There have been many different types of lip implants in the history of cosmetic surgery but most have been fraught with problems. Most of the problems relate to tissue in-growth into the implant which causes the implant to harden. This translates into a stiff lip.
Another implant form is injectable liquid silicone which does give a permanent enhancement but this is very controversial since the silicone can migrate and cause problems years after the injection. In this case the only treatment is surgical extraction which sometimes cannot even be done so this is a very risky option.
There are surgical lip lift techniques like the subnasal or bullhorn lip lift as well as the VY-plasty all of which are great options for a certain subset of people. Fillers including autologous fat, hyaluronic acids ( i.e. Restylane, Juvederm), Radiesse, Collagen and others are all temporary forms of lip augmentation and need to be done repeatedly.
There is now a very safe, solid but soft silicone lip implant that gives a permanent augmentation and avoids the risk of stiffening because there is no tissue in-growth. This is the perfect option for someone who is in search of fuller lips and does not want to undergo repeated injections with fillers. This also avoids the risk of liquid silicone because there is no liquid in this implant risking leakage or migration. Up until now injectable fillers were the gold standard for pretty and sexy lips but now the silicone lip implant offers a permanent option that will most likely become the option of choice for many people as this becomes a more widely recognized procedure. This procedure is done in the office under local anesthesia and takes about 20 minutes to perform.