LIP PLASTY
REMOVAL OF BIOPOLYMER GEL FROM LIPS
PHOTOS OF PATIENTS
As you age, your skin's elasticity decreases and the appearance of your lips changes. The skin around the mouth becomes less elastic, resulting in wrinkles. One of the consequences of aging is the blurring of the lip contour. The decrease in elasticity is also reflected in the corners of the mouth, which gives a dull appearance to the facial expression. In addition, sometimes it is necessary to correct some congenital defects in the shape and volume of the lips.
Operation
Labiaplasty is usually performed under light anesthesia and takes about an hour, but the duration of the operation also depends on the extent of the surgery. Typically, the patient can go home the same day after a few hours of rest.
Minor corrections can be performed under local anesthesia, such as injection treatments for wrinkles. In case of age-related problems associated, for example, with lengthening of the upper lip, an incision is made in the nasal part. When correcting drooping corners of the lips, lifting is performed through angular incisions in the corners of the mouth and above them.
Increasing lip volume can be achieved in several ways. One of the methods is the so-called VY-plasty. On the inside, the V-shaped mucous membrane of the lips is sutured into a Y-shape, due to which the mucous membrane moves forward. At the same time, a fat injection is administered. Fat is extracted from any part of the body and, using a special purification technology, is injected into the lips.
Another way to increase lip volume is the introduction of non-endogenous substances, such as hyaluronic acid. When using this method, the effect disappears after about six months. There are many manufacturers of artificial injectable drugs that provide a permanent effect. However, their use is practiced in limited quantities.
We pay special attention to the formation of invisible seams
The bullhorn scar is located in the visible part of the face. To disguise it, we at Platinental use a number of proprietary developments and tricks that we have accumulated over a long period of practice.
For example, we make an incision under the nose so that after healing it is securely hidden by the anatomical structures of the nose and falls out of sight. We perform fixation and suturing of the scar exclusively using microsurgical techniques. Due to this, the scar after bullhorn turns out thin and practically invisible.
If a small scar is still embarrassing, we perform laser resurfacing of the scar. But, as a rule, this is not required.
Expert comment:
“Bullhorn is not as simple an operation as it looks at first glance.
Before conducting it, I always take into account the rules of harmony and proportions of the golden section. My experience shows that to correct a smile and enlarge the upper lip, it is enough to remove literally 1-2 mm of skin.
Even with a strong desire to get plump lips, excision of a wide flap for bullhorn is contraindicated. On the one hand, this is fraught with excessive inversion of the mucous membrane, which cracks and becomes inflamed. On the other hand, a short distance between the nose and upper lip destroys attractive proportions and adds several years to the face.
Choose your bullhorn surgeon carefully. Do not forget that this operation is performed in the area of the most visible part of the face, and it is almost impossible to correct its results. There is no point in taking risks; correcting bad work in this case will be very difficult and expensive.”
Maxim Vasiliev, plastic surgeon.
Postoperative period
In the first few days after surgery, you may experience swelling, numbness, tightness, and pain. The swelling is temporary and gradually goes away over the first few weeks after surgery. To speed up the subsidence of swelling, we recommend contacting one of our dermatologists.
In five to seven days you will be scheduled for your first follow-up examination. But you can contact us earlier if you wish.
Approximately three weeks after surgery, physical activity in the gym is allowed. The healing process for each patient is individual. Listen to your body's signals, follow them! However, it is recommended to avoid direct sunlight on the externally visible incisions used in labiaplasty for six months.
Bullhorn varieties
The bullhorn operation is not always performed according to the same scenario. It has several modifications.
1. For example, there is the so-called internal, or VY bullhorn , when during the operation additional hidden incisions are made in the upper lip from the mucosal side.
The surgeon performs 2 incisions of the upper lip in the shape of a V followed by suturing in a Y shape. This method allows you to enhance the effect of plump lips and get a very natural result.
2. There is also an " Italian bullhorn ". In this case, the incision is not made in one continuous line, but consists of two small incisions to the right and left of the columella.
The advantages of this option include the fact that the scar under the nose after such a procedure is practically invisible. The downside is that this method will not lift the upper lip significantly.
Surgical removal of biopolymer gel from lips
Not so long ago, lip augmentation using so-called permanent non-absorbable fillers, for example, biopolymer gel to give shape and volume, was very popular. This method was considered inexpensive, safe and guaranteed to provide lifelong results. Over time, in some cases, migration of the drug and inflammatory reactions at the injection site were observed, so today, more often there is a need to remove the injected polymer gel.
Today it is possible to remove polymer gel in one procedure. But this is only part of the task facing a plastic surgeon. After removing the non-absorbable gel, it is necessary to restore the shape of the lips.
