Customized lip enhancement for clinical different lip features: An observational study.

Abstract

The request for lip improvement treatments with injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) is increasing. However, as the patient's needs can be extremely different, it is unconceivable to use the same technique/product for clinical different lips to grant customized results. To provide a specific treatment approach for clinically different lips based on the Author's clinical experience. Patients belonged to four clinical groups: young lips requiring volume enhancement or a reshaping intervention, and senescent lips requiring rejuvenation or a rebuild intervention. At first visit T0, subjects underwent a pretreatment evaluation and the investigator performed an individual treatment based upon patient's esthetic goals and lip's baseline features. Lip fullness was assessed by the investigator using a Medicis Lip Fullness Scale (MLFS) at first visit (T0) and at 2weeks (T1). Subjects and investigator answered to the Global Aesthetic Improvement Scale (GAIS) at 2weeks T1 and at 12weeks (T2). A photographic evaluation was undertaken at T0 and T2. Only, in the two groups requiring volumization there was 1 grade of improvement in the MLFS (young lips-volume and senescent lips-rebuild). Nonetheless, the performed combination of techniques/products was overall very satisfactory: 80% of the subjects reported a much improved/very much improved outcome in the GAIS, and the same was reported by the investigator in 90% of the subjects. A weak positive correlation was found between MLFS responses and subject's GAIS at T1 in all groups. This customized treatment approach, consisting in choosing the right gel technology injected in minimum quantities with the right technique, ensures a harmonic result avoiding aberrations and standardizations.