Lip Lift Before and After: All the facts you need to know

What to know before having lip lift procedure?

The most common reason people seek out lip lift procedure, often referred to as the upper lip lift, is because they want fuller, more youthful lips. Lip lift surgery can also be done to improve the symmetry of your upper lip. This is done by removing excess skin above the center of your upper lip, which in turn elevates the position of your Cupid’s bow – the double curve at the center of your upper lip.

Lip lift surgery can be performed on people of any age, but it is most often sought out by those over 35 years old. This is because as we age, our skin loses elasticity and collagen, which results in a drooping or lengthening of the lips. Additionally, years of smoking or sun exposure can also lead to a loss of lip definition.

What happens with the aesthetics of our lip when we age?

• Thinning of the lip vermillion and loss of lip definition

• Fine lines and wrinkles in the lip area

• Reduction of bony support of the upper maxilla and loss of lip projection

• Drooping of the nasal tip leads to a reduction of the columella-labial angle

• Reduction of the lip's natural pout

• Lengthening of the upper lip

What's the difference between lip fillers and lip lift surgery?

Lip fillers are a temporary solution that only lasts for several months, whereas Lip lift surgery is a permanent solution. Also, lip fillers don't shorten the distance of the upper lip and only restore lip volume by expansion. While this is a great option for young patients that have a good upper lip distance and only want to augment their lip shape and volume it can be a disaster for older patients. It often results in completely covered teeth on smiling and tends to round out the mouth even more. Both are clear giveaways of cosmetic procedures done for the wrong reasons. Lip lifts on the other hand restore the anatomy by removing excess skin that stretched over time and allowing the lip to roll up and expose tooth show again when smiling or talking, a natural sign of the young mouth

How is the Lip Lift Procedure Performed?

A Lip lift, also known as subnasal lip lift is performed under local anesthesia and takes about 45 minutes to an hour. The lip will be marked out, and often the desired lip length (distance from the base of the nose to the upper lip) is around 1 - 1.4cm. Next, incisions will be made either directly underneath the nose following the base of the nostrils and the columella (the area of skin and tissue between the nostrils) or along the border of the upper lip. Dr. Kassir will gently elevate the skin and tissue through these incisions to lift the upper lip and create a natural, fuller, more youthful appearance in the mouth. When the desired effect is achieved, the excess skin is trimmed away. The remaining skin is then sutured together, and you will be on your way to recovery!

Depending on the shape of your lip, different techniques can be used:

Types of Lip Lift

The technique used in a lip lift (lip augmentation) procedure may vary depending on the target area and the dimensions of the individual’s face. There are three main techniques used by surgeons for a lip lift (lip augmentation).

Bull Horn Lip Lift: A small incision is made directly under the columella, then a strip of skin and tissue (in the shape that resembles a bull’s horn) is removed. This lifts the left, middle and right portions of the upper lip.

Gull Whip Lip Lift: A small strip of skin located right about the cupid’s bow is removed, exposing the pink flesh underneath and expanding the dimensions of the lip. Though this technique can be performed to meet specific needs, it is not the most popular as visible scarring on the surface of the lips commonly occurs.

Italian Lip Lift: Instead of one continuous incision, two small individual incisions are made directly underneath each nostril. A small portion from the central area under each nostril is then removed in order to lift the middle region of the lip to create a fuller pout.

Corner of Mouth Lip Lift: Though these surgical techniques vary, each of these lip lift styles solely target the upper lip area, leaving the corners of the mouth untouched. If you find that you are noticing drooping or a frowning occurring at the corners of your lips, a Corner Lip Lift is your ideal remedy. A corner lip lift involves heart-shaped or triangular incisions are created around the side and above the corners of the lips. This lifts them to form a more pleasant resting face.

What to expect during Lip Lift Recovery?

After your lip lift surgery, you can expect some swelling and bruising around the mouth and nose area, typically lasting for 7-10 days. It is important to keep your head elevated at all times during this period to help reduce swelling. Lip lift patients can typically return to work and their normal activities within one week.

What about lip lift scars?

All surgical procedures will result in some scarring, however, with a Lip Lift, the scars are usually well hidden along the base of the nose which will create a natural shadow for the scar to hide in. While being noticeable for the first few days after surgery the incisions will fade over time and become nearly invisible. Take a look out our before and after gallery with patients at all different stages of their lip lift recovery. In cases where lip lift scars stay more noticeable, we offer a special scar management system consisting of creams, injections or laser resurfacing.