This raises certain difficulties. Polymer gel is a foreign substance for the body. It is not able to dissolve on its own and therefore, over time, connective tissue begins to form around the sites of its injection, changing the shape of the lips and preventing microsurgical removal of the gel.
Removal of the polymer gel is performed through an incision made on the inside of the lip. This choice of incision site is due to minimal damage to muscles and blood vessels. In addition, it prevents the appearance of an unsightly scar on the lip. The polymer gel is then removed through this incision. The use of this technique in the area above the upper lip allows you to get rid of the so-called “duck mouth” effect.
Next, the shape of the lips is restored. Usually, this requires removing excess mucous membrane that hangs like “curtains” in the area of the upper lip. In addition, the shape of the lower lip is also corrected - it is given a natural proportion: 1.5 times larger than the upper lip. At the end of the operation, a special internal suture is applied, which becomes invisible after healing. The rehabilitation period after removal of the polymer gel takes approximately 10-14 days, and the scarring process ends completely in one to two months. After the procedure, if the patient wishes, it is possible to correct the shape and contour of the lips again. In this case, it is better to use preparations based on hyaluronic acid, which has the ability to gradually dissolve without leaving any traces behind.
If you are on this page, then you are interested in learning more about cheiloplasty. Cheiloplasty is a general concept for all plastic surgeries on the lips. Dr. Guryanov performs all known operations to correct the shape and volume of the lips. You can be sure that you are in the hands of an excellent surgeon with extensive experience if you choose VIP STUDIO. Basically, people come to the doctor to solve problems that could be divided into 4 main groups:
INCREASE IN LIPS VOLUME.
Young girls often come to Dr. Guryanov with a request to make their lips plumper. In his studio, the doctor offers several options on how to solve this problem. And at the first consultation you will have an accurate idea of which method is right for you. However, before your first visit, it would be interesting to learn about methods that help achieve the desired lip volume.
Fillers.
Increasing the volume of the red border is the most common procedure. Most often, the volume of the upper lip is increased. To increase the volume of one or another part of the lips, injectable fillers are most often used. The most popular derivatives of hyaluronic acid (Resteline, Restylane, Surgiderm, etc.) are absorbed after 6-12 months. With their help, you can either enlarge the central or lateral parts of the lip, or emphasize the white ridge and edges of the philtrum. The latest technique is called Parisian lips. Parisian lips were developed and presented in Paris by Lauren Bacall for the spring of 1991 as a gentle, more natural look than the protruding full lips of high fashion models of the late 80s. This is a new style that emphasizes the border of the upper lip, mainly in its central part, called Cupid's bow (arch) so that the lip has a stylish, well-defined appearance. The Paris Lip technique gives you a more expressive appearance by outlining the natural shape of your lips along their border.
Parisian lips outline the border and recreate a natural contour even without lipstick. Not surprisingly, it is enthusiastically received by both 25-year-olds who want a modern, fashionable appearance, and 45-year-olds who restore the natural youthfulness of their lips.
Parisian lips are formed by precisely introducing fillers along the contour of the lip and emphasizing Cupid's Bow. Most often, fillers based on hyaluronic acid are used for this, which provide an effect of up to 1 year. Creating an even lip contour requires good medical skills. The outline may turn out to be intermittent, of uneven thickness or insufficient height; if it is filled too much, the outline may become blurry. This can be avoided by using AlloDerm® thread.
Fillers are very convenient as they give excellent results without any difficulties. It is quite quick, easy and convenient, without any lengthy rehabilitation periods, however, the fillers dissolve. And you will have to constantly add fillers to maintain the desired lip volume.
Lips can be enlarged using your own tissue. Your own fat (lipofilling) or strips of your own tissue (autografting) can be transplanted into your lips. The results are more stable in terms of resorption, however, the rehabilitation period is longer.
What to do if you don’t want to constantly inject fillers, transplant your own tissues and don’t want long-term rehabilitation, but the problem of increasing lip volume still particularly bothers you? Then there is one more option - lip implants.
Lip implants.
Permalip silicone lip implants are a safe and reliable solution to lifelong lip augmentation. More information about Permalip implants can be found on the page dedicated to Permalip. However, let's briefly talk about the advantages of this method:
- 3 different volumes - choose the one that suits your requirements.
- without visible incisions on the lips - to install the implant you only need 2 punctures in the corners of the lips - which means no noticeable seams and long rehabilitation.
- for life, safe, hypoallergenic - the material from which the implant is made does not interact with the human body in any way.
