Have you ever looked into the mirror only to see thin, blurred lips with corners and expression wrinkles that show a sad or angry face? That is probably because you have never thought about preventing it, or because you thought there was no solution.
The lips and the structures around them are closely linked to an image of youth and beauty; that is why a person looks older than he/she really is when this area is affected by peribucal wrinkles or an aged or dried skin.
It is also common that we direct our gaze to the mouth and eyes of the person we are talking to. In the end, our lips are our faces’ business cards.
The most demanded treatments in aesthetic medicine for the peribucal area are:
- • Lips increase and/or remodelling
- • Lips hydration
- • Perioral skin redensification
- • The 'barcode' wrinkles rejuvenation
- • Rictus of sadness or corners depletion
Lips increase and/or remodelling
The most important part of this treatment is being diagnosed by an aesthetic medicine professional since not all lips require the same treatment. We must evaluate the defect in the patient’s lips in order to determine which technique is necessary to embellish the area with a better result and using fewer products. Some lips only require volume increase; other may need projection or eversion. In some cases, the patient may need all of the above.
The product we must use is hyaluronic acid, but not any. We need to make sure that the gel is suited for that area since it is in constant movement. There are many brands of hyaluronic acid but only four of them are FDA approved. In Clínica Áureo we use Restylane, manufactured by Galderma Laboratories. This is a high-quality acid that has a specific line for lips, and which results can last up to 12 to 18 months depending on the patient.
The treatment may require local anaesthesia to make it more comfortable, and takes no longer than 20 to 30 minutes. During post-treatment, we recommend applying cold to minimize swelling and staying away from the sun and the heat. We also recommend not drinking alcohol for the next 24 to 48 hours.
In Clínica Áureo we always invite patients for a follow-up consultation two weeks or a month later to evaluate the results and correct asymmetries, hence guaranteeing beautiful and natural lips.
Lips hydration
In some cases you may not need a remodelling; your lips are beautiful and well-preserved but need to regain some freshness, some moisture. In these cases, a Skinbooster (Restylane Vital) percolation may be enough. This is a very fluid hyaluronic acid that does not increase volume but can absorb up to five times its volume in water. This hydrological super-absorption moves to the oral mucosa, and the result is much juicier and sexier lips, which give the impression of younger age.
As a general rule, the increase of water in the mucosa always gives the sensation of thicker lips even if there is no actual increase in volume. Therefore, without changing the shape or structure of the lips, we see a restoration of the volume that is naturally lost when we age.
Perioral skin redensification
Since this area is in constant movement —when we talk, eat or laugh—, we commonly see more ageing around the mouth than in any other area. This typical aged skin that looks cracked and dehydrated makes us look older than we are.
The restoration of this area consists in its redensification by creating new collagen through the percolation of a bio-regenerative product. We intend to improve the skin quality by inducing a biological restoration that takes advantage of the natural means of regeneration of the skin, i.e. we put the skin to work so that it repairs itself.
The results, besides being extremely satisfactory, are a fantastic way of preventing further deterioration of the area, which gives the impression of an ever-increasingly aged skin.
The 'barcode' wrinkles rejuvenation
The infamous 'barcode' is the onset of vertical wrinkles that begin in the white lip and go down vertically to the red lip. This is caused by hyperactivity of the orbicularis oris muscle, i.e. when we make the gesture of kissing while we speak or smoke.
We will try to get rid of them by percolating a mild, very flexible but cross-linked hyaluronic acid in order to lift the bottom of the wrinkle. We create a sort of subdermal 'blanket' that supports the superficial tissue and lift it, restoring the epidermis furrows.
It is crucial to use the proper product with an accurate technique and massage the area to fully integrate the product with the tissue. If we don’t, we may project the lip, thus provoking the unsightly effect known as 'monkey lip'. To prevent that, in Clínica Áureo, we prefer to leave a few little wrinkles and make it a multisession treatment instead of causing the white lip to swell.
Rictus of sadness
If your mouth corners point down, forming small furrows towards your chin, you have a 'sad mouth' or grief appearance. This usually bothers the patients because they feel they never have a 'nice face'.
The solution is creating a support point with hyaluronic acid exactly in the point where the corner drops so that the dermal fold can use this filler deposit as a base to stay in place. This is a simple procedure; it is only a couple of pricks on each side of the mouth. In some cases, it might be necessary to create a sort of fan-shaped, more superficial transition between the mouth fold and the rest of the chin to disguise the 'step' that the folded tissue creates.
What risks might LIPS AND PERIBUCAL AREA REJUVENATION have?
All the treatments involve simple procedures that very rarely cause bruises and virtually no swelling due to their non-aggressive nature. As a general rule, the patient goes back immediately to his or her normal life and do not feel any new discomfort besides the one originated during the procedure.
As you can see, we can help you at Clínica Áureo. Do you want to have beautiful lips and rejuvenate your perioral area?
Dr. Cristina Núñez
Cosmetic Doctor.
