Large, luscious lips are in. A fat transfer to the lips has its pros and cons but is a viable option to getting you there.
Popularized in part by fashionable celebrities from Kylie Jenner to Bella Thorne and Cardi B.
While we have no idea whether either of them have had this specific minimally invasive lip-enhancing cosmetic procedure that’s done under local anesthesia, uses your own body’s extra healthy fat to make the lips look large and luscious, and lasts for as long as 5+ years, most people would agree they look pretty good.
Which lip enhancement method is considered to be the “gold standard” today?
What is the difference between lip fillers and fat transfer?
The key decision is whether or not you want a solution to your lip augmentation that is temporary or permanent.
Fillers for the lips, such as Juvederm, are administered by a series of injections to add volume and contour to the lips. Lip fillers are merely a remedy that is only semi-permanent. Lip implants, also known as fat transfer to the lips on the other hand is a new and innovative way to plump and add volume to the lips in a more natural way. You may be wondering the pros and cons of fat transfer to the lips so we’ve covered them all for you.
Table of Contents
What exactly is a fat transfer to the lips?
Before we get started on the pros and cons we’re going to quickly explain what this treatment is. For lip augmentation, utilizing your own tissue is still another choice that may be made in addition to employing artificial fillers and implants. Lip augmentation that is performed using the patient’s own tissue is referred to as autologous lip augmentation.
A fat transfer to the lips is a treatment that may be done in the doctor’s office, similar to lip fillers. The procedure to transfer fat to the lips is done while the patient is under local anaesthetic and supervised by a team of experts.
The procedure itself involves the removal of fat from the abdomen often around the belly button, then goes through the purification process, and then is inserted into the lips. This process might take anywhere from sixty to ninety minutes to complete. After the treatment, the patient will be able to return home the same day. Lips that have had fat grafted into them retain their fullness for at least five years or longer which makes it a better option than dermal fillers that only provide temporary results.
Pros of Fat Transfer to the Lips
While dermal fillers are well recognized for their many advantages, lip fat transfers also offer a unique share of benefits that set them apart from other conventional procedures.
Fat transfers offer the following benefits:
- Lip Size: Through carefully placed injections, autologous fat may be used to improve the volume and fullness of the lips.
- Lip Shape: Fat transfers are a natural way of enhancing the symmetry and contour of the upper lip and/or lower lip using autologous fat in a safer manner than using chemicals or dermal filler solutions.
- Adds Volume: A great way to give the lips realistic volume is using fat transfers. By using this technique, the lips may seem more natural and feel less overdone.
- Remove (a Tiny Amount of) Fat From Unwanted Areas: This approach allows patients to utilize their own unwanted body fat in order to add volume to their lips.
- Less Costly: Because the benefits of fat transfers may last for years, it is also a more cost-effective option than receiving temporary procedures every six months to preserve your results. In most cases, you will only need one treatment to get the results you want, rather than needing to pay hundreds of dollars every few months to keep those results.
- Natural Option: The fat harvest is a more delicate method of liposuction than traditional methods.
- Long-Lasting: Some of the fat transferred into the lips (or any other part of the body, such as in a BBL) is absorbed by the body, but the portion that isn’t absorbed can live (last) for as long as five years or more.
- Better Than Filler for Some Patients: Contrast that with dermal fillers which are definitely metabolized by the body in as few as 3-4 months, and fat transfer has its definite advantages. There is also no chance of rejection as you are utilizing your own fat to add volume to the lips.
Cons of Fat Transfer to the Lips
There are potential risks associated with fat transfers to the lips, just as there are with any other cosmetic treatment. The following is a list of some of the most often encountered downsides of this treatment:
- Longer Recovery: As a result of bruising and swelling, fat transfers are accompanied with a recovery period that ranges from ten to fourteen days.
- Need For Local Anesthesia: Anesthesia is necessary for fat transfer procedures. In most cases, just little sedation and local anesthetic are required for the procedure.
- Results May Be Uneven: It has been shown that fat transfers are not particularly effective in smoothing out the fine creases that appear around the mouth.
When considering lip fat transfers, it’s helpful to be aware of all of the benefits and drawbacks so that you can make the best decision for yourself. As time goes on, more and more people are turning to this unique therapy method and this is definitely for good reason.
[Photo by Sergey Chetvertnykh]