- removal at any time - if suddenly you don’t like the volume (for example, you want to put a larger implant) or you change your mind - the implant can be removed at any time without any visible incisions on the lip.
- Fillers can be used on top of the implant. If the resulting volume is still not enough, the implant is not a contraindication to the use of fillers.
Lip implants provide permanent lip augmentation. Permalip silicone lip implants are a safe and reliable solution to lifelong lip augmentation. The implant material is specially adapted for lips. The Permalip implant was registered by the FDA (USA) in 2004 and approved for medical use. The implant can be removed or replaced with another at any moment. The shape and material of the implant provide natural lip contour and movement.
To create an even and clear lip contour, especially in the USA, a special synthetic Gore-TEX® thread was successfully used. Gore-tex is used to emphasize the smooth contour of the lips and philtrum, as well as for thread lifting of the upper lip. The microporous structure of the thread allows tissues to grow into it. However, there is a tendency of the thread to mix, push out, and show through the skin. The biological collagen thread AlloDerm® turned out to be a successful alternative to Gortex. It is as easy to install as Gore-Tex, but within a few months it is replaced by its own collagen without loss of volume.
CHANGING THE SHAPE OF THE LIPS.
Fillers and implants will help increase the volume of the lips, namely their plumpness, but increasing the red border of the lips (especially often used for the upper lip) is achieved by other methods. A number of surgical procedures can change or correct the shape of the lips permanently. Most operations are based on changing the ratio of the skin and mucous membrane of the lips. In Dr. Guryanov's studio, any operations to increase the red border, such as Bullhorn or VY plastic, are performed.
VY lip surgery.
Stable lip augmentation is provided by VY lip surgery . The method is based on surgical expansion of the red border of the lips, while the stitches are hidden on the inside of the lip and are not visible. Stitches are removed after a week.
BULLHORN / Shortening of the upper lip.
Bullhorn is an operation that shortens the cutaneous part of the upper lip. In this case, there is an eversion and an increase in the red border, easier exposure of the incisors when smiling.
The plastic got its name bullhorn from the shape of the seam in the form of buffalo horns, which is hidden under the base of the nose. There are several varieties of this operation, when the suture does not cross the skin of the nasal septum or is hidden in the nose. In addition to shortening, it is possible to lift the upper lip in its central part towards the nose using a special thread.
AGE CHANGES:
Have you noticed that older ladies have practically no upper lips? They become very narrow and unexpressed. The length of the upper lip should be proportional primarily to the front teeth. With age, the lip becomes disproportionately long, completely covering the upper incisors, and the red border turns in and becomes visually smaller.
With age, not only the tone of the skin changes, wrinkles appear and smooth transitions on the face disappear, but also the lips, under the influence of time, become less plump, dull, framed by a network of wrinkles and lose their youthful freshness. However, plastic surgery comes to the rescue and will help you maintain your beautiful appearance. Especially when your surgeon is experienced and reliable. Age-related changes affect not only the lips, but the entire oral (perioral) area, including the chin. There are many reasons for this:
- skin aging
- tissue ptosis
- change in the ratio between soft and hard tissues
- loss of support of teeth and jaws
- reduction in the height of the lower third of the face
- reduction in soft tissue volume
A woman's age can be judged not only by her arms and neck... but also by her lips, and here is a list of 14 changes that occur with age in the perioral (near-oral) area
- perioral wrinkles
- smoothness of the filtrum
- loss of definition and smoothness of the cupid's bow and lip edge
- blurred border between skin and mucous membrane
- increase in the length of the upper lip relative and absolute
- convex upper lip profile
- drooping corners of the lips
- formation of marionette folds
- change in mucous color, appearance of hemangiomas
- sagging of the lower lip in the center, decreased tone
- deepening of the labiomental groove
- drooping chin
- atrophy of the submucosal layer and reduction in lip volume
- changes in muscle balance
Guryanov Andrey Stanislavovich has many years of experience and approaches solving such problems comprehensively. He always approaches each patient individually and offers solutions that suit a particular person. Age-related changes, as we see, have many causes, so perioral rejuvenation should include a whole list of procedures such as:
- elimination of excess skin and tissue
- restoration of the muscular aponeurotic frame of the lips and its balance
- elimination of tissue ptosis
- restoration of volume of lips and oral tissues.
Lifting the corners of the lips
The drooping of the corners of the lips can be true or apparent, due to the illusion created by skin folds. The drooping of the corners can be at rest or appear only during facial expressions. Asymmetry of the corners of the lips is common. Age-related drooping of the corners of the mouth cannot be eliminated with a conventional facelift and requires special techniques depending on the primary causes of the drooping.
