Northern Virginia & Washington DC
Many people go around with gummy smiles, meaning their gum shows when they smile and their upper lip curls upwards. For several patients, this can cause a lot of self-consciousness, and even embarrassment. A thin upper lip can further contribute to this problem by allowing more of the gum to be exposed. We perform the gummy smile reduction in a non-surgical approach by combining two injectable substances, Botox® and Restylane®. The results last about six months and patients are usually very happy with this tradeoff for an almost immediately beautiful smile.
An initial consultation is set-up where we discuss your options for non-surgical facial contouring, and whether you are a good candidate for the procedure. Since this is an in-office procedure, preparation is minimal. Since the face has excellent blood supply, patients are encouraged to stop medications that cause bleeding, such as aspirin, or aspirin products (Motrin or Ibuprofen), a week before this procedure. Mild to moderate pain is alleviated with local anesthesia or ice to numb the area that is injected.
The procedure takes about 15 minutes, in general. If a patient is a good candidate for the procedure, we will apply a topical anesthetic, or just ice, to numb the area before the injection. The Botox works by weakening the muscles ability to contract. When we inject it in the muscles that elevate the upper lip, then elevation of the upper lip is weakened and less gum shows. The Botox takes about four days to work.
The results of the Restylane are immediate with minimal discomfort. Restylane is a natural filler used to transform thin lips into luscious ones. This procedure gives a huge improvement that can last up to nine months. Our patients have not reported any side effects or complications, and they have happily returned for repeat treatments.
Our office will provide you with a detailed post-operative instruction sheet that will be individualized to your needs.
Content on this website is for information only and should not be used to diagnose or treat your plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery problems. Please contact your plastic surgeon with all a questions and concerns.
If you would like further information, please feel free to contact our office to schedule an appointment by calling (703) 206-0506 or filling out an online request form.
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“Natural beauty but doing a little somethin’ somethin’ to make beautiful features pop is what the Model Lift™ accomplishes.”
–
Dr. George Bitar
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