Indianapolis Lip Enhancement Specialist
Dr. Barry L. Eppley

Patients have visited Dr. Barry L. Eppley's Indianapolis plastic surgery facility for many years for help in achieving fuller, sexier lips. Please below read the information Dr. Eppley has compiled about this procedure and also visit the lip enhancement results page to view before and after pictures.

In the past decade, full pouty lips have become the epitome of feminine beauty. In most people, the size of the upper lip is about two-thirds that of the lower lip. The trend today is to have the upper lip match the lower lip in size. Certain people are born with small thin lips, aging effects can make the lips lose volume and lengthen, and facial expression and smoking contribute to the development of vertical lines around the lips. All of these influences have seen the number of lip procedures performed increase dramatically.

In simplicity, lip enhancement is about improving the amount of vermilion (pink part) show. This creates a fuller or 'pouty' appearance. It is the vermilion that is responsible for our perception of lip size. Therefore, a variety of approaches exist for achieving this goal. This includes lip implants, lip advancements, and lip lifts. Which procedure is right for a specific patient is a matter of how much vermilion show (how thin are your lips?) you have and the appeal of the advantages and disadvantages of each lip approach.

A variety of different lip implants are currently available. These can be basically divided into synthetic, collagen, and fat materials. Only one synthetic form is used today (a soft form of Gore-Tex) for specific placement into the lip while numerous collagen-based materials exist (e.g., alloderm, fascian, permacol) which are processed from either human (i.e., cadaver) or animal (e.g., pig or cows) sources. A synthetic lip implant offers permanency of size but a trade-off for potential feeling of the implant, lip stiffness, and possible infection. A collagen-based lip implant offers a more natural feel long-term but some volume loss will inevitably occur. Fat injections, harvested from yourself, can also be injected but they likewise suffer from an unpredictable amount of resorption. Despite these numerous options, there is no perfect lip implant material available today. The most common form of lip enhancement is the injection of hyaluronic acid derivatives (e.g., Restylane, Juvaderm) which can be done in the office. While its effect lasts for about 4 months, it is the most rapid way to have larger lips immediately.

In addition to being a frequently sought-after lip enhancement specialist, Dr. Eppley is recognized as a trusted Indianapolis fat grafting provider and also performs a variety of other procedures. He is often lauded for his skill in helping Indianapolis rhinoplasty, facelift surgery and Botox patients achieve healthy, natural-looking results.