One such technique to lift the corner of the mouth and smooth out marionette lines is surgical weakening of the depressor anguli oris (DAO) muscles. You can also get a similar effect by temporarily weakening DAO with a Botox injection.
Another operation, a corner lift, involves excision of small excess tissue in the corners of the lips (skin and muscles) and gives a more pronounced effect, especially on so-called “sour” mouths. This operation can be supplemented by the injection of fillers into marionette lines.
Fig. 16 Cornerlift - raising the corners of the lips. Before and 2 months after surgery.
FORCED OPERATIONS.
Removal of biopolymer gel.
Lip enlargement can be caused not only by excess filler, but also by pathological growth of lip tissue in response to the introduction of even a minimal amount of biopolymer gel. Excess of some fillers can be removed through punctures, while others (for example, hyaluronic acid) are easily dissolved by enzymes. Overgrown tissue is either removed, maintaining the shape of the lip, or conservative treatment is carried out. Patients often come to Dr. Guryanov with problems that arose after the introduction of the biopolymer. For a long time, Andrei Stanislavovich has been the best surgeon who helps patients with this problem. The doctor performs the operations very carefully and returns the lips to their natural appearance. In addition to lip augmentation, sometimes it is necessary to reduce them in case of congenital or acquired lip enlargement.
Gummy smile.
A smile in which the incisors are exposed from 1/3 of their length and no more than the edge of the gum is considered aesthetically attractive. Exposing the gums when smiling is called a gummy smile. It is due to the anatomical features of the structure of the perioral area. Algorithms for eliminating a gummy smile depend on the degree of its severity and anatomical features. Typically, measures such as reducing the depth of the vestibule of the upper lip, mobilizing the orbicularis labii muscle to reduce its mobility, and installing an implant to prevent the lip from sliding upward are used.
Elimination of a gummy smile with simultaneous surgical augmentation of the upper lip.
Dr. Guryanov is one of the outstanding surgeons of the present time, who is constantly improving his methods, and is a pioneer in the field of 3D modeling for plastic surgery purposes. More than 30 years of experience and a huge number of successfully completed operations.
If you decide to find an experienced, responsible surgeon, and decide to achieve a good result, sign up for an initial consultation with Dr. Guryanov and learn more about the methods that can be applied specifically in your case.
Basic services and plastic surgeries
Nose surgery (rhinoplasty)
Changing the contours, features and volume of the nose or its individual parts. With the help of rhinoplasty, you can reduce or narrow the nose, remove the hump, change the shape of the nostrils, and correct the shape of the back and tip of the nose.
Eyelid surgery (blepharoplasty)
Plastic surgery of the upper and lower eyelids, aimed at eliminating age-related changes in the soft tissues of the upper and lower eyelids, as well as changing the shape, size and racial characteristics of the eye.
Breast augmentation (mammoplasty)
Breast augmentation with the use of implants - endoprosthetics.
Breast reduction and lift
Reduction mammoplasty - reduction mammoplasty. Breast lift - mastopexy.
Ear plastic surgery (otoplasty)
Aesthetic plastic surgery aimed at eliminating protruding ears, protruding ears and other defects.
Plastic surgery of the face, neck and chin (facelift)
Plastic surgery of the face, neck and chin, including chin reduction or augmentation. Facial contouring, including lip augmentation, cheekbones, chin, and wrinkle smoothing.
Lip surgery (cheiloplasty)
Increasing lip volume, removing wrinkles around the mouth, eliminating the effect of blurring the lip contour. In addition, sometimes it is necessary to correct some acquired defects in the shape and volume of the lips, for example, to surgically remove biopolymer gel from the lips.
Plastic surgery of the legs (cruroplasty)
Cruroplasty is an operation to correct the shape of the legs. One of the popular services is calf muscle augmentation surgery with a silicone implant.
Tummy tuck (abdominoplasty)
Surgical removal of excess skin and fatty tissue, strengthening of the stretched muscles of the anterior abdominal wall and midline of the abdomen, shaping the waist.
Intimate plastic surgery (labiaplasty)
Labiaplasty is an aesthetic plastic surgery aimed at changing the shape and size of the labia minora and majora. Labiaplasty is part of aesthetic intimate surgery, which also includes operations on the clitoris and vagina.
Removal of fat deposits (liposuction)
Surgical removal of local fat deposits on any part of the body. With the help of liposuction, the contours of the human body are corrected.
What is bullhorn cheiloplasty?
Bullhorn lipplasty is a plastic surgery, one of the types of cheiloplasty.
If we use medical terminology, a bullhorn is a subnasal surgical lift, the purpose of which is to reduce the distance between the nose and upper lip. This allows you to enlarge the upper lip and reduce its skin part.
