Alexandra Mills and Professor Syed Haq provide an overview of lip augmentation procedures using hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler, injection technique and the role of the ageing process.
Medical aesthetic treatments, in particular, when using a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler, focus around delivering a comprehensive outcome when addressing the face, especially
for more advanced treatments. In this regard, paying attention to the mouth and lip area is critical. Profiling of the jaw, chin, cheeks, pre-auricular area and orbital troughs, together with the temporal zones, falls foul when not achieving a balanced, natural and symmetrical lip augmentation (Figure 1) (Mandy, 2007).
Defining and assessing perioral ageing should be carried out as part of any general aesthetic clinical assessment. Perioral ageing is a highly individual process that takes place over a period of time and affects multiple structures. It can be influenced by lifestyle choices, genetics, ultraviolet B (UVB) light exposure and anatomy. At the time of writing, there is no consistent consensus as to how to best to approach this complex area in a manner that is both reproducible and natural in regard to rejuvenation and augmentation.
One of the most important skills of any clinician is to be able to reliably and consistently identify the key landmarks of the ongoing process of perioral ageing. It is not acceptable to focus merely on the lip’s shape and volume. The injector has to take into consideration the lip surface and degree of hydration to achieve an optimal outcome.