Fixing Pesky Lip Winkles
May 23rd, 2012
Lip wrinkles or sometimes referred to as “smokers lines,†are the lines that radiate out from the lip margin. They can be the result of aging, sun exposure, smoking, and /or genetics. They often may make a person look older. Women generally dislike them because their lipstick runs into the wrinkles, giving a pronounced pursed look. Skin resurfacing may reduce these wrinkles, but this procedure frequently carries a possible downside. Invariably there is bleaching of the skin, which more often than not requires make-up to conceal.
Fortunately there are other choices to reduce lip lines. Injectable materials have made a dramatic contribution in the area of treating these wrinkles. Filler materials are currently the first line of defense. Products like Restylane, Juvederm, and Perlane are a few of the ever-increasing number of dermal filler type materials on the market today. They are injected under the skin and actually fill in the lines. These newer products are based on a hyaluronic acid formulation, a natural component of your normal skin. Interestingly, when lip lines become apparent, there is frequently a loss of lip size or fullness at the same time. Not only can the lines be corrected, but the lips can be restored to more youthful size and shape, as well.
It is important to seek qualified professional advice when considering these procedures. Most cosmetic surgeons do not charge for patient consultations. Here are some links for locations near you. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) and Dermatology Clinic Directory.
Red Carpet Over-Plumping
January 30th, 2012
It’s Hollywood Award Season again. You might remember the Foster Farms ad campaign for their chicken products about over-plumping. In their television commercial, chickens are seen in a plastic surgeon’s office receiving injections to make them plumper. It is quite obvious that they are way too plump. This situation is underscored by the distorted facial appearance of the surgeon’s nurse when she finally reveals her face to the camera. It is a funny parody of the sometimes over-zealous use of fillers in Hollywood, perhaps on the Red Carpet this time of year.
I see over-plumping all the time, especially in the lips. The individuals, usually women, loose all of their natural lip shape and end up with what is often referred to as “trout pout.” They look as if the they have sausages for lips. The over-injection usually masks all natural proportion. The television commercial effectively uses this phenomenon for optimum comedic effect. However, I agree with the tagline, over plumping is never good.
A word of caution, the over-injection of any area of the body can lead to skin loss and terrible, uncorrectable scarring. The large volume of material simply reduces the blood flow to the treated area in such a way that the skin, muscle and fat die. Fortunately, this complication is very rare when only modest amounts of filler materials are used.
Finally, please avoid all silicone injections for any cosmetic reasons. The risk of chronic long term inflammation which arises is not worth it.
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