A lip lift is an in-office surgical technique that involves removing a tiny strip of skin under the nose to shorten the philtrum, which connects the base of the nose and the top lip. The advantages of a lip lift include:
- Getting a more youthful appearance;
- Rolling up the border of the lips to expose the darker vermilion;
- Shortening the top lip that has extended with age;
- Showing off your upper teeth;
- Shaping the Cupid's bow.
Some patients choose a corner lip lift, which lifts the corners of the lips by removing a small amount of skin, or skin and muscle, from the corners.
This highly customizable outpatient treatment can be done with local anesthesia. It normally takes approximately an hour and results in a modest scar. Bullhorn lip lift is typically performed as an add-on to a facelift.
The procedure has a big impact for several reasons. People look at faces and focus primarily on the eyes and mouth, thus the lips play a significant impact in how others see you. Second, we all recognise the appearance of the lips as a sign of aging. Finally, the relationship between the top lip and the nose establishes the relationship and harmony between the lower and middle thirds of your face, hence upper lip length is important in facial proportions.
Lower lip lift operations, often known as lower lip advancement, are less common. They are performed on patients with an unusually thin lower lip or a large upper lip to make them appear more proportional.
The Pros and Cons of Lip Lift Surgery
Pros
- This rapid facial plastic surgery treatment is conducted under local anesthesia;
- It's a long-term treatment for larger, more youthful-looking lips that don't require the regular use of temporary lip fillers;
- It can lessen the appearance of perioral aging, make your mouth appear more proportionate to the rest of your face, improve lip form, and reveal more of your upper teeth;
- Because it just elevates tissue rather than adding volume, there is little risk of appearing too full.
Cons
- If the surgeon removes too much skin, it is difficult to restore the length;
- It will highlight more of your top teeth, so if your upper teeth are crowded, discolored, or uneven, you may want to consider other lip augmentation treatments such as fillers or invest in teeth straightening and whitening;
- You will be left with a little scar. There is always scarring around the base of the nose. However, if the lip lift is performed properly and with meticulous closure, only a very small line scar forms. It can also be enhanced with laser resurfacing;
- An excessive lip lift can disrupt the mechanics of the mouth, interfering with speech, whistling, and kissing.
Who Makes a Good Candidate?
Candidates for an upper lip lift should have at least 10 mm (preferably 12 mm or more) between the base of the nose and the upper lip.
These are a few of the most popular motivations.
- Shortening a long lip. Some people have a naturally longer midface and a particularly lengthy upper lip;
- Reducing indications of aging. The skin between the bottom of the nose and the top of the upper lip extends with age, causing the mouth to appear smaller and lower;
- A lip lift permanently improves naturally thin lips or those that have thinned with age. The combination of shortening length, increasing vermillion show, and increasing tooth show has a huge impact that surpasses anything possible with fillers;
- Increased tooth visibility. Exposing more of the top teeth can help people appear younger;
- Feminizing the face. The surgery can have a profoundly feminizing effect on facial appearance, hence it is increasingly being performed to affirm one's gender.
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