Should Botox be used for Lip Wrinkles?4 min read
Dr. Phillip Chang
Board Certified By The American Board of Plastic Surgeons.
Voted Top Plastic Surgeon in Loudoun, Virginia
Offices in Leesburg, Virginia.
Are wrinkles around your mouth making your lips feel…not so pucker-ready? Have you found yourself lacking when it comes to lip-locking? Are you looking for that soft, smooth pout that will make you the prime candidate for a picture-perfect kiss with your beau?
Then maybe you’ve heard of one of the obstacles to achieving this smooching standard ─ namely, what’s known as “kissing lines” or even “smoker’s lines.” Maybe you even have from these little lines yourself. While not really caused by either smoking or kissing, these lines are actually a result of a loss of volume in your lips. The lip muscles then try to contract against an empty balloon of loose skin, which causes an accordion effect that manifests in wrinkles.
Botox Can Smooth the Lines
Botox can be used to smooth the lines above the upper lip and below the lower lips. The cosmetic form of botulinum toxin, from which it gets its name, Botox temporarily relaxes your muscles. One round typically lasts for about three months.
Often, it’s the amateur plastic surgeons who opt for Botox alone in this situation. Rather than getting to the core of the intended outcome, they want to relax the muscles, which offers only a temporary fix for these fine lines. It’s also detrimental if your goal is better lip-locking because kissing and drinking out of straw will be much harder without these lip muscles’ proper function. The appearance of the lips then is flat and deflated ─ the opposite of what you’d intended with getting Botox in the first place.
“The solution should therefore be to use fillers or fat transfer to add back volume to the lips to make them more kissable,” says Dr. Chang. “Who wants to kiss thin, empty lips marked by fine wrinkles?”
Fillers To Give Lips the Perfect Pout
Lip fillers, typically hyaluronic acid varieties like Restylane or Juvederm, are a quality option when your aim is smoothing those wrinkles and plumping your lips. Combining Botox and lip filler is also a good way to go for satisfactory smooching results. Botox achieves the “lip flip,” which causes the lip muscle to curl, achieving a fuller-looking lip. In contrast, the hyaluronic acid lip filler adds the kissable plumpness that Botox alone can lack. This procedure entails only a small injection and is not considered a surgical procedure.
Fat Transfer Is Another Option
On the other hand, fat transfer involves using liposuction to collect small bits of fat tissue from other body areas like the stomach, thighs, or buttocks. The fat tissue is then injected into the patient’s lips under local anesthesia. This procedure is surgical, though it is outpatient and requires very little recovery time. The fat transfer results last for around 6-12 months, offering a solution that will last longer than injectables like hyaluronic acid.
The Perfect Lips Need A Combination
Botox may seem like an easy fix for smoothing kissing lines, but if you’re looking for a fuller look and a more long-term solution, lip fillers and fat transfer may be the more favorable way to go. Either of these Dr. Chang-recommended treatment options could be your safe and satisfactory way of achieving the wrinkle-free, plumped pout you’ve always dreamed of. The next time you get cozy with your beau, you’ll be patting yourself on the back, not only for your inborn talent but for the youthful, smooth and sexy results of whichever method you chose.
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Are you considering a cosmetic solution for your lips? We invite you to come in for a complimentary consultation with Dr. Chang or one of the cosmetic laser and injection nurses to explore whether you would make a good candidate. To find out more about whether Aesthetica can help you, contact us online or at 703-729-5553 to arrange an appointment. Dr. Phillip Chang is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Northern Virginia near Leesburg, Virginia, and an expert in a wide variety of cosmetic treatments.
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