Autologous Dermis/Fat (own tissue)

Dermal grafting uses a piece of the dermis, which is the tissue just under your skin, taken from a different part of your body. Because it is your own tissue, the new material is completely compatible. It is therefore likely to take in your lip in a predictable way. You will get a conservative amount of lip filling from a dermal graft. The disadvantages are that you will be left with a scar from the site where the dermis is taken and that sometimes the body may reabsorb all or part of the graft. In addition, lumpiness and firmness can arise in this type of implant although over time this does tend to settle.

Tissue advancement:This is probably the first surgical type of lip enhancement developed. This procedure is commonly used for reconstruction following an accident that scars or destroys parts of the mouth or lips. In this procedure a flap of your own lip tissue from inside your mouth is borrowed or advanced forward to give your lips a fuller look. This procedure involves much more surgical trauma to your lips than insertion of implants does and as such has fallen out of favor with most surgeons. In addition there is always a lengthy scar on the border of the lip where it meets the normal pigment of the skin, and the amount of enhancement can also be limited by the amount of available tissue present.