There are several options for increasing fullness in your lips:
Collagen Injections
Gore-Tex
Hyaluronic Acid
Fat Injections
Reprocessed Donor Skin (Alloderm)
Turning the upper lip inside out to increase size
Collagen Injections
Collagen is a natural protein made from purified cow collagen. Two common types are: Zyderm®, which is used for filling in lighter facial lines, such as those around the lips and eyes and Zyplast®, which is used for filling in deeper lines such as laugh and frown lines and plumping up lips. There is a small risk that putting collagen in your lips as it could damage the muscles in the lip. Collagen injections are not permanent, they are absorbed by the body in six to eight weeks.
Prior to having any collagen injections, you should have a skin sensitivity /allergy test. A small amount is injected into your arm and you must wait at least three weeks before having the full injections to make sure you do not develop an allergic reaction.
There have also been reports in medical journals linking collagen injections to autoimmune diseases.
For more detail, read our information page on collagen injections.
The average cost of this procedure in the UK is around £300 per injection.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyalronic Acid (also known by the trade name Restylane) is a stabilised, natural, non-animal acid designed for lasting augmentation. It is said to be non-allergenic and can last up to eight months.
The average cost of this procedure in the UK is around £300 per injection.
NEW!!! We have just added an information page on Restylane injections.
Gore-Tex
Gore-Tex is a fabric that is cut into fine strips and inserted under the skin in a small tube. The tube is inserted through small incisions into the lip. These incisions are then stitched up and they should be barely visible once they heal.
Gore-Tex is a permanent implant. There have been cases of the body rejecting the implant and in this situation it could lead to permanent disfigurement.
The average cost of this procedure in the UK is between £1000 to £2000.
Fat Injections
It is possible to have fat withdrawn from your own body and then having it injected into your lips. This means that there would be little chance of there being an allergy or rejection as is the case with collagen and Gore-Tex. However, there have been people who say that the look of fat injected lips is very unnatural. For more detail, read our information page on fat injections.
Reprocessed Donor Skin (Alloderm)
Strips of donor skin are placed under the skin using tiny incisions in the places you want to plump up. Something that should be mentioned is that the donor skin comes from human corpses and is then chemically treated and sterilized. It was original developed to treat burns victims.
The average cost of this procedure in the UK is between £1000 to £2000.
Turning the upper lip inside out to increase size
I have only read about this being done one time and the photographs of the result looked revolting in my opinion. The upper lip had no definition and it looked very spread out, not natural. Anyway, the procedure consists of pulling the lip up and over, then stitching it into place, so in effect the inside part of your lip would now be the outside of your lip.
Please note that this information is offered freely to individuals considering cosmetic surgery. No rights are granted and it is not to be reprinted or copied without the prior written consent of Cosmetic Surgery Net – UK . Beware that although efforts have been made to assure accuracy, many of the issues discussed here are a matter of professional opinion. Consultation with a Qualified Plastic Surgeon should be obtained to answer more detailed questions and advise you based on your personal circumstances.