Lip Augmentation: Injection vs. Surgery

Factors Contributing to Thin Lips

Age

Elastin and collagen are proteins that help skin stay resilient, elastic, and smooth. As we age, these proteins break down naturally, which causes our lips to lose firmness and structure.

Genetics

All of your and your siblings’ physical features were inherited from your parents, including whether your lips are thick or thin. Your brother might have gotten the plump lips of your grandmother but you got the thin lips — it’s the luck of the draw.

Smoking

Smoking won’t necessarily alter your natural lips if they are very full but it does cause premature wrinkles and discoloration which makes already thin lips look even thinner.

Sun Exposure

Ultraviolet rays cause collagen to break down, resulting in thinner lips. Use a lip balm with at least SPF 15 when going outdoors for extended periods of time.

Surgery or Injection?

Women and men wanting lip augmentations will choose either surgically inserted lip implants or injectable fillers.

Lip injections are faster than surgery

Lip injections are usually performed on an outpatient basis, and take about an hour to complete — just like your lunch break.

Implants require anesthesia

Surgery is a more permanent solution but the process requires surgery, meaning anesthesia is necessary and can take several hours on the operating table.

Less downtime than surgery

After a lip injection patients can return to their normal daily activities immediately.

Recovery from surgery

Since lip augmentation is an invasive procedure that uses sutures, one can expect the recovery process to last a week or more.

Comfort levels while healing

Many patients healing from lip implant surgery will frequently experience discomfort and swelling.

Very little swelling or bruising

Depending on the specific person, after a lip injection, patients usually experience very few of the side-effects that those healing from surgery do.