(603) 775-7444
137 Portsmouth Avenue Stratham, NH 03885
(603) 775-7444

Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery Skin & Laser Center

July 2017

All about lip lines and how to get rid of them.

 

 

 

Lip lines are one of the more common complaints in our practice. Here’s our recommended treatment plan to best get rid of them.

 

 

Successful lip line treatment is multimodal. This means no single treatment will provide the correction desired but rather a series of treatments will be required to obtain the best result. Lip lines are best addressed with (1) Filler, (2) Botox® or Dysport® and (3) Resurfacing.

 

Filler – Volbella® and Restylane Refyne®

 

Wrinkle formation is a complex interaction of structural tissue support and muscle pull on the tissue. Filler addresses issues of structural support. New fillers such as Volbella® and Restylane refyne® are specifically designed to provide this support in areas with significant movement such as the mouth. Filler is placed directly in the lip lines and underneath them to return the support that was present in youth. In our practice we frequently use Volbella® in the aging lip. This product spreads uniformly with low risks of lumps and does not provide excessive volume to the lips. Additionally, the water attracting nature of Volbella® provides an almost internal lip gloss. Volbella® can last up to a year after injection. Patients who are interested filler to the lips should avoid any medication that can increase bleeding risk. Patients should also do this on a day when they do not have any special events planned – lip swelling can last for 48 hours.

 

 

 

Neuromodulator – Botox® or Dysport®

 

Botox® or Dysport® block muscle movement around the mouth. Muscle contraction is the predominant reason for lip lines. Injection around the mouth is difficult and requires experience. Small amounts of neuromodulators are needed to have sufficient effect and reduction in wrinkle formation. Patients fall into two categories with respect to the treatment: love it or hate it. Some patients feel as though it affects the way they speak, making them self conscious. Typically, neuromodulators last approximately 2 to 3 months around the mouth.

 

 

Resurfacing – Microneedling, Ablative Laser, Chemical Peel

 

Resurfacing removes the top layer of skin but more importantly stimulates collagen production in the dermis. This collagen production reduces wrinkles and provides structural support much like filler. Microneedling is the least aggressive while a phenol peel and fractional laser are the most aggressive. More aggressive treatments result in more impressive results but have longer downtime.

 

 

Ultimately, all three treatments, filler, neuromodulator and resurfacing should be used in combination to treat pesky lip lines. Schedule your consultation today to meet with our surgeon to discuss your treatment plan.

What Our Patients are Asking About Tummy Tuck Surgery

1. Is there a recommended target weight for a tummy tuck?

The most important issue is minimizing complications. What is removed during abdominoplasty is less important than what remains.  The less fat remaining, the lower the complication rate.  There is no precise target weight, as everyone’s different. Visit our Tummy Tuck surgery page to learn more  or visit our gallery of before and after photographs.

2. How long should I wait to get a tummy tuck after pregnancy?

First, it’s important that this is most likely your final pregnancy.  Once the condition of your abdomen has stabilized (or is no longer changing noticeably), tummy tuck can be considered.

3.  Who should consider a tummy tuck?  How do I know if this is a good option for me?  Should l consider liposuction instead?

Some people need tummy tuck because the problem is purely excess skin.  Others need both tummy tuck and liposuction, because they have both excess skin in the lower abdomen and fat in the upper abdomen and the hips.  Still others have good skin tone and really only need liposuction.  Only a full evaluation can give the right answer.

4. What procedures can help with excess skin after baby and weight loss?

The most common corrective operations are tummy tuck and breast lift, which address the excess skin remaining following pregnancy and/or  significant weight.

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