Enhance lips with caution

Wrong procedures can cause lasting damage to your lips and looks, warn doctors


One moment on the lips, forever on the hips. That's what some say about the excesses of chocolate eating. But one bad moment on the lips and good looks might slither their way into the history books. That's what some people say about lip enlargement when warning that the right procedures should be followed.

For one thing, doctors here are urging that Siliconoil should not be used in lip enlargement as it can lead to many complications after the procedures.

According to them, lip enlargement procedures are generally safe, there are many different procedures used for lip enlargement, which can lead to both temporary and permanent results.

Dr Mohan Rangaswamy, Consultant Plastic and Re-contractive Surgeon, Head of Department of Plastic Surgery at Welcare Hospital here said: "Siliconoil should not be used at all for lip enlargement. If it is injected in the form of oil, it can lead to reactions and capsule formation, and it will be difficult to remove it. Many people go all the way to the Far East to get Siliconoil procedure in countries like Singapore and Malaysia. Some also go to beauty salons and do it, which is wrong as these people are not qualified to do it."

Dr Rangaswamy added: "What we use is Restylane(a natural substitute found in the body) which is used to make the lips fuller and better. It is given in the form of an injection, and makes the borders of the lips more beautiful."

He added that Restylane is the best way for lip enhancement because it is simple, has no reaction, but is temporary.

"It remains for eight to nine months only, because after that the body absorbs it. There is no harm in the body absorbing it because it is natural," he said.

Another type of material used is collision (natural substitute found in cows), which is also injected, but sometimes it might cause an allergy. People should be tested before using it. "The other type is dermis(deeper part of the skin) from the person's own tissue, and it is done through minor surgery.

Another type of procedure is by using the artificial skin which is made in the laboratory.

He added that lip enhancement is commonly requested by Arabs and Europeans, rarely by UAE nationals.

"The patient can watch the entire procedure and guide us as to the actual shape required. We inject the substance drop by drop which causes fullness. We should be very careful," said Dr Rangaswamy.

According to him, the total duration of the procedure is about 15 minutes, and it is done under local anaesthesia. "The procedure usually costs from Dh1,200 to Dh2,000," he said.

According to him, people who go in for it are basically like Arabs who have good lips but want to make them bigger; Europeans who have very thin lips; older people (as people grow old, their lips become smaller).

Dr Roy Kanjoor, plastic surgeon, Belhoul Apollo Hospital in Dubai, said that lip enhancement should be done very carefully otherwise it can be imperfect (and might require further procedures.)
He said there are some permanent and temporary enlargement procedures used.

"There are some substitutes that are injected by needle in the lips to enlarge them. This is the simplest way, but it can also be done by small surgeries," said Dr Kanjoor. He said there are many substitutes for lips enlargement, and if the substitute used was natural or from the person's own body, then it will not be rejected, thus, no fear of infections or diseases.

"Lip enlargement is not as common as other surgeries. Most of the people who go in for it are Lebanese, Syrian, Kuwaitis and other Arab nationals, but rarely nationals. The cost depends on the type and amount of the material injected."

He said lip enlargement is not 100 per cent safe, because the body might be allergic to the substitute injected. "In case the person does not like it, she can always go back to the previous situation without the enlargement."

He said that after the procedure there will be some swelling for two to three days, and the results can be seen immediately after that.