Soft, plump, luscious lips – fuller lips spell out oomph and that makes lip augmentation such a favorite on the cosmetic surgery list. Ever wondered what goes into the makings of those luscious lips? Is it just that shade of creamy, chocolaty lipstick; is it the surgeon’s scalpel that carves out a strawberry pout; or, is it some magic ingredient that cushions up those plump lips?

There are two ways of performing a lip augmentation. The first is to use a filler, which will fill the lips to give them that overall \'fuller\' and \'thicker\' look. The second way is to insert a sheet type of implant under the lips. Since the sheet implant lasts longer, most women opt for this technique.

The three main types of sheets that are implanted into the lip are:

Alloderm and Dermaplant: These are made of donated skin and are processed by the LifeCell Corporation. The top layer of cells and the cells within the dermis of the Alloderm are removed from the donor tissue, leaving only the collagen behind which gives strength to the skin. None of the cells within the Alloderm or Dermaplant can cause rejection so once the implant has been finished, it will start to look more and more natural with each passing day.

Gore-Tex: It is a manufactured compound, which feels a lot like rubber/plastic, and this can make it feel stiff. The drawback with using Gore-Tex is that sometimes the body can push it out of the lips because it thinks of it as a foreign body, while the advantage is that it lasts longer than Alloderm and Dermaplant.

Fat Injection: Fat can be taken from your body and then injected into your lips. The results are usually smooth and long lasting. This method is quite good because although there is a little shrinkage during the first 3 months after surgery, the results after that initial 3 months are permanent.

Autologen: Autologen is basically the patients own collagen and it is harvested and then grown in a laboratory. This can be an extremely expensive form of lip augmentation though the results are really natural.

Each ingredient used for lip augmentation has its own advantages and disadvantages, and it is really important that you find the correct ingredient for yourself if you are going to have a lip augmentation surgery.