The Secret to a Beautiful Lip

The Secret to a Beautiful Lip

Having fuller lips, like that of Angelina Jolie, have been considered a desirable trait.   A study has shown that female models who are selected in the fashion industry, in general, have fuller lips (upper and lower) than ordinary women.  Several studies have also shown that men prefer women with thick and prominent lips.  Over the past several years, there have been an increasing number of women seeking lip augmentation to achieve that sought after voluptuous lip.    

Angelina Jolie's Beautiful Lips (Image from Alex-Scheffer.com)

Features that Decrease the Perceived Age in Women

• Big eyes
• Short nose
• Small chin
• Thick lips
• Thin eyebrows

With aging, the upper lip undergoes several changes which range from atrophy of the fatty tissue of the lips to thinning and a less pronounced vermilion border.  Thus, augmentation of the lip may decrease the perceived age in women desiring a sensual and youthful lip. 

Photograph Courtesy of http://celebrity-stuff.popsugar.com

Common Changes in the Aging Upper Lip

• Fatty tissue atrophy of the upper lip
• Thinning and less pronounced vermilion border
• Flattening of the philtrum
• Widening of the Cupid's bow
• Loss of the natural "pout" of the lip

Ideal Lip (Photograph by Rachael Ashe; Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

So what is the secret of a beautiful lip?  Nearly every fashion model has full and plump lips.  Does having a lip augmentation of one's upper lip sufficient to have that sought after voluptuous lip? Studies have shown that the ideal lip has an upper to lower lip ratio of 1.0 : 1.6.  If this ratio is altered, as found in women with excessive augmentation of only the upper lip, the lip may look unnatural. This would not be as attractive as the natural upper lip.  The upper lip may predominate the discourse in aged lip, but the lower lip may need augmentation as well due to the development of lip ptosis with aging.  Moreover, lower lip augmentation may be needed to maintain the upper to lower lip ratio in order to achieve "natural" and beautiful lips.

Lips of a famous actress after lip augmentation.  Overcorrection of the upper lip augmentation resulted in a deviation from the ideal upper to lower lip ratio.  Thus, the lips look unnatural.

Reasons Some Women Desire a Lip Augmentation

• Desire to have more fullness of the lips
• Those with genetically thin lips
• Those with poor definition of the vermillion border
• Atrophic lips due to advancing age

Non-Surgical & Surgical Options for Lip Augmentation

• Implant material, such as Goretex, Alloderm, PTFE, Silicone
• Fat grafts 
• Dermal-fat grafts from patient's own tissue, especially after a facelift procedure
• Dermal filler lip injections 

Before & After Photos of Lip Augmentation using Dermal Fat Graft by  Emmanuel De La Cruz, MD, PLLC

In most cultures, having a full lip is associated with female beauty and youthfulness. Young women may want to achieve sensual lips like that of Angelina Jolie or Jessica Alba. The older and refined woman may want to look younger with fuller and sensual lips. Whatever their reason maybe to obtain the ideal lip, one needs to be aware of the secret of the beautiful lip before one undergoes plastic surgery.

Kara Dioguardi was included in  PEOPLE's Most Beautiful List (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

So is there a secret to a beautiful face?   
Stay tuned....

Emmanuel De La Cruz M.D.
Houston Plastic Surgeon

References: 

Anderson, Richard. Alloplastic Lip Enhancement. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2001. September, 21: 5: 445-449
Bisson M, Grobbelaar A. The esthetic properties of lips: a comparison of models and nonmodels. Angle Orthod 2004;74:162-166. 
Giddon, D. Orthodontic applications of psychological and perceptual studies of facial esthetics.  Semin. Orthod. 1995. (1)82-93
Koscinki, K.  Facial attractiveness: General patterns of facial preferences. Anthropological Review. 2007. (70):45-79
Lemperle, et al.  An Index for Quantitative Assessment of Lip Augmentation. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2010. May. 30(3) 301–31
Narsete, et al. Lip Augmentation in Conjunction With Facelift: Preliminary Experience With A New Permanent Implant.  Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2009. September, 29: 5: 356-359
Rohrich, et al. The anatomy and clinical implications of of perioral submuscular fat.  Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery. 2009;124:266-271.

