Healthy Skin Expert Dermatology Advice

Enhancement: Nips & Tucks – Fat Lips

If a pillowy pout on your wedding day intrigues you but you’d prefer to steer clear of injections, Toronto based dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett has the magic bullet. Her Weekend Lips treatment is great for “people who want a quick fix,” says Kellett, because the lip enhancing procedure can be done in less than an hour with nary a side effect (and it’s painless!).

After a diamond peel “rids the skin’s surface of dead cells,” says Kellett, an oxygen treatment is infused into the skin, which acts as a delivery system for the immediate application of the topical, lip-boosting treatment. Patients are sent home with a personal plumper, which can be applied up to twice daily, to keep lips looking lush for 72 hours. Pat it on underneath makeup and in between photos to maintain fullness.

Lips only, $150, and $300 with the full-face diamond peel (which most patients opt for).

From Elevate Magazine, May/June 2009 - Written by Katherine Flemming

Très Jolie- How to Get Full, Luscious Lips

There are few things sexier than full, luscious lips. Here’s how to pucker to pucker up Angelina-style.

As the million-dollar images of Brad and Angelina’s baby popped up on tabloid covers earlier this year, the buzz was almost audible: Shiloh Nouvel Jolie-Pitt, even in infancy, had inherited her mother’s killer bee-stung lips.  Any woman would kill for a pair of those. But what’s up with that obsession, anyway?

“Big lips are associated not only with youthfulness but also with sensuality and fertility,” says cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett of Toronto’s DLK on Avenue. It’s no wonder so many women today are obsessed with obtaining the look.

The reality, however, is that your lips thin with age (blame it on the decrease in collagen production that begins with each passing year). This translates into a lip-smacking business for manufacturers of injectibles and the dermatologists licensed to apply them. Meanwhile, virtually every cosmetic brand has come up with a concoction designed to achieve that puffy pout.

Which option is better for you? What’s the cost? Does it hurt? Read on.

AT THE DERMATOLOGIST
Forget rosebud lips – you want the full bloom of Julia Roberts. What you don’t want, cautions Dr. Kellett, is a “duck bill” – a top lip that is twice the size of the bottom. Injectibles fall into three categories: collagen-based, hyaluronic acid-based and other product-based. Your doctor will fill a syringe and make four or five injections to fill out the lips. “I always inject underneath the lip, on the wet part,” says Dr. Kellett, who performs more than 2,000 lip enhancements each year. “That way the lips are rounded out more naturally, without the telltale shelf that is always the dead giveaway of a lip augmentation.” Will it hurt? Yes. The look of bee-stung lips comes with bee-sting pain. And you can expect to spend about 20 to 30 minutes, and $400 and up, for the treatment. But the result will be achingly Jolie.

Hyaluronic acid-based injectibles

• Brands include Restylane and the newer Revanesse and Matrigel (they last anywhere from four to 12 months).
• Hyaluronic acid is a substance found naturally in the skin, making it a safer bet for anyone with a collagen-vascular disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

From Chatelaine, September 2006, text by Liza Finlay.  To read the entire article please click here

Q & A - Lip Enhancement

Q: I am a woman in my 30’s and I am thinking of having my lips enlarged. I have been told that I might need a test for possible reaction before having the procedure. Is this true?

A: Lip enhancement using Injectable fillers is a very common procedure used to redefine and add volume to the upper and lower lips. There are a number of Injectable fillers available that give semi permanent results lasting 4 months – 18 months. Traditionally, only collagen was used and a skin test was necessary. Currently, synthetic hyaluronic acid fillers and porcine collagen are injected and no test is necessary. Seek out a plastic surgeon or dermatologist, both of which are specialists, for expert treatment to deliver the best results.
Dr. Lisa Kellett, DLK on Avenue Inc., Toronto

From B Magazine, originally published March, 2007

Top Ten Ways to get SWEET LIPS

Want a perfect pout? We’ve got your Top 10 solutions – from acupuncture to plumpers.

SCRUBS - EXFOLIATION Lip exfoliation is key, says Sabrina Ferri, an award-winning makeup artist and owner of Salon Verve in Maple, Ont. “Brush lips with a soft toothbrush to remove any excess dry skin, especially during winter and for mature lips.” Dermatologist Dr. Lisa Kellett, of DLK on Avenue in Toronto, recommends adding 1/16 teaspoon of brown sugar to a gel-based, microbead cleanser once a week. Try: Clear Start at www.dlkonavenue.com.

