Beauty Info

Plastic Surgery and Other Treatments for Lip Lines
Tired of those fine lines around your lips? Learn what can be done to minimize the appearance of lip lines, from fillers and dermabrasion to plastic surgery.

By Madeline Vann, MPH
Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MS

For some women, especially smokers and sun worshippers, lip lines can become a bother and a reason they desire plastic surgery. Years of cigarettes and UV exposure can cause dozens of fine lines to collect around the lips.

"The best treatment for lip lines is prevention; protect the skin from sun and avoid tobacco products," advises Clinton Humphrey, MD, a facial plastic surgery fellow at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "Once lip lines are present, hyaluronic acid fillers may provide a small amount of improvement. Substantial improvement can be gained from dermabrasion, which is more effective for the upper lip than the lower lip."

Treatment options depend in part on how many lines you have, says Michael Olding, MD, chief of plastic surgery at George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Many fine lines would require dermabrasion, whereas a few deep lines could be addressed with a filler, he says, adding that the choice comes down to filling the lines or flattening them.

Plastic Surgery: Minimizing Lip Lines

Options for minimizing lip lines include fillers (also known as soft tissue augmentation), dermabrasion, and laser skin resurfacing.

* Fillers for lip lines. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance that can be injected into the skin to improve the look of fine lines. Hyaluronic acid adds volume between skin fibers that have lost it over time. Your doctor may offer several other filler options — your own fat, for example. Swelling from a pharmaceutical filler decreases over a few days; fat injections may take one to two weeks. Results from both are temporary and may diminish over time.

* Dermabrasion for lip lines. Dermabrasion is a cosmetic procedure in which a dermatologist scrapes away the surface of skin, evening out the look of fine lines. A chemical peel achieves a similar effect with the use of a caustic chemical that burns away the top layers of skin, revealing the smoother surface underneath. These procedures may require downtime of up to two weeks depending on the intensity of the treatment.

* Laser skin resurfacing for lip lines. Laser skin resurfacing uses a targeted beam of light (a skin laser) to even out the skin’s surface. For laser resurfacing and dermabrasion, you may have flaking for five to 10 days and notice results in 10 to 14 days; the skin may remain pink or flushed for one to six months.

Plastic Surgery for Lip Lines: What Procedure Is Right for You?

You and your plastic surgeon will discuss the options. Your skin type, desired result, and the amount of downtime you can manage will affect your choice.

Budget is also a concern, since most cosmetic surgeries are not covered by health insurance plans. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgery, average plastic surgeon fees for these procedures in 2007 were:

* Chemical peel: $744
* Laser skin resurfacing:$2,222
* Dermabrasion: $283
* Hyaluronic acid filler: $598

You will also have to budget for costs such as medication, ointments, staff, and facility use. Discuss with your plastic surgeon whether you will need to repeat the treatment in months or years.

Plastic Surgery: Not All Fillers Are Equal

The majority of facial fillers have an excellent safety profile, but some fillers may have unintended side effects. According to a study of 25 women who received polyalkylimide implant injections (implants which are essentially gel and water), researchers found that in the year after the procedure, some women experienced swelling, hardening, or pain at the injection site, and they also experienced body-wide reactions such as fevers and arthritis.

Remember, all cosmetic surgery has possible side effects. Find out about the side effects before deciding, but once you do, you can make a safe choice.