Scott, et al. Influence of lips on the perception of malocclusion,
Am. J. Orthod. Dentofacial Orthop. 2006. (130)152-162

Turkkahraman, et al. Facial profile preferences among various layers of Turkish population. Angle Orthod. 2004. (74)640-647

Venous Freeze in The Woodlands

Venous Freeze in The Woodlands | Houston

Cellulite reduction?  Is Venous Freeze the potential solution?

Cellulite Reduction

•  Venous Freeze has been known to reduce cellulite.

 

Potential Complications from Venous Freeze

• Burning of skin 
• Recurrence of poor skin tone (no long term studies are currently available.)

 Stay tuned for more information....

Emmanuel De La Cruz MD, PLLC

The Woodlands Plastic Surgeon

VASER Liposuction in The Woodlands | Houston

What is VASER Liposuction?

Ultrasonic liposuction for body contouring began in the late 1980's and early 1990s.  The VASER system was developed in the late 1990s to reduce complications, reduce physician fatigue, and allow for faster patient recovery.

So What is the VASER?

• VASER stands for Vibration Amplification of Sound Energy
  at Resonance
• This liposuction system employs mechanical and acoustic forces to emulsify fat within a targeted area, while preserving other
  important tissue structures.
  
  • "VASER Lipo utilizes acoustic forces to safely dislodge fat cells while protecting surrounding tissues, ultimately producing a clean, smooth aspirate with excellent cell viability."
• The fat deposits emulsified from a VASER system are then removed from the body by aspiration (liposuction.)
• The individual fat cells remain intact after emulsification from VASER.  Thus,  fat collected during the VASER Liposuction may be harvested for autologous fat transfer. 

VASER Liposuction by Dr. Emmanuel De La Cruz (Before & After VASER Liposuction 1 Month)

Before and after liposuction:  VASER Liposuction by Dr. Emmanuel De La Cruz

What are the potential complications from VASER Liposuction?

•  Burning of the skin
•  Contour irregularities (less with the VASER when compared with traditional liposuction.)

ADVANTAGES of VASER Liposuction?

• Improved skin retraction according to reports by physician users
• "No serious complications reported related to VASER technology in more than 70,000 procedures." 
• "No complications, burns, contour irregularities or prolonged swelling in a study of 77 patients, no revisions needed in a multi-center pilot study."

New technology in plastic surgery is exciting.  VASER Liposuction may improve one's body contour, but not everyone would be a candidate.  It is essential to see your plastic surgeon if one would be a candidate for a liposuction, whether it be VASER, Smart Lipo or traditional suction lipectomy.  Further procedures, such as a tummy tuck, may be needed to achieve the ideal body that one would want.

Emmanuel De La Cruz MD PLLC

The Woodlands Plastic Surgeon

References:

Jewell, Fodor et al. ibid. pp 137–140; Garcia, Proven Safety of the VASER, ibid, pp 2–3
Jewell, Fodor et al. Clinical application of VASER-assisted lipoplasty, ibid. pp 131–145 

Mark Shafer, PhD.  Principles of Ultrasound for Body Contouring: The VASER® System. 

EB De Souza Pinto, MD, R. Federico MD, et Al. Lipomioplasty with VASER: A New Approach to Body Contouring. In: Innovations in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Editors M. Eisenmann-Klein and C. Neuhann-Lorenz, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Germany, 2008, p. 433-442.

Onelio Garcia, et al. Comparative Analysis of Blood Loss in SAL and Third-Generation Internal UAL. The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Inc. Volume 28, Number 4, July/August 2008

Prado A, et al. A Prospective, Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial Comparing Laser-Assisted Lipoplasty with Suction-Assisted Lipoplasty. Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 118(4):1032–1045, September 15, 2006.