Utah’s Leading Lip Implant SURGEONS
Do you struggle with thin, undefined lips that detract from your facial proportions and overall appearance? Lip implants offer a safe, effective, and long-lasting solution to enhance your lips and give you the full, luscious pout you've always wanted. Our skilled surgeons use state-of-the-art techniques and advanced technology to customize your lip implant procedure to meet your unique needs and goals, resulting in a more youthful and attractive facial appearance. With a range of implant sizes available, we can help you achieve your ideal lip shape and size, all while maintaining a natural-looking result. Plus, with minimal downtime and a comfortable, personalized experience, lip implant surgery is a popular choice for those seeking to enhance their facial features and boost their self-confidence. Don't let thin, lackluster lips hold you back any longer. Book your lip implant consultation today and start enjoying the benefits of a fuller, more beautiful smile!
What Are Lip Implants?
Lip implants are made of a soft silicone material that mimics the consistency and shape of the natural lip. When surgically placed inside the lips, they add permanent volume.
Silicone is considered one of the safest materials for any implant is because it is a generally inert substance. The human body does not typically react to or “reject” silicone. This makes it an appropriate option for long-term volume augmentation of soft tissues such as the lips.
At Ward Institute, we pride ourselves in natural and customized results. Just like no two people have the same fingerprint, no two people have the exact same lips. During your consult, we carefully measure your lip dimensions and discuss your aesthetic goals. Only then can we custom order an implant that will fit YOUR facial features.
Once healed from the procedure, most patients no longer feel the implants and enjoy permanently fuller, yet natural looking and feeling lips.
Am I a good Candidate for Lip Implants?
Good candidates for lip implants are individuals who have thin lips and desire a permanent solution for achieving fuller, more aesthetically pleasing lips. Patients should be in good overall health and have realistic expectations about the outcome of the procedure.
You are likely be a good candidate for lip implants if any of the following apply to you:
1) You naturally have small lips.
2) You want to feminize your facial appearance.
3) You simply prefer the aesthetic of a fuller and more luscious lip.
4) Your lips have become smaller over time. As we age, the fat and collagen that give younger lips that beautiful plump appearance decrease. Additionally, gravity causes the soft tissue to descend over time, literally rolling the upper lip inward. This makes the lips appear much smaller than they actually are.
5) You want to soften the appearance of "smoker's lines" (the little wrinkles all around the lips that appear when puckering and become more prominent with age).
6) You dislike the maintenance of lip filler (whether it be the physical discomfort of injections, the cost, or the time).
Before proceeding with lip implants, you should try lip filler at least once or twice to get an idea of what implants would look like on you. Once you have done this, know that you like the look, and are ready to commit to a more permanent lip augmentation, lip implants are a great option.
Lip Implant Procedure
The lip implant procedure is typically short and usually takes 30-60 minutes to complete. Lip implants can be placed under local anesthesia (awake, but numb) or general anesthesia (meaning you are asleep and will not remember any of the procedure). This decision depends on a variety of factors. General anesthesia inherently carries more risk than local and requires the presence of an anesthetist, which significantly increases cost. Most patients do just fine with local anesthesia only. However, for patients who struggle with severe anxiety or who are having other surgeries done at the same time (most commonly a rhinoplasty or face lift), general anesthesia may be the better option. You will have the opportunity to discuss all of your anesthesia options during your consultation.
It may seem scary to be awake during a surgical procedure on your face, but rest assured that we employ many techniques to make it a comfortable experience. Firstly, certain medications may be used to help you feel calmer (and potentially a bit sleepy) if you tend to get anxious during procedures. This is done on a case-by-case basis.
Secondly, the lips are completely numbed with injections of a local anesthetic. This starts with a "dental block”, or numbing injections in the mouth, similar to how a dentist would numb you for a dental procedure. Once that has taken effect (generally just a few minutes), we add extra numbing to the lips themselves. During this step, some patients may notice their heart racing slightly. The epinephrine in the numbing injections reduces the amount of bleeding and bruising you experience. However, epinephrine can also increase your heart rate for several minutes. This is perfectly normal and very temporary.
Numbing is probably the most uncomfortable part of the whole procedure. After numbing is achieved, you shouldn't feel anything painful. You will still feel some tugging, pulling, and pressure, but no pain.
Once you are completely numb, your lips and part of your lower face will be sterilized with an antiseptic solution.
The surgery is then begun by creating two tiny incisions on each oral commissure (the crease at the corner of the mouth where the upper and lower lip meet). These incisions are so small and heal so well that, once you have fully healed, you will likely forget they were ever there.
An instrument is then used to create a small tunnel under the skin of the lip to connect the two incisions. The sterile implant is then soaked in even more of the sterilizing solution (just for good measure) and inserted into the tunnel. Care is taken to center the implant well to give good lip symmetry. A small dissolvable stitch is then placed over each incision. You do not have to have these stitches removed later because they will dissolve and come out on their own within a week or so.
Recovery Process
Following the procedure, you will remain numb for a couple of hours. After this, you will likely feel some tenderness. Your prescribed medications and ice are typically sufficient to control the discomfort. You can still go about your daily activities, but you should avoid increasing your heart rate too much while you are healing. The only real constraint is that you avoid opening your mouth excessively wide during the healing process (usually a week or so). The is simply to avoid disrupting the stitches that are holding the tissue together. While you can technically eat anything you like after the procedure, we don’t recommend quadruple decker burgers or mile-high sandwiches that would require big, tall bites. You may want to stick to smaller bite sized foods or even soft food that you don’t have to aggressively chew, like mashed potatoes or smoothies. This is only necessary until the incisions heal and the stitches fall out.
