Until the past decade or so, lip beauty was the sole province of cosmetics companies. Despite the dazzling variety of lipstick, lip gloss and other beauty products fielded over the years, however, those women born without naturally beautiful lips had little help from the marketplace. A woman born with naturally thin lips, or a woman whose lips were misshapen or otherwise less than perfect, could expect no help with her physical flaw; the best she could do was a cover up.

Today, however, lip beauty is big. No longer willing to cover up unsightly lips, women have demanded help from medicine ? and medicine delivered, in the form of lip augmentation.

The lip augmentation procedure was created to allow women with thin or unremarkable lips to create for themselves the lip ?look? they wanted. In lip augmentation, collagen (the body's main connective tissue) or the patient's own fat is injected into the lips, creating a full, plump appearance while at the same time filling in and reducing the appearance of any wrinkles around the mouth. Patients and their doctors may select from a variety of fillers (or surgically inserted lip implants); including collagen injections, fat injections and the injection of synthetic fillers. Whichever filler is chosen, the patient must commit to continuing follow-up visits to replace filler that has been absorbed by the body (surgical implants are permanent).

All medical techniques have risks, and lip augmentation is no exception to this rule. Among the most widespread of reported major complications is allergic reaction to the filler, which can lead to pain, swelling, redness and itching of the area around the injection site. Bleeding, movement of implants, unevenness and infection are also possible. Recovery may take as long as a week.

A patient who is in good general health and free from metabolic and/or immune disorders, connective tissues disorders or clotting problems is a candidate for lip augmentation. Prior to making a decision on the procedure itself, it is vital to consult with a skilled cosmetic surgeon with extensive lip augmentation experience.