Do lip implants look and feel natural?

Dear southernbird90,
I perform a lot of lip injections with fillers such as juvederm and it works great. Many times I need to put more in one side than the other to attempt to even out the vermillion border (The red line of the lip). This helps provide more symmetry at times.
Another Option: For patients looking for a more long lasting result, I recommend fat grafting. That is, using your own bodies fat to make your lips naturally look more shapely. The bonus is that the results last many many years.
In general, I avoid using permanent prosthesis because I find that the lips are such dynamic and sensitive structures, the end result is not natural.
Daniel Barrett, MD

Thank you for your question regarding whether lip implants look and feel natural. Yes, Permalip lip implants do look very natural. Of course, there will be patients who choose to large of a size and have fillers placed on top of the Permalip and wind up looking unnatural. However, the majority of my patients who undergo even the largest Permalip implant insertion look natural. The Permalip lip implant also feels very natural. During the first two- three weeks, there is the expected swelling around the Permalip lip implant. However, after approximately 3-4 weeks, all the lip swelling is gone. Once all the lip swelling is gone, there is a period of scar tissue creation then the lips settle down. Once the lips settle down, the lips feel very natural. I have not had any patients complain that their lips feel unnatural after Permalip insertion.  If your chosen plastic surgeon is experienced enough with Permalip insertion, he or she should be able to have you meet and ideally feel patients with Permalip implants.  Thank you your question regarding Permalip permanent lip augmentation.  I hope that I have answered your questions regarding whether lip implants look and feel natural.  If you have any more questions regarding Permalip lip implants, please contact my office. When seeking permanent lip augmentation, consider the Permalip implants.  Please seek an experienced, board certified plastic surgeon with significant experience in inserting Permalip lip implants. Make sure they have performed many Permalip procedure surgeries and have the before and after pictures to prove it.  Carefully examine their before and after pictures and check their reviews on RealSelf.   If you cannot find an experienced, plastic surgeon in your neighborhood, consider traveling out of state.  Sincerely, Dr. Katzen. (“Verified” Plastic Surgeon, Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Fellow of the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, American College of Surgery, and International College of Surgery and member of the American Society of Plastic Surgery, American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, and RealSelf Hall of Fame.)

To add to what others have already said, many of my patients that get lip implants along with other procedures, forget that they even had lip implants because they look and feel so natural.  Its one of the best plastic surgery procedures that I do for that reason.

Hello,     Thank you for your question. In properly selected patients, choosing a properly sized Perma Lip Facial Implant, a quite natural appearance is typical.  As for feel, there are a couple of variables to consider regarding this answer.  First, besides using your own fat, grafted into your lips, there are no other options besides maybe injected silicone, which is illegal to use for lip augmentation in Nevada, that will provide a completely natural feel after undergoing lip augmentation.  ALL body implants are artificial.  The definition of natural is “existing in or caused by nature, not made or caused by human kind”.   Therefore, strictly speaking, if you palpate or press on / feel your lips containing a SurgiSil Perma Lip implant, you will be able to feel some degree of firmness inside the lips.  Factors influencing the degree of ability to “feel” the implant include your initial, natural, innate fullness of your lips prior to implantation as well as the size of the implant that you choose. In my experience, after using these implants in at least 24 cases, I have encountered one patient dissatisfied with the feel of the implant.  In her lower lip,  the implant looked natural but she developed a habit of biting her lower lip and she did not appreciate the personal feel of the implant.  I would say however that the implants do not feel excessively fake, prominent or firm but if your purpose is to go feel for the implant with your fingers,  then it will be palpable.  In other words, if you want to feel the implant and you press on your lip, you’re going to be able to feel it between your fingers.      Thus far in my experience I have not had any implants that do not look quite natural.  The SuriSil Perma facial implant comes in three diameters, 3 mm, 4 mm, and 5 mm. In 24 cases,  I have used the 5 mm implants only one time and she has not complained of either an unnatural appearance or an unnatural feel.  For the best results regarding the best appearance and feel, I recommend using either the 3mm or the 4 mm implant.  As stated, only 1 in 24 cases of mine complained about an unnatural feeling in her lower lip. The other patients thus far that I have implanted have not complained about an unnatural appearance or feel nor do their post operative photos appear unnatural.      Regarding post-operative swelling, the maximum swell occurs within 72 hours of implantation. In the majority of patients this swelling will resolve within 10-14 days.  However, at 7 days the majority of patients are satisfied with the appearance of their lips in order to be comfortable being seen in public.     Thank you for your question. If you have any additional questions regarding lip augmentation using either fat or the Perma Facial Implant, please contact me.  I will be happy to guide you through your decision making process.Best regards,Dr. Ryan Mitchell

Thank you for your question.  As long as you go to a board certified plastic surgeon and have the implant placed correctly.  Swelling can last up to 2 weeks everyones different.  Best of luck!Dhaval Patel
Double Board Certfied
Plastic Surgeon
Chicago
Hoffman Estates
Oakbrook
Orland Park

Thank you for your question.  If the safest implants are used and place correctly in the lip these will feel very natural.  Permalip Lip Implants are very safe, they are made of silicon and come in three different sizes.  After the procedure patients are normally swollen for about 1 week.  Please ensure you apply cool packs to the area to help with the swelling.  All The Best 

You would get a nice improvement with lip fillers. These fillers, (Volbella, Restylane, Juvederm) are good to create a symmetrical lip. Nova threads can be used to improve lift and shape. Implants or fat are alternatives. Technique will be important here, so you'll want to see someone meticulous. I recommend getting a formal evaluation with a facial sculpting expert. Best, Dr. Emer

I recommend lip filler for most of our patient population, because the procedure can be done in 30 minutes, the pain is well tolerated with topical numbing, ice, and a handheld vibrator as a distraction, and you can really customize the results for the patient's anatomy. 

I like lip implants because they tend to look and feel natural and are permanent. They can be removed easily as well.  The first 2 months they seem a little firm but from the 3rd -12th months they just get softer and you tend to forget you have them.  It sure beats getting injectables every 3-4 months painwise.

Thanks for the question.  Personally, I prefer fillers to implants, because they give a nice result and the results are reproducible.  The fillers take approximately 30 minutes to do, and you can return to your daily routine the next day.