Lip Rejuvenation: A Comparison of Particulate Alloderm and Fat Grafting

ABSTRACT

There is a growing demand for lip rejuvenation using injectable fillers. None of the currently available off-the-shelf products has been shown consistently to persist longer than 1 year. Based on the patient's age and varying degrees of perioral soft tissue atrophy, a volume-based assessment and recommendation for the type of soft tissue fill is presented. Other factors determining the choice of filling agent include the patient's available recovery time and the degree of longevity or persistence desired. Since 1998, sixty-one patients have undergone lip and perioral rejuvenation with allogeneic particulate AlloDerm or with autologous fat injection. Younger patients with a lesser need for large volume have had good results with particulate AlloDerm (Life Cell, Branchburg, NJ), especially in combination with erbium laser treatment. Older patients, who needed a larger volume of filling material and who desired a more persistent and visible result, underwent autologous fat grafting. Both of these methods provide safe and effective soft tissue augmentation of the lips and perioral area, especially when a volume larger than 1 or 2 cc is needed.

Keywords

Lip rejuvenation - AlloDerm - fat grafting - soft tissue augmentation