Lip and perioral assessment scale – a tool that can improve your practice

Abstract

Background: The lips and perioral region are a highly dynamic anatomic area of the face and its anatomy and measurements will vary from patient to patient. In many years of clinical practice and as trainers for other injectors we have noticed that the assessment of this region is also very variable regardless of the experience of the injector. Objectives: The goal of this article is to provide a tool for assessment of the lower face and perioral area in other to simplify cosmetic treatments and help injectors identify what needs to be addressed in each patient. Methods: Over the last few years, weanalyzed the most common concerns of every patient presenting for treatment of the lips and perioral area and the most frequent areas addressed in the treatment of the lower face, and organized them into a tool that was able to systematize the different levels of attention needed in each particular area, guiding injectors towards a better final result. As trainers for other injectors, we also analyzed the most difficult aspects of the perioral assessment and simplified them into this tool that can help even novice injectors to do the correct diagnosis and therefore achieve better results while treating the perioral area. Conclusions: We believe that this tool will help both experienced and young injectors in the assessment of the lips and perioral area prior to treatment and in doing so, will provide a better outcome and cosmetic result.