Cheiloplasty

In a Cheiloplastik (also: plastic lip ) is a plastic surgical alteration or reconstruction of the lips. It is often performed as a cosmetic operation. A medical indication for plastic lip is present for example in cleft lip and cleft palate.

This article deals only with the aesthetic and surgical alteration of the lips. A distinction between the raising of the upper lip ( lip lift ) of the bolster, wherein a filler material increases the lips and the reduction of the lip. Most lip corrections can be made on an outpatient basis. You take one half to one hour. In most cases the patients treated are anesthetized locally. General anesthesia is usually not necessary. After treatment, the lips swell and ache temporarily, bruising may occur. For two days, speaking and chewing should be avoided if possible. Numbness can occur even longer, especially for larger interventions.

Lip Lift ( lifting the upper lip )

Operations in the narrow sense usually only affect the upper lip and are also called " Lip Lift". They are used primarily in reconstructive plastic surgery, but also in cosmetic surgery. Here, a four to five millimeters wider strip of skin is removed above the lip, then released the vermilion from the underlying tissue and is pulled up over the resulting gap. Subsequently, the skin edges are carefully sewn to keep the scar as small as possible. The operation has the advantage that it is more durable than a plumping wrinkles and at the same time can be eliminated. However, it is a laborious procedure, which takes a long time for healing. As with any surgery, the risk of a visible scar formation or a subsequent deformation of the scar.

Padding

As a second variant, the reupholstering of the lips is possible. These different materials can be used: the body's own tissues, biological substances and plastics. Together, these methods ensure that the cushioning material is inserted through small incisions in the lip vermilion or with the syringe. However, there is always a risk of infection, no matter what kind of treatment is used for upholstering the lips.

Allen biological fillers in common is that they are short or long degraded by the body. However, this has the advantage that pull these preparations no long-term consequences.

Autologous fat padding

The autologous fat treatment has the advantage that it requires no foreign material. However, the fat must first be obtained elsewhere. In many of the treated organism fat but takes almost entirely on again, so that the lips quickly again coincide. Also significantly more fat must be injected than is actually required in the lips in order to compensate for the anticipated loss can. To whom the lips a long time remain fully and with whom they are quickly narrow, can not be said before the operation. Further disadvantages are the high cost and the risk of hardening of the fat.

Connective tissue upholstering

Doctors go Similar to autologous fat at the bolster before with its own connective tissue. Although it is degraded only about half the body again, but the connective tissue may die and harden. In addition, the procedure is as complicated and expensive as the natural fat padding. The shrinkage of the material can be through the use of chemically treated tissue from other sources completely avoided. This animal collagen was for aesthetic surgery for a long time, the filling material of choice par excellence. The high risk of allergy is the main drawback of this method. Therefore, collagen preparations have been largely replaced by hyaluronic acid, which is obtained from rooster combs or bacterial cultures.

Plastic padding

An alternative plastics. For example, the spaghetti -like, cross-linked silicone rubber threads or resembling macaroni Implants of Gore-Tex fabric. This material does not shrink and problems it can be removed at a time. Another form of lip augmentation with plastic is the introduction of many tiny plastic particles, such as Plexiglas. However, they can cause foreign body reactions in the connective tissue, leaving node and make further treatment necessary. There is also the risk that the particles migrate to other locations in the body.

Reduction

The lip reduction much less frequently made ​​is perceived as too large lip to mostly lower lip, offset by a mostly outpatient procedure. In this case, a section on the inside of the lip is made. A spindle-shaped piece with mucous connective tissue is removed. In addition, wedge-shaped Bindegewebsstücke can be removed to enhance the effect in the corners of the mouth. In this type of lip reduction leaves no visible scars usually. Only in exceptional cases, as in morbidly thickened lips, for example, Down's Syndrome ( Down syndrome ), a wedge-shaped removal of a portion of the lower lip is made in the middle of the center line, as a visible scar remains. Massive swelling are to be expected as with other cheiloplastikschen interventions.

Alternatives

There are alternatives to "real" beauty surgery. In addition to make-up techniques that make the lips appear full, there is also the possibility of optical magnification by tattoo.