During your recovery, you will be prescribed antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications. You will also be instructed on how to properly clean and care for your incisions. Medical staff will also see you in the office one week following your procedure to ensure that you are healing properly. Of course, we are always available for questions regarding your healing, even after regular office hours.
Bruising and swelling will increase over several days following your procedure. While they may appear severe initially, these symptoms improve slowly but significantly over the next few weeks. Although you may not feel ready for the whole world to see your lips during this part of the process, most patients are totally comfortable going out in public while wearing a mask.
LIP IMPLANTS RESULTS
The results of lip implants can vary depending on the patient's unique anatomy and the surgical technique employed. Typically, patients can expect fuller and more defined lips that enhance the overall appearance of the face.
While the lips may feel swollen and firm for several weeks following the procedure, most patients cannot feel the implants afterward. In fact, patient's partners even report that they cannot feel the implants while kissing.
It is important to note that lip implants generally do not fix asymmetries of the lips. They are used to increase the volume and improve facial proportions only.
TESTIMONIALS
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I’m so glad that I put my trust in Dr. Ward. His skill and sense of aesthetic are impeccable and the surgery has changed my life for the better! In addition, his staff is also incredible and hand-picked. They helped ease my nervousness and told me what to expect pre and post-op.
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I’m so glad that I put my trust in Dr. Ward. His skill and sense of aesthetic are impeccable and the surgery has changed my life for the better! In addition, his staff is also incredible and hand-picked. They helped ease my nervousness and told me what to expect pre and post-op.
lip implants FAQ
Many patients are concerned that they will be left with “Duck Lips”, referring to overly pouty and projected lips that are unnatural and far too prominent for the face. If lip implants are sized and placed properly, you should never be left with “Duck Lips”. The idea is to enhance your natural features, not make you look alien. During your consultation, we will carefully measure your natural lip dimensions and discuss sizing options that would be appropriate for your unique anatomy and aesthetic preferences.
Everyone has their own unique 1) shape, 2) size, and 3) proportion of lips. It is important that your custom lip implants address each of these traits. Let’s discuss how.
1) Shape. Your implants should add volume in a way that follows the natural contour of your lip. This typically means most of the volume being shaped into a central cylinder with decreasing volume on the sides in the form of tapered lateral edges. It is important that the ends be tapered to avoid the “Sausage Lip” appearance. “Sausage Lip” is the result of any lip augmentation that creates equal fulness along the entire length of the lip rather than matching natural contours. It is a tell-tale sign of overdone or poorly done lips, both in injectable filler and surgical augmentation. Ward Institute only uses symmetrical, tapered implants to give the most natural appearance.
2) Size. During your consultation appointment, your lips will be measured to the millimeter in order to find an exact fit for you. Too short, and the implants could slide to one side or the other, asymmetry or even showing the outline of the implant. Too long, and the lip can be stiff with unnatural movement. During that visit, we will also discuss what diameter of lip implant is most appropriate for you. We base this off the current volume of your lips, your age, and your aesthetic preference. Lip implants come in three different diameters: 3mm, 4mm, and 5mm (Small, Medium, and Large). The Small size is incredibly subtle and typically only suitable for those looking for very minimal augmentation. Most patients prefer a more noticeable difference in volume and choose either the Medium or Large implant. The Medium gives gentle volume without being overly dramatic. This may be more appropriate for patients starting with very small lips or those with overall petite facial features. The Large implant is by far the most commonly chosen size. It gives a noticeable difference in size, comparable to what you would get with Full Correction Lip Filler. This is a great option for those who really want to see the difference and like a juicer look to the lip.
3) Proportions. Natural and “ideal” human proportions dictate that the lower lip be 1.6 times the size of the upper lip. So the lower lip should be just slightly larger than the upper lip. That being said, beauty trends change often, every face is completely unique, and each patient has their own personal preferences. We simply use the 1:1.6 as a general guideline.
Even if a patient has perfectly proportioned 1:1.6 lips, you may still desire more volume. In that case, you would most likely use the exact same implant size on both the upper and lower lips.
For patients who prefer a “poutier” look, you might consider a Large implant on the lower lip and a Medium implant on the upper lip to achieve the desired proportion.
Other patients appear to have a much smaller upper lip, either because it is truly is smaller, or due to face shape. This could be someone that has a pronounced underbite, protruding the lower lip and giving the illusion that the upper lip is much smaller than it actually is. For this type of patient, you may chose a Large implant on the upper lip and a Medium implant on the lower lip in order add volume to both while addressing the perceived disproportion. This technique uses implants to falsely “correct” the underbite without undergoing a full jaw surgery.
As you can see, lip implants are not one-size-fits-all. It is critical to use an expert who customizes your lip implants to give you a beautiful and natural result.
The risks of lip implant surgery are very similar to those of any other surgical procedure. They include but are not limited to bleeding, bruising, swelling, infection, nerve damage, vascular compromise, scar tissue, and unsatisfactory cosmetic outcomes. No results can be guaranteed.
As experts in lip implant placement surgery, we do many things to mitigate these risks. For example, we greatly reduce the risk of infection during a lip implant procedure through four main practices.
1) We exclusively use sterilely packaged PermaLip implants.
2) We begin you on oral antibiotics before we even begin the surgery to decrease the amount of bacteria that is present in and around the mouth.
3) We meticulously clean the surgical site using a sterilizing solution called betadine in every surgical procedure. This is the gold standard for surgical sterilization.
4) We use a sterile field, meaning sterile gloves, sterile instruments, and no one is permitted to touch the sterile surgical zone unless they too have sterile gloves. Not even you! Patients cannot touch their own face during the procedure. So if your nose itches during the procedure, we become your sterile nose-scratcher until the surgery is completely finished.
You will have the opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns you may have about risks of surgery during your consultation with one of our experts.
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