Lip Enhancement

For years, cosmetic surgeons have sought methods to permanently enlarge lips and fill in depressions in the face. Many different materials have been used, including the patient's own fat, patient dermis (the deeper layer of the skin) and Gortex�, or a similar product called Softform�. Gortex� has been used successfully for a variety of medical purposes including the creation of artificial aortas, repair of abdominal wall defects, and recently for soft-tissue augmentation. Surgical lip enhancement or reduction procedures are also available.

The use of dermis is effective but requires the creation of a scar at the skin donor site and a scar for placement. The hollow-tube versions of Goretex implants such as Softform are very well stabilized in tissue and result in a very natural look and feel, but they have lost popularity because of their tendency to shrink slightly over the long term. Fat grafting or fat transfer is also very effective in facial contouring and lip enhancement in the short-term; unfortunately, the transferred fat is gradually reabsorbed and this tends to be uneven and produces irregular contour lines.