Lip surgery (cheiloplasty): what is it, price, procedure and results

Lip augmentation is, without a doubt, one of the most demanded aesthetic touch-ups. Experts indicate that social networks and the “influencer” effect on young people has created a dent. Nowadays it is difficult to observe a face of a famous woman who has not had this type of retouching.

And although it may sound strange, with the arrival of the pandemic and the forced use of masks, this intervention has skyrocketed. Now you wonder why so many people are deciding to remodel this area if it remains covered for most of the day.

Well, it seems that many people are taking advantage of the fact of wearing a mask to hide the postoperative period. In addition, many people are ashamed to admit that they have "put" lips and prefer to say that they are natural.

However, lip augmentation is not the only touch-up that is done in this area. There are also other treatments indicated to reshape the lips, reduce them or correct morphological problems. Let's do a brief review of what this surgery consists of and what its procedures are.

• We recommend you read: "The 17 most common aesthetic retouching in Spain"

What is cheiloplasty?

Better known as lip surgery, it is an aesthetic procedure that aims to reshape the lips. Some of the people request a lip augmentation because they want fuller and fuller lips, while others want a reduction in the size of the lips. Therefore, three types of cheiloplasty are known:

• Augmentation cheiloplasty: It is carried out on those thin lips or those that have lost volume due to facial aging.

• Reduction cheiloplasty: It is an unusual treatment for those patients with excessively developed lips that are not in harmony with the rest of their facial features. It is also sometimes done to remove infiltrations or implants that have been previously placed to increase volume and is called secondary cheiloplasty.

• Corrective cheiloplasty: It is done in those patients who have suffered alterations in the lips that can be caused by tumors, trauma, burns or by congenital malformations such as cleft lip.

To whom?

There are different profiles of candidates who can opt for this cosmetic surgery:

• People with thin lips who want to increase their volume.
• People who have too thick lips who want to reduce their volume.
• People with congenital alterations or who have seen their lips affected by some disease.
• People who had a previous treatment that was unsuccessful.

It is important to point out that some people with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases may not be suitable for this cosmetic surgery. For this reason, patients undergo medical examinations so that the procedure can be approved. Likewise, smokers must be especially careful, as smoking is not recommended when practicing this type of treatment.

Process

The processes of the lip surgery technique depend on the type of operation that is performed, whether it is augmentation, reduction or reconstruction.

1. Augmentation cheiloplasty

Currently, thanks to the evolution of techniques, lip augmentation can be performed in an authorized consultation. In some cases, this intervention is performed in an operating room within a hospital center. There are two types of lip fillers, one that has a temporary durability and another that is permanent or permanent..

The temporary lip filling is usually made with hyaluronic acid and is the most demanded. It is not only used to give volume but also provides hydration, firms the tissues of the lip and reduces perioral wrinkles. Is a painless and very fast technique since it is performed in sessions of 20 to 30 minutes in which hyaluronic acid is infiltrated through microinjections.

Hyaluronic acid has a series of advantages, the main one being the speed with which the results are observed and the naturalness. It is a resorbable and biocompatible material with the body, so the risks and side effects are minimal.

Thanks to this treatment, you can get voluminous and fleshy lips in proportion to the face. The duration of treatment is approximately between six months and a year depending on the person's skin type and personal care.

When it comes to permanent lip filling, this one dominates the technique Permalip. It is a very simple surgical intervention that is done as follows: The surgeon performs two small incisions in the corners of the patient's mouth to insert silicone implants solid. The intervention does not last more than an hour since each lip requires half an hour. However, this material is being used less and less and the patient's own fat grafts are used that are extracted from the cheeks.

Regarding the results, both types of treatments give rise to natural lips. Normally, when hyaluronic acid is used, the results are visible 24-36 hours after application since during the following hours the lip tends to be inflamed. Instead, in the technique Permalip, the results take a little longer to appear as they are guided by the healing period.

2. Reduction cheiloplasty

This intervention it is performed on those patients who have excessively large lips and that they cause problems to speak, to control salivation and to chew. It is vitally important to put ourselves in the hands of a qualified plastic surgeon, who will inform and advise us in detail on everything related to the intervention and the results.

We must clearly expose to the surgeon the expectations we have about the results. This will evaluate the lip with the rest of the face from the front and in profile and will provide us with the appropriate treatment to obtain lips that are proportionate to the facial features. The surgical intervention is performed under local anesthesia and consists of lip reduction, which can be in two directions.

If you want to reduce the size of the lips vertically, the intervention consists of making a transverse incision in the lateral commissures on the inside of the lip. The hypertrophied (large) labial glands or excess tissues are then removed. Since the incision is made inside the lip, the scar is very discreet. Finally, small absorbable stitches are given to approximate the lip tissues.

If, on the other hand, the lips are too large in the transverse plane, a vertical wedge of the lip is excised to decrease its length. The incision will be extended horizontally to hide the scar along the mentolabial groove.

3. Secondary cheiloplasty

Is the one used to correct a failed anterior cosmetic procedure or that for different reasons, the patient no longer likes it. In this case, the incision is made depending on the needs of the patient and all the product that is accessible is removed.

Currently, surgical laser fiber is used to try to undo those granulomas that are not accessible. The edges are then closed with an absorbable suture. They are points that fall off on their own and if there is any remainder in seven days, they are removed during the control visit.

In this small intervention, local anesthesia is also used and does not usually last more than an hour. The scar, when made in the mucosa, is very little visible and is usually very small.

4. Corrective cheiloplasty

Also called restorative, correct congenital malformations such as cleft lips or caused by tumor diseases, trauma or burns. It is performed in plasty, a type of surgery that uses the tissue of the lip itself. Sometimes it is necessary to make use of grafts.

How is the postoperative?

The postoperative period of lip surgery is not long, but it can be a bit annoying at first since the lips tend to move a lot when gesturing, talking and eating.

Normally, an edema appears that will disappear after 4 to 5 days and sometimes the doctor may recommend applying cold compresses to accelerate the process of reducing inflammation and healing.

It is also recommended to be careful when eating and eating a bland diet is suggested in the days after. Similarly, it is recommended 2-3 days off so that the patient does not make efforts when talking and eating.

In the case that stitches have been made, these will be removed 7 to 10 days after surgery. The redness of the area can last until the scar heals completely and is diluted.

Price

There is no fixed price, since depending on the case and the result to be obtained, the price can be very variable. It is important to choose a professional who works with a good product, therefore, it is important to first do a good search and compare the different clinics that offer these services.

In the case of lip augmentation, the approximate price ranges from € 250 to € 350, and up to € 500 in cases that require more product. On the other hand, the price of reduction or corrective cheiloplasty can range between € 1,200 and € 2,000