KISSES - 6 tips for lips

“I spend a lot of time trying to convince patients not to inject their lips,” said Heidi Waldorf, M.D., New York, during her presentation “KISSES-6 Tips for Lips,” during the minimally invasive/noninvasive session at Vegas Cosmetic Surgery 2014 recently. “If they really want to do their lips, I tell them we must do the face, or they will look like a skinny, ugly duck,” she said.

The reason, she emphasized, is that the lips are no different than the rest of the face when it comes to attributing visible signs of aging to a deflated fat pad. It’s all affected. When everything else is sagging on the face, the lips, too, change in appearance - not necessarily because the lips have changed, but because they are visibly altered by falling tissues. Replace that lost volume and watch the appearance of the lips improve without doing a thing, she said.

6 tips for lips

K - Know your anatomy

I - Inject from outside the lip

S - Side view is as important as the front

S - Shape is more important than size

E - Expectations must be realistic

S - Safety first

1. Know your anatomy

If you know how the face should look normally, the work you do on it will look more natural, Dr. Waldorf said. In other words, if the midface is drooping and you replace lost volume, you may not need to inject the lips at all to make an improvement. On the other hand, if you ignore the fat pat and only inject the lips, your patient may not get the results he or she is truly looking for.

2. Inject from outside the lip

By using a single injection point from the oral commissure and working from the outside-in, your patients will experience less pain and less bruising.

3. Side view is as important as the front

When you’re improving the appearance of the lips, it’s important to carefully evaluate the face from the side, Dr. Waldorf said. The side view reveals deficiencies in facial contours that may need to be addressed as part of the lip enhancement approach.

4. Shape is more important than size

Think embryology, said Dr. Waldorf: “Accordions and pillows.” Spread out accordion pleats using a tiny thread of filler in the vermillion or white boarder of the lip. Enhance the pillows for a fuller pout. The pillows are where 17 Magazine and Vogue tell readers to put that little bit of gloss to enhance the lip, she offered.  With regard to shape, she also emphasized avoiding creating the overhanging top lip.

5. Expectations must be realistic

“Be sure the lips fit the face,” Dr. Waldorf said. Ideal proportions for the individual face are key. Sometimes, those ideal proportions may fall short of desired outcomes.

6. Safety first

A clean face can’t be underestimated, Dr. Waldorf said. “Clean their faces to avoid lumps, bumps, granulomas and biofilms.”

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