The name of the procedure comes from the English bull's horn: a small incision in the fold under the nose is shaped like bull's horns.
Since reverse correction of bullhorn results is practically impossible, we at Platinental approach the planning stage very carefully. Before surgery, we take a series of anatomical facial measurements to calculate your individual beauty formula.
After all, the goal of this operation is not just to enlarge the upper lip. The goal is to make your lips sensual and your face more attractive.
The point is that there should be a place for lips on the face. And if the distance from the base of the nose to the upper lip is small, especially in combination with a drooping tip of the nose, we often recommend another correction method.
When forming the incision, we repeat the shape of the base of the nose so that the seam after the operation is carefully hidden in the fold underneath it.
Using a special microsurgical technology and without tissue tension, we form the thinnest possible suture, which after healing becomes no thicker than a human hair.
Why is it worth having cheiloplasty at the Pirogov Clinic?
- The Pirogov Clinic was recognized as the best plastic surgery clinic
according to the national rating of private clinics in St. Petersburg by the medical portal “Doctor Peter” and the city portal “Fontanka.ru” in 2022; - qualified plastic surgeons with extensive experience in aesthetic surgeries;
- the opportunity to undergo all preoperative examinations in the clinic within one day;
- own laboratory;
- modern operating rooms with advanced medical equipment;
- attentive and responsible medical staff: a team of anesthesiologists-resuscitators, assistants and nurses harmoniously and quickly resolves any issues around the clock;
- comfortable hospital;
- quick return to normal life: as a rule, patients are discharged the very next day after the intervention;
- the ability to perform several operations simultaneously, which means you get the best result in one intervention;
- a recovery course in the cosmetology department, which will help shorten rehabilitation;
- interest-free installment payment for any operations, credit;
- online consultations with plastic surgeons.
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Which drug is best for lip contouring?
Features of the use and composition of the drugs:
- Juvederm lip augmentation. The presence of lidocaine in the composition completely eliminates discomfort during the procedure;
- Princess volume lip augmentation. Suitable for young skin (18-30 years old);
- Amaline lip augmentation. Favorable price, high degree of purification of the drug, proven quality - used by cosmetologists since 2004.
Preparation for the procedure
Before volumetric correction of the lips and perioral area, a consultation with our doctor is carried out. The specialist will examine the lip area, evaluate the indications for lip augmentation and correction of their shape, discuss the desired and possible results, and establish contraindications.
Depending on the purpose of the procedure, the required drug of a certain degree of viscosity and its required volume are selected.
2 weeks before the procedure, you must refrain from visiting the solarium, staying in the open sun, and 2-3 days before the procedure, do not drink alcoholic beverages.
In addition, before such injections, peeling, hair removal and other cosmetic manipulations in the perioral area should not be performed.
Is it possible to do non-surgical bullhorn?
To enlarge the upper lip without surgery, it is enough to do lip augmentation with hyaluronic acid. However, lip correction with fillers is not always suitable for a number of reasons.
Firstly, to maintain lip size, fillers need to be pinned about twice a year.
Secondly, with initially thin lips, fillers cannot significantly affect their size.
Thirdly, what we talked about from the very beginning, the root of age-related changes in appearance most often lies not in the lips themselves, but in the increased distance between the upper lip and the nose. It is this problem that non-surgical correction cannot solve.
Injection methods of cheiloplasty
- Microinjections. Piercing along the contour of the mouth to a slight depth. Used for easy correction.
- Linear injections. The microneedle penetrates quite deeply under the skin.
- Tracing technique. It involves a mix of the two previous methods.
- Cheiloplasty "Paris". Assumes vertical placement of the needle. The injection proceeds according to the following scheme: the first injection is administered 0.4 mm from the corner, then moved in increments of 2 mm. Cheiloplasty “Paris” is completed at the top point at a distance of 4 mm from the lip.
- French technology. Its purpose is not so much to fill as to thicken aging lips. The punctures are made in the transverse direction and try to distribute the drug evenly.
Main indications for lip correction
- Correction of cosmetic defects resulting from trauma;
- Elimination of scars, cicatrices and pronounced wrinkles;
- Increase in volume;
- Changing or correcting the shape of the lips.
Modern drugs are considered absolutely safe for the body. However, in order for purse-string wrinkles to smooth out, for the contour to become clear, pronounced, beautifully defined, for the corners of the lips to lift, and for the so-called wrinkles of grief to disappear, filler should only be administered by a highly qualified specialist whom the patient completely trusts.
Zadiran Alina Valerievna
Dermatovenerologist, cosmetologist. Candidate of Medical Sciences
