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Fat Transfer for Permanent Lip Enlargement?

asked 3 years ago by brown123 in United States
Latest answer by Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Question viewed 3,481 times
Tags: lips, permanent

Is it possible to enlarge or augment the lips permanently though fat transfer? Some people have mentioned that once the fat cells die, the will lips look horrible. Is this the reason why a lot of people don't undergo fat transfer on the lips? Does this procedure also leave bad scarring and lumps?

12 answers to Fat Transfer for Permanent Lip Enlargement?

Fat transfer for lip augmentation

Fat transfer is a commonly performed procedure for the lips. In highly trained hands, the procedure is reliable but the permanance of the graft material may be low, leading the fat to dissipate, sometimes unevenly. If the fat does not leave symmetrically, the inconsistent takes in the fat can lead to an uneven appearance postoperatively. Some doctors would prefer non-traumatized fascial fat grafts (LiveFill) for lip augmentation. These differ from fat injections in that the grafts, taken... more

Brent Moelleken, MD
Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon

www.drbrent.com

Fat Transfer is a live graft

Fat Transfer is a live graft. It requires; 1- lots of live cells 2-small pearls of fat for maximal in growth of blood supply. If fat does not get blood supply in a timely manner it will die. The larger a pearl is, the less blood will supply the inner part of the pearl. Large liposuction cannulas make very big pearls that almost always die. 3- relatively immobile area to reestablish blood supply. The Viafill system gets lots of live cells, in small, non-lumpy pearls where... more

Robert M. Freund, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer for lips can yield good results, if done by an experienced surgeon

Fat injections or fat transfer can be done to enlarge the lips. Excelent results are possible when the technique works well. Because about 50-60 % of the fat cells die after transplantation, the doctor overcorrects the lips during transfer. This means that your lips will be larger than you want them for the first month or two. The technique for fat injection is very well defined and must be followed carefully. If the procedure is done by an expert at this technique, lumps and bumps should... more

Brooke R. Seckel, MD
Boston Plastic Surgeon

Fat Lips from Fat Hips

It is possible to enlarge and augment lips permanently through fat transfer. Not all fat lives, probably less than 50% in the lips.. In my experience the fat that does not survive has not resulted in any disfigurement, just a patient that wishes her lips were bigger. I have not seen bad scarring or lumps. It is not uncommon therefore in my practice to have to re-inject lips with fat until patients are satisfied. I think that is why it might not be as popular because it is less... more

Larry S. Nichter, MD, MS
Orange County Plastic Surgeon

drnichter.com

Fat transfer to the lips is possible...

Fat transfer to the lips is possible but usually not long lasting. When done correctly you can achieve great results, temporarily making the lips look larger and also natural at the same time. If you are not comfortable with fat injections to the lips there are other options such as Juvederm or silicone that can be performed, resulting in a nice enhancement. Be sure to discuss all the options with your surgeon.

Shain A. Cuber, MD
Marlboro Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer for lip enhancement

It is possible to inject fat into the lift for augmentation and enhancement. Keep in mind that the lip is a very sensitive structure and a small amount of volume goes a very long way. Remember that whenever fat is injected into another part of the body, approximately 20% of it will melt away. Unfortunately, controlling which 20% will melt away. For this reason, fat is injected into the lip may produce and unpredictable or uneven result. Although fat grafted into the lip is an effective... more

B. Pat Pazmino, MD
Miami Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer does not guarantee a long-lasting effect

Fat injections are very effective for many patients in the cheeks and other areas of the face, but it does not tend to have much longevity in the lips, in my experience. There are different techniques of injecting fat into the lips and very tiny amounts injected into the lip muscle might produce a longer effect but there usually is a lot of swelling for several weeks after such a procedure. The lasting of effect is not guaranteed and is very inconsistent.

Ronald Shelton, MD
Manhattan Dermatologist

Fat Transfer is a good procedure

Brown123: Yes, it is possible to achieve permanent lip fullness by fat transfer. I have not seen bad scarring or effects of dead cells in my patients or among patients done elsewhere. There are other reasons more people do not undergo fat transfer. In the last few years, injectable fillers such as hyaluronic acid products (HA, Juvaderm and Restylane) have been popular, affordable, and do not require a surgical procedure or donor site. With these products there is less swelling and less... more

Sutton Graham II, MD
Greenville Plastic Surgeon

Fat transfer or grafting is very effective for lip augmentation

Brown123, Fat transfer or fat grafting is very effective for lip augmentation. With older techniques, there was a risk of the fat cells dying or clumping and forming lumps. However, with the newer centrifugation and micro-injection techniques, the results are much more predictable. During the procedure, we harvest the fat cells from your abdomen or thigh. We then process the cells in a centrifuge to help isolate or concentrate the cells. We then use a very small canulla to inject the... more

David Shafer, MD
New York Plastic Surgeon

www.ShaferPlasticSurgery.com

Permanent fat transfer to the lips is excellent when done properly

Hi Brown, When performed properly fat transfer is excellent permanent, lasting filler. In the lips fat transfer works very well. Like other procedures in facial plastic surgery, "fat transfer" is not just a commodity; it is a procedure that needs to be performed with meticulous detail by a trained and experienced cosmetic physician. When done correctly, there should not be noticeable scarring or "lumps" in the lips. Good luck and be well. Dr. P

Michael A. Persky, MD
Los Angeles Facial Plastic Surgeon

Lip augmentation with fat- there are better options

The clinical observation with fat grafting to the lips and regions around the mouth is that fat grafting results do not persist. Options for lip enhancement include the use of fillers and silicone lip implants. Other materials can be used to augment the lips, with mixed success.

Scott Sattler, MD
Bellevue Plastic Surgeon

Fat injection to lips

Fat looks and feels great in lips. The long-term survival of fat in lips is not as great as it is in the cheeks or under eye areas. This is likely in part related to constant movement of lips.