The lowdown on lip fillers and lip implants in McLean and Northern Virginia
You can attribute it to Wilhelmina, the Dutch supermodel turned talent agency owner who revolutionized the fashion industry and reinterpreted our definition of feminine allure. Wilhelmina transformed Lauren Hutton and her widely spaced front teeth into a superstar. With an eye for faces that were interesting as well as beautiful, the agency signed Angelica Huston, Iman Abdulmjid, and Naomi Campbell leading a trend that would forevermore emphasize the dramatic, the voluptuous and the multi-cultural dimensions of beauty.
Portrayed by Angelina Jolie in the 1998 movie titled Gia, the young Wilhelmina model Gia Carangi was among the first to explicitly flaunt lips with ultra, pout power. Her full, lushes mouth became an iconic representation of beauty and to this day remains one of the most sought after and desirable features of the face.
Fuller Lips for Today’s Celebrities
The list of beauty icons with sexy, voluptuous lips seems to grow each year. Certainly Angelina Jolie’s perfectly proportioned pout is legendary, as are Scarlet Johansson’s, Liv Tyler’s, Beyonce Knowles, and Michelle Pfeiffer’s.
While some stars are sporting their own naturally endowed lushness, most are getting more than a little help from an injectable facial filler or lip implant to create the perfect lip shape and plumpness.
Fuller Lips for You
The two time honored methods for augmenting the lips are injectable facial fillers and lip implants. Each approach has its own unique characteristics and benefits. While adding fullness and shaping the contours of the lips is a relatively minor and painless procedure, expertise is paramount for achieving the desirable outcome.
Lip Enhancement with Injectable Fillers
Hyaluronic acid fillers are the most widely used injectables for shaping lip contours and increasing lip volume. There light, aqueous texture makes them ideal for adding a controlled amount of volume and definition. Added benefits of hyaluronic acid fillers is that they are comprised of substances found organically in the human body, providing a very natural feel and texture when applied to the delicate area around the lips.
At Nova Surgicare, Dr. Hamrah draws upon a variety of hyaluronic acid fillers, choosing the most appropriate based upon individual needs. Each hyaluronic acid filler, Restylane®, Perlane®, and Juvederm® offers a different level of viscosity and is selected based upon the amount of enhancement that will best compliment the overall beauty and symmetry of the face.
On occasion, Botox may also be recommended to define the vermillion border and prevent lines from appearing around the lips.
Due to the constant movement of the mouth injectable facial fillers dissipate faster in this region than they do when applied to other areas of the face and neck. To maintain the desired effects follow up treatments are recommended every four months.
Lip Enhancement with Implants
For patients wishing a more permanent solution to enhancing their lips, Dr. Hamrah will recommend the use of a lip implant. The procedure is performed in the office under local anesthesia and takes less than 30 minutes to perform. There are a variety of sizes to choose from, adjustable to the shape and volume the individual desires.
One of the newer generations of lip implants is comprised of an updated variation of silicone. The PermaLip Silicone Lip Implant used by Dr. Hamrah is a solid form of silicone with a consistency much like firm jelly. It will never leak nor shift position and is FDA approved for use. While offering a permanent alternative to injectables, PermaLip Silicone Lip Implants can be removed if at some later date one chooses to do so.
Verfil Lip Implants are another lip implant option. Saline, rather than silicone is the primary component of these implants. A third option is AlloDerm Lip Implants which are made from pliable cellular tissue and a fourth option is donor human tissue.
Whether injectable fillers or a lip implant is used lips will remain irresistibly lush and utterly kissable once the healing process is completed.
Consulting With Your Facial Cosmetic Surgeon
Dr. Daria Hamrah is a facial cosmetic surgeon known for his ability to bring patient’s aesthetic goals to reality. Lip augmentations can range from subtle to dramatic and can include defining the vermillion border, eliminating smoker’s lines and the creases associated with aging, harmonizing unbalanced lip proportions as well as adding extra volume and fullness.