the Price of Cosmetic Surgery

I had my lips augmented with collagen injections. This was done at the same office I had my breasts augmented at and took place during a scheduled exam on them. The augmentation was done as an outpatient procedure, and a variety of other in and outpatient procedures -- including face lifts, liposuction, and derm-abrasion -- are available. Costs vary depending on the complexity of the procedure.

The service was excellent. I went in for my scheduled breast exam and decided to get my lips done as it would only take about 10 minutes for the additional procedure. The surgeon numbed my lips with a local anesthetic and made a large number of small injections in my lips with the collagen needle to ensure even distribution of the collagen.

My lips were swollen and sensitive to the touch for several days, but that passed shortly. Once the swelling had gone down, my girlfriends were quite impressed with the results and so was I. No over-inflated "duck lips" look like has been made famous by bad celebrity plastic surgery.

The surgeon did tell me that because it was an invasive procedure and damage was done to the tissues in my lips, I would need to massage them to prevent the buildup of scar tissue.

Collagen lip injections are a bit of a no-brain procedure. Just about anyone with a steady hand can do them. Look for a surgeon who isn't afraid to show you not only the good outcomes, but the ones that turned out not quite so good for one reason or another, and what he did to fix it. A surgeon who takes his time and doesn't try to talk you into a bunch of procedures you don't want is always a good sign.

The collagen is sourced from human cadavers, though it is purified and sterilized and 100% safe to use. The reality of the source does gross out some people so it's best to find out before rather than after the procedure is done.