By Dr. Mark Kohout, Plastic Surgeon
Sydney based Plastic Surgeon Dr Mark Kohout reveals the newest cosmetic surgery approaches to achieve the luscious lips you’ve been longing for.
Everybody wants sexy sultry lips and a glamorous pout, but what are the dangers of over filling? When enhancing your lip size, what should you be aiming for and how do you ensure you get the best results?
It can be easy to go over the top with a lip enhancement, like ‘Days Of Our Lives’ star Lisa Rinna (pictured). She is a classic example of a celeb who has taken lip filling to the extreme.
The danger of over-filling your lips is that they can start to define who you are, dominating your other facial features, resulting in an obviously unnatural appearance. Other common effects can include lumping and occasional scarring, leaving your lips feeling bumpy and uneven. Fortunately Lisa has now decided to undergo surgery to reduce the size of her lips to a more natural size, better suited to her facial proportions, with a much smoother result, despite the still obvious swelling.
The secret to achieving a good result is to do your research before hand. Choose a surgeon who is experienced in administering a variety of different types of injectables and whose opinion you trust.
Be sure to arrive to your pre-treatment consultation prepared with a list of questions to ask your surgeon about the procedure and the goal, or look, you want to achieve. Be realistic in your approach and choose a size that balances your other facial features. Also consider how long you want the effects to last for and whether volume or definition is more important to you. Remember that all injectable dermal fillers are not created equal, and each has specific purposes for which it is best suited.
So how can you avoid a similar fate to Lisa Rinna and still achieve that bee stung look in seconds? Treatment options include:
Semi-permanent dermal filler
The most popular method of lip enhancement is a non-surgical procedure involving injection with a semi-permanent dermal filler. This kind of injectable delivers greater lip volume for long-lasting augmentation without surgery.
Dermal fillers can also be used to define the lip line, which is great if you’re experiencing thinning of the upper lip with age. Generally the results last for six to nine months and can be done within a lunch break. While your skin may be a little reddened immediately following treatment, oil-free make-up can help disguise any redness until the colour and texture settles.
Permanent lip augmentation
For women who have tried injections and enjoyed the lip fullness this achieves, there is always the option of a permanent lip augmentation. This can be achieved in two ways:
1. Fat injections use fat tissue taken from a donor site in your body (usually the thighs or buttocks). And because it comes from part of your own body, there is no allergic reaction. Permanent lip augmentation requires a minor day-surgery procedure and delivers long-lasting results.
2. Longer-lasting dermal filler. For those wanting fuller lips for longer but don’t want to a surgical procedure, Aquamid is a soft-volume filler with immediate results that last. Injected in the same way as temporary fillers, the results last more than 10 years and happily the results do not fade over time. Consisting of 97.5 per cent water, Aquamid is biocompatible, non-allergenic and makes the treated area look and feel incredibly soft and natural. We’re seeing excellent results as more women experience this longer-lasting dermal filler.
Of course there are plenty of other options when it comes to achieving the perfect pout. To discuss your suitability for these treatments with Dr. Kohout, please phone 1300 551 151 or email
