bottom layer of skin) are both excellent sources of tissue.
Allografts
These grafts are commercial human skin derivatives sourced from skin banks. Tissue products such as Alloderm are alternatives to fat that Dr Ptak has used for over 15 years.
Synthetic grafts
Dr Ptak no longer uses any form of synthetic graft. They do not, in his opinion, give natural appearance or feel.
Lip Lift
A lip lift is a minor surgical procedure that removes a small amount of skin of the upper lip in the shape of a “bat wing” just under the base of the nose. The purpose is to shorten an elongated lip, usually from aging or overfilling and stretching of the upper lip from overzealous injection of fillers by inexperienced practitioners. The procedure is instrumental in restoring a youthful upper lip length and relationship to the upper teeth which should be visible at rest. There is a residual but virtually imperceptible scar that fades into the base of the nose.
Dr. Ptak will discuss the alternatives and assist in choosing the best treatment options of lip augmentation/rejuvenation for you.
Is a Lip Augmentation or Lip Lift Procedure Right For Me?
The shape, structure, length, and volume of your lips will be adjusted to meet your cosmetic goals. The permanent lip augmentation procedure is great for anyone desiring a lasting solution for smoothing wrinkles around the mouth and defining and enlarging their lips. Patients who desire lip augmentation commonly experience:
- Thin lips that may disappear when they smile
- Long upper lip that has thinned or stretched with age or too much filler
- Have lost volume and definition in their lips as they’ve aged
- Are self-conscious about the size and shape of their lips
Patients whose facial symmetry and balance would benefit from improved lips may also want to consider an augmentation or lip lift procedure. Patients who receive these treatments can quickly enjoy fuller, defined, and more youthful mouth and lips.
Consultation with Dr. Ptak, Facial Rejuvenation Expert
During your personal consultation, you will get the opportunity to meet with Dr. Ptak and discuss your personal aesthetic goals and what your expected outcomes are with a lip augmentation/rejuvenation procedure. Dr. Ptak will examine your lips, mouth, and dental structure and ask questions about your health and goals.
You will need to disclose your recent health history, current medications and allergies. This will give Dr. Ptak a comprehensive understanding of your well-being to ensure he creates a healthy and realistic treatment plan.
Dr. Ptak will walk you through the different options of procedure techniques, potential risks and expected outcomes of this treatment. We encourage you to bring a list of all your questions and concerns to ensure they get answered. Our goal is for you to feel well-informed and confident in your upcoming procedure.
How to Prepare
We recommend you have someone stay with you the first night of your recovery to ensure your initial healing is relaxing.
You will need to stop taking aspirin and pause smoking habits to ensure a healthy experience and limit post-operative bruising and healing complications. You will need to make transportation arrangements prior to your treatment to make sure you arrive home safely.
Prior to the appointment you will need to pick-up prescribed medications. You will be on a diet of soft foods for the first couple of days and it may benefit you to obtain your prescriptions and favorite soft foods at the same time. It will benefit you to show up to your appointment a few minutes early and wear loose-fitting clothes that will not apply pressure to your face when being removed.
If you have any questions or concerns about how best to prepare for your upcoming procedure, don’t hesitate to call us!
Lip Augmentation Procedure Information
Although the procedure can be done with no or local anesthesia, the use of sedation plus local or inhaled nitrous oxide anesthesia for the more complex procedures will make the operation much more comfortable. Injectable fillers can be performed with dental blocks performed by Dr. Ptak on request.
If you are scheduled for a graft procedure, the surgical team will greet you and prepare the predetermined areas for surgery, this may include cleaning and marking the treatment and possible harvest areas.
Depending on the type of graft procedure, Dr Ptak will fully review the technical steps once again before the procedure and review any last questions.
The procedure usually takes less than one hour.
