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I have scleroderma and my lips are disappearing. Are there options to make my lips look normal again? (photo)

I'm almost 34 and my lips disappear when I smile. My mouth has also shrunk to almost half its size. This has been bugging me for a few years (scleroderma started about six years ago) - my lips were never huge, but I could at least wear lipstick without looking like I drew a line on my face.

Doctor Answers 2

February 4th, 2014

Scleroderma with Loss of Lip Volume and Contracture

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The answer in general would be fat grafting to the lips. If the soft tissue is contracting around the lip, that would not be helped, but to give some volume to the lips themselves fat grafting would be worth looking into. An in person evalution by a board certified plastic surgeon with experience in fat grafting would be recommended as an intial step.
Robert M. Lowen, MD
February 2nd, 2014

Lip augmentation options

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Thank you for your question.
several options exist:
1) temporary fillers: Juvederm, Restaylane, Perlane, etc
2) your own tissue: fat, dermal graft 
3) artificial materials: Gortex
4) dermal matrix: Alloderm, Stratice, etc
please make a appointment with with a Board Certified Physician who has training and expiernce in all of these techniques

Robert A. Hardesty, MD, FACS
Riverside Plastic Surgeon

*Treatment results may vary

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These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.