Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery
973 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
Phone: (585) 244-1000
Fax: (585) 271-4786
Monday–Friday: 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Lip augmentation procedures can be done with the goal of giving you a more youthful appearance and eliminating that “tired” look, all while keeping your unique facial features looking natural. By taking a look at some of our before and after photos, you can get a better understanding of what can be accomplished.
Numerous patients come to us with the goal of correcting a “frowning” look in the lip area. Some would like a more youthful appearance by elevating corners of the mouth that appear to be sagging. Others would like to get rid of wrinkles around the lips. But most importantly of all, our patients want improvements that will look perfectly natural.
Lip enlargement is achieved through a variety of procedures, including dermal fillers, fat transfer, dermal fat graft, AlloDerm, and V-Y lip advancement. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages. Details about each lip enhancement surgery are listed below. Determining which approach is best for you is achieved by learning a little about each alternative and clarifying your objectives. Consulting with a board-certified plastic surgeon for his or her evaluation and expert recommendations would help determine exactly which plan is best for you.
Dr. Quatela, Dr. Koenig, Dr. Lee, Dr. Amalfi, and Dr. Montague use dermal fillers such as Restylane® and Juvéderm® to enhance the natural shape of the lips by providing a variety of improvements, including the following:
No downtime is needed. Results are immediate and last approximately 9 months to a year, depending on the filler and individual patient factors.
Fat transfer, also called fat injections or fat grafting, is a natural way to add fullness and definition to the lips. This procedure involves harvesting fat from one area using liposuction, purifying it, and injecting it into the lips. Dermal fat transfer is another option. It involves inserting a thin strip of skin and fat into the lips through a small incision at each corner of the mouth. Dr. Quatela, Dr. Lee, and Dr. Montague perform fat transfer procedures on their own or in combination with facelifts and other plastic surgery procedures.
Dr. Quatela, Dr. Lee, and Dr. Montague typically reserve V-Y lip advancement for patients who want the maximum result with long-lasting correction. In this lip augmentation procedure, small incisions are made inside (under) the lip and then closed in a fashion that rolls the lip outward a bit.
One advantage of the V-Y Lip Advancement procedure is no donor site. Patients are educated ahead of time to a temporary disadvantage; the lips can feel tight for several months. Also temporary is the numbness that is associated with V-Y lip advancement. V-Y lip advancement procedures result in more swelling, which takes about four weeks to resolve.
As with all lip augmentation surgery, final results are assessed at one year. Determining which lip augmentation procedure is best for you requires an expert recommendation from your plastic surgeon.
Dr. Vito C. Quatela is a double board-certified facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon with over 30 years of experience performing facial rejuvenation procedures. Dr. Quatela is a past president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and is highly respected by his peers as a recognized expert in all areas of facial plastic surgery, including rhinoplasty, facelift, and other facial procedures.
Dr. William J. Koenig is a double board-certified plastic surgeon with over 26 years of experience. He specializes in breast and body procedures and has performed over 6,000 breast augmentations throughout his years of practice.
Dr. Heather Lee is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon and otolaryngologist who has trained extensively with Dr. Quatela. She specializes in both aesthetic and functional procedures and is known for her meticulous surgical results and compassionate care.
Dr. Ashley N. Amalfi is a board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in cosmetic surgery of the breast and body. With her experience and innate attention to detail, Dr. Amalfi achieves personalized surgical outcomes that help patients look and feel their best.
Dr. Alex Montague is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon and otolaryngologist who trained under Dr. Quatela for a facial plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship. He has exemplary skills in both technique and patient care and specializes in aesthetic and functional procedures.
Dr. Peter Krasniak is a board-eligible plastic surgeon who completed a 6-year integrated plastic surgery residency and published research in patient-centered care. A specialist in breast and body surgery, Dr. Krasniak finds it gratifying to enhance his patients’ appearances while prioritizing their safety and physical comfort.
If you are concerned about the corners of your mouth, a mid-face lift or facelift will make the “laugh lines” rise from their current position. This will give you a better contour around the jowls. Lip lift surgery reduces the distance between the top lip and the bottom of the nose, making the lips look fuller and giving a rejuvenated look.
During your initial consultation for lip enhancement, your surgeon reviews your health history and listens to you describe your primary aesthetic concerns. Additionally, your lip and nose area will be carefully examined to assess your bone structure, skin elasticity, and personal characteristics and concerns. By doing this assessment, he or she can get a clearer picture of what can be accomplished by doing lip enhancement. You will be given important details about what the procedure entails and what results can be expected.
Our plastic surgeons review a variety of factors to ensure plastic surgery is a safe choice for you.
There are several options available for lip augmentation, all of which are effective, including injectable fillers such as Restylane®, fat transfer, or lip implants. Different options have different benefits and limitations, which will be discussed with your facial plastic surgeon during your consultation.
There are benefits and limitations to both fat transfer and injectables. Injectables give an immediate result with no downtime but are temporary, while a fat transfer will last longer and uses your own tissue.
Depending on the type of lip augmentation performed, the results can be temporary, semi-permanent, or long-lasting. Temporary options are injectable fillers; fat transfer is semi-permanent because sometimes the fat is re-absorbed into the body; and a long-lasting option would be with the use of lip implants.
As a destination practice offering world-class care, the Quatela Center attracts patients from around the globe. Our virtual consultations and support program take the effort out of travelling for surgery.
The amount of swelling depends on the type of procedure used to enhance the lips, but in general, swelling can last from one to two days after the use of injectable filler to a week to 10 days after surgical lip augmentation.
There are lip implants available for lip augmentation surgery. There are also autologous implants (from your own body) that are sometimes used. Your preference and desired result should be discussed with the surgeon during your consultation.
The cost of lip augmentation varies, depending on your specific needs and goals. All prices quoted from the Quatela Center are all-inclusive. For more information, see our page on Plastic Surgery Costs.
People who live in Buffalo, Syracuse, and other areas of New York travel to the Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery for lip augmentation and other facial rejuvenation procedures. Request your consultation using the online form to meet personally with one of our facial plastic surgeons or give our office a call at (585) 244-1000 to schedule an appointment.
The Quatela Center for Plastic Surgery in Rochester is proud to serve patients from throughout Upstate NY. We are honored to be the area’s premier plastic surgery center, and give every patient our undivided attention and the quality of care they deserve. Learn more about how we support our New York patients on their surgical journeys:
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