Correction of lip diseases at the level of predictors: expert recommendations

Lips – this is one of the most prominent parts of the face, which certainly attracts attention. Aesthetic lip correction is one of the most sought after aesthetic procedures today. In this regard, the issue of dermatological diseases of the lips and their timely treatment becomes especially relevant.

Specially for the readers of estet-portal.com, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, dermatovenereologist of the highest category Andrashko Yury Vladimirovich spoke about common pathological conditions of the lips and methods of their treatment. About how lip diseases can be associated with aging processes, and why it is important to correct pathologies even at the level of predictors – read in an exclusive interview with a leading specialist now.

What does correction of lip diseases imply at the level of predictors?

Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to guarantee the health of certain organs and systems in the process of life, and we are well aware that changes are possible. The task  of each specialist – it is good to know what the health of a certain anatomical zone and its surface is, and to understand this state of the norm so much as to learn to see the initial changes in deviation from the norm, and be able to adjust them in time in order to ensure this norm in dynamics. It is important not to wait for the state when the pathology will have obvious clinical manifestations that require full treatment, but to be able to recognize the incipient pathology at the very first stage, at the level of predictors – primary, unformed symptoms, and effectively manage this condition, returning the area to a normal state.

Can lip diseases be associated with the aging process?

A person changes in the course of his life, because, unfortunately, youth is not an eternal state.

Changes that may occur in the area of ​​the red border of the lips may indeed be the result of involutional changes, and not an obvious pathology.

 In this case, it is necessary to consider the issues of lip restoration through the prism of not so much classical methods of therapy, but, perhaps, more related to anti-aging or corrective techniques that can prevent the subsequent occurrence of certain pathological conditions. For example, the shape of the lips changes, and anatomical changes occur, which later can serve as a good condition for the development of pathology, for example, certain infectious complications. In such cases, it is the restoration and these reconstructive techniques that can serve as a kind of prevention of pathological changes in the lips, which will logically follow age-related changes.

What are the most common lip diseases in your practice?

In my practice, most often I have to deal with two main areas in the pathology of the red border of the lips: the development of infectious inflammatory processes and the occurrence of, let's say, non-infectious pathologies. These are the so-called non-infectious cheilitis associated with an atopic constitution. People with an atopic constitution cannot do without involvement in the pathological process and the lips.  This zone most actively  contacts with the outside world, and may be subject to the development of atopic manifestations with severe dryness, the development of subjective discomfort and a tendency to violate the integrity of the barrier layer. And since the barrier capabilities of resistance are violated, all conditionally pathogenic microflora, which is also located in this zone, can lead to some infectious complications. First of all, it is a herpes infection, which occurs not only in people who have an immunological predisposition to herpes, but also in people who have problems with the protective barrier of the lips, as well as candidiasis in people with metabolic disorders, and bacterial problems, more often in children, in in the form of so-called angular cheilitis.

What modern methods of diagnosis and treatment of these pathologies do you use?

Diagnosis of diseases of the red border of the lips begins with visual diagnosis, and often does not require any additional hardware methods, with the exception of dermatoscopy, if there are suspicions of certain oncodermatological formations. When we see that, clinically, we are talking about the possible infectious nature of the pathological process, we need to conduct laboratory diagnostics to find out what pathogen we are dealing with. Regarding the treatment of lip diseases, if we are talking about treatment at the level of predictors, this implies that we must understand the problem at the level of primary symptoms. This gives us the opportunity not to burden the patient with a huge amount of therapeutic measures, and, often, to solve this or that problem in a very monotherapeutic way. With the primary manifestations of infectious conditions, it is possible to eliminate the problem of both herpetic, bacterial, and fungal nature by using effective topical preparations that will not allow the disease to develop and will not allow it to turn into a chronic, often recurrent process. Proper lip care is also very important, because, in addition to treating the acute period and relieving the symptoms of a particular dermatosis, you need to understand that convalescence is quite long, and lip diseases are often chronic and recurrent. If the zone is already insufficiently stable in terms of protection against diseases and their relapses, and susceptible to pathology, in order to ensure the quality of life of the patient and prolong remission or prevent relapse,  she needs proper care using a range of protective methods.

Is it possible to perform aesthetic correction of the lips in the presence of pathological conditions in this area?

Before planning an aesthetic intervention in the lip area, estheticians must take into account certain conditions. There are a number of contraindications when aesthetic plans should be fundamentally revised. If there are pathological conditions in the lip area, it is necessary to regulate them, ensure a quick norm, and only after that engage in aesthetic manipulations, if they are needed there, and this is necessary for the patient himself. In addition, you need to clearly understand how to deal with certain complications, which is the most important thing for aestheticians.

If a pathology develops as a result of aesthetic manipulations, the specialist must orient himself in time, and for this you need to have a dermatological background in your education.

Therefore, it is very important to provide all estheticians with a dermatological basis in the future. That is, they must be dermatologists in their essence, and then specialists will be able at the first stage to quickly and effectively navigate and understand the problem, provide adequate therapy for lip diseases, and prevent the process from developing beyond the competence of one specialist.

Can lip diseases be provoked by cosmetic manipulations?

Any invasion, any violation of the integrity, unfortunately, can lead to the development of a pathological process in the lip area. It is very important to point estheticians to the fact that in this area there may be a number of existing diseases. This must be clearly seen, and not to start manipulation if there are contraindications, or to treat it in time first, and only then plan a correction. If suddenly a problem develops after an aesthetic procedure, which, again, may also be, you need to be able to orient yourself in time, and not only immediately send the patient to the next stage, but on your own, being a dermatologist in your base, adjust all these problems in time.