10/10/06
A study that was presented on October 9 at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2006 conference in San Francisco shows that although injectable fillers combat aging around the lips and mouth, not all of them are safe and some can lead to long-lasting complications.
"Numerous injectable fillers have entered the market over the last 5 years giving patients a number of options for fuller, younger lips," says Miles Graivier, MD, ASPS member surgeon and course presenter. "But patients need to be aware of the risks and benefits of these products. Some fillers carry a higher risk of complication depending upon where they are injected, which can lead to unsatisfactory results."
According to physicians, during lip augmentation and rejuvenation of the aging mouth, it is best to address all of the following areas: the outer mouth (laugh lines), edge of lip (lipstick lines), and inner lip.
Surgeons note that even though injectable fillers can tackle these areas, some are more appropriate than others, depending on the targeted area. Semi-permanent fillers are best around the mouth and along the lip’s border and help redefine the edge and fill in lipstick and laugh lines. However, when semi-permanent fillers are injected into the inner lip, patients may experience a higher rate of complications like visible lumps and clumping. Because results can last between 1 and 2 years, this can leave patients with a poor result for several months.
Physicians also note that the gold standard for augmenting the inner lip is with hyaluronic acid fillers, which last 3 to 6 months. Hyaluronic acids carry little risk because of their short-term results. Collagen can be also be used, but because of its high cost, hyaluronic acids are considered superior.
Plastc surgeons say that lip augmentation, combined with rejuvenation of surrounding problem areas, such as laugh lines, can really remove years from a patients’ appearance. The key is using the appropriate filler in the correct area.
[www.plasticsurgery.org, October 9, 2006]
