Six steps to the "perfect" lip.

Full lips have always been associated with youth and beauty. Because of this, lip enhancement is one of the most frequently requested procedures in a cosmetic practice. For novice injectors, we recommend hyaluronic acid (HA) as the filler of choice. There is no skin test required; it is an easily obtainable, "off-the-shelf" product that is natural feeling when skillfully implanted in the soft tissues. Hyaluronic acid is easily reversible with hyaluronidase and, therefore, has an excellent safety profile. While Restylane® is the only FDA-approved HA filler with a specific indication for lip augmentation, one can use the following HA products off-label: Juvéderm® Ultra, Juvéderm Ultra Plus, Juvéderm Ultra XC, Juvéderm Ultra PLUS XC, Restylane-L®, Perlane®, Perlane-L®, and Belotero®. We present our six steps to achieve aesthetically pleasing augmented lips. While there is no single prescription for a "perfect" lip, nor a "one size fits all" approach for lip augmentation, these 6 steps can be used as a basic template for achieving a natural look. For more comprehensive, global perioral rejuvenation, our 6-step technique can be combined with the injection of neuromodulating agents and fractional laser skin resurfacing during the same treatment session.