Filling lip wrinkles without looking unnatural

Posted: 1:14 p.m. Friday, March 8, 2013

By Anita Mandal, M.D.
Question: I’ve received Juvederm injections several times to my lips wrinkles. Each time, the lip lines improve but my upper lip skin looks bumpy. Is there a way to improve lip lines but still look natural?

Answer: Lip wrinkles can, in fact, be treated effectively without appearing bumpy or unnatural. The key lies in identifying the type of wrinkle, which can fall into one of four categories — fine lip lines; moderate lip lines; deep lip lines; and overactive lines that worsen with lip pursing, speaking or facial expression.

Fine lip lines can best be treated with resurfacing lasers, chemical peels or prescription skin care. If the surgeon is not extra careful, injecting fillers can often cause bumps or raised areas when placed into very fine lines.

Moderate and deep lip lines can successfully be treated with injectable fillers such as Restylane or Juvederm. Fillers such as Perlane, Radiesse or Sculptra are not designed to treat most lip wrinkles and tend to cause bumps or raised areas. Combining filler injections with skin resurfacing or no downtime Ultherapy can give greater wrinkle improvement than one procedure alone.

Hyperactive lip lines are caused by overactive muscle activity and typically require Micro-Botox to relax the muscles. In such cases, combining Micro-Botox with injectable filler can give longer lasting — as well as enhanced — results.

No-downtime Ultherapy wrinkle treatments have also been very effective in treating moderate and deep lines as an individual treatment or in combination with fillers and Botox. A thorough evaluation of the various types of lip wrinkles, and avoidance of a “cookie cutter” approach to lip wrinkle management, can give adequate correction that is also natural looking.

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