Postoperative Healing
Doctor Ptak recommends you use ice packs on the lips for at least forty-eight hours and follow a liquid or soft diet to limit use of the lips. The lips are noticeably swollen for a week or two. The sutures are completely buried and will dissolve in time. No suture removal is necessary and lip sensation commonly returns after healing. Doctor Ptak recommends you use ice packs on the lips for at least 48 hours and follow a liquid or soft diet.
Results
Once swelling has diminished your final results will reveal naturally enhanced, fuller and more balanced lips. The results that Dr. Ptak achieves are long-lasting. You can enjoy your lips for years to come!
Other Options
A total lip rejuvenation treatment is a popular procedure to combine with other facial treatments to provide a comprehensive improvement in your appearance. Additional procedures that may enhance your results are:
Laser Resurfacing
Either partial perioral or complete facial fractional CO2 laser resurfacing can greatly improve skin health and appearance with a minimal amount of downtime and substantial improvement in the texture and quality of your facial skin.
Face Lift
A facelift, or rhytidectomy, is a surgical procedure that addresses loose, sagging facial skin. This procedure diminishes the appearance of wrinkles and tightens the skin to provide a youthful appearance. Modern, cutting-edge techniques focus on rebuilding facial tissues and repositioning muscles for long-lasting results.
Rhinoplasty
Rhinoplasty, or nose reshaping surgery, is a surgical procedure that focuses on improving the shape and profile of the nose. This technique has gained popularity in recent years because of how transformational the results are.
Your nose is the central focal point of your face and balances out your features. An adjustment in your nose, perhaps making it more symmetrical, will enhance your entire appearance. Rhinoplasty is often used as a cosmetic treatment, however people often receive it to enhance the function of their nose as well.
A nose reshaping surgery is often used to address issues like a deviated septum. With this treatment, Dr. Ptak could change the size of the nose, alter its shape by improving the tip, bridge, size of the nostril, and the angle of nose in relation to the upper lip. A rhinoplasty is a diverse procedure that is customized to your needs. Transform your appearance with a rhinoplasty and lip augmentation!
Cheek and Jaw Implants
This procedure inserts implants along the cheek to enhance the face’s natural contours. This procedure is often performed on people who do not have naturally adequate bone structure or have lost dermal volume due to age, weight loss or illness. There are now numerous temporary and permanent filler alternatives that offer a non-surgical option to surgical implants. When cheek implants are combined with lip augmentation, your face can truly be transformed. To achieve higher facial definition and a better facial structural balance, cheek or jaw implants and a lip augmentation will rejuvenate and subtly enhance your appearance.
Eyelid Lift
This technique minimizes fat deposits, excess skin and tissue in the upper and lower eyelids. The upper eyelids often become saggy and excessive as we age. These symptoms may interfere with the function of the eyelids. An eyelid lift will help improve your vision and brighten up your face!
A lower eyelid lift is often performed on people who have developed fat herniation or “bags” under their eyes. Dr. Ptak will work meticulously to restore your eyes to their youthful appearance. When this procedure is combined with a lip augmentation, you will improve the function of your face as well as gain a natural, long-lasting enhancement in your appearance.
Brow Lift
A brow lift will decrease wrinkles and skin sagging in the forehead while improving the upper eyelid. Your eyes will be brighter and your skin will be smoother! This procedure is often performed on patients in their thirties to sixties. The use of a small camera allows Dr. Ptak to have a more detailed view of the underlying muscles. This method increases the precision of treatment and promotes long-lasting results.
If you are interested in combining a lip augmentation with one of the above procedures, discuss your options with Dr. Ptak during your consultation with him.
Cost of Lip Augmentation and Lip Lift in Scottsdale
At Silhouette Surgical Spa , procedure costs reflect personalized treatment plans and will differ between patients. We recognize that each patient has unique facial features along with their personal cosmetic goals. Dr. Ptak will work hard to help you achieve these goals.
If you are interested in how a lip augmentation or lip lift treatment will enhance your natural beauty, schedule a private consultation with Dr. Ptak today at (480) 451-9220!