From Elevate Magazine, Summer 2006.  To read the entire article please click here

Lip Lust

From the hot pink ‘80s to subtly sexy today, luxe lips are always a must-have accessory.

While physique trends often change – one year, a curvy body is de rigeur, the next, stick figures are in – our attraction to full, shapely lips never wanes. Case in point: Marilyn Monroe’s lacquered lips are iconic, and Twiggy’s lovely lips are as noteworthy as her stick-thin figure. Other notoriously beautiful lips, past and present, belong to Marlon Brando, Julie Christie, and Ingrid Bergman, as well as Mick Jagger, Goldie Hawn, Penélope Cruz and Julia Roberts. The lip lust these attractive celebs inspired, combined with lips’ susceptibility to wrinkles and thinning, spells one clear statement: lip enhancements are hot.

Lip Service: Dr. Lisa Kellett of Toronto is an expert at creating natural-looking lips. “Most patients want an increase in lip fullness, and some want the shape of their lips changed,” she says. “Some patients are also concerned about fine vertical lines that extend from the lips and cause lipstick to ‘bleed.’” Lip enhancements can improve the look of small, deflated lips, drooping or sagging, lack of colour and wrinkling from smoking or aging. For those seeking the perfect pout, there are a myriad of treatment options available.

The First Fillers: The original lip enhancement – which debuted in the early ‘80s – contained collagen and silicone. Injected into the lip, it added shape and filled out fine lines. The process is still quite popular but has improved with time. Traditional collagen-based agents, such as Cosmoderm and Cosmoplast, are injected along the border of the lip and the thickest section of the lip to create fullness. The procedure takes about 20 minutes and adds structure and shape. Filler agents now also include hylauronic acid-based compounds, including Perlane and Restylane, which achieve a similar plumping effect. “There is a wide variability in the duration of effects of fillers,” says Dr. Kellett. “This variability ranges anywhere from two months to 10 years.” Cost: $200-$600

Hot Lips: For permanently full lips, the latest trend is e-PTFE fillers, such as Gortex and Advanta. These soft, flexible implants resemble tiny tubes are comprised of a synthetic, non-toxic compound that works with your own natural collagen, so the lip heals itself. The process is fairly simple but can be more painful and time-consuming than filler injections. “A small incision is made at the corner of the mouth,” says Dr. Kellett. “[The implant] is then inserted into a tunnel created between the muscle of the lip and the vermillion border.” The best thing about these implants? They’re yours forever. Advanta fillers come in a range of diameters, so you can choose how full you want your lips to be. And, if you ever get tired of them, they can be easily removed. Cost: $500 and up.

From Elevate Magazine, Spring 2005, text by Marissa Stapley.  To read the entire article please click here

Lip Service

Lately I've been bombarded with questions about lips – from soothing chapped ones to plumping up the ones you've got. Personally, I'm wondering what to do about wrinkles and dryness. With this in mind, I consulted the pros to answer your five most common lip questions.

What are some things I should know – and questions I should ask – before I visit a dermatologist for lip injections?

I suggest you ask around and speak with other women who have had a lip enhancement. If their lips look natural (watch out for "duck bill syndrome," where the top lip ends up larger than the bottom one!) and they were happy with their experience, ask them to give you a referral. When you visit the dermatologist, it's essential you find out how much experience they have handling lip injectibles. Some dermatologists are quick to jump on current trends without receiving the proper training – which could spell disaster – so don't be afraid to ask. "Currently there are many different fillers available for lips, about 12 in Canada, and you should discuss the risks and benefits of each one," says Dr. Lisa Kellett, a dermatologist at DLK on Avenue in Toronto, who has been performing lip injections for 12 years.

How can I soften the wrinkles in my lips?

Just like the skin on our face, our lips are vulnerable to the effects of too much sun, exposure to the elements and aging. The skin on our lips is generally thinner than the skin on the rest of our face, so it demands a slightly different type of wrinkle treatment. Slathering them with anti-wrinkle face cream won't cut it. "Loss of moisture is one of the main causes of lip wrinkles," says Dr. Kellett. The best prevention is to regularly use a lip balm with SPF and wax ester. Wax esters ensure that as much moisture as possible can be maintained on the lip surface, while SPF protects from sun damage.

From Chatelaine, October 2006, text by Tracy Ho Lung.  To read the entire article please click here