LIP LIFT
This patient had a prior nasal surgery. Lip lift enhances the volume of the upper lip and brings the nasal/lip balance into better proportion. Scars are seen at 3 months.
Beautiful woman with a history of prior nasal surgery. Upper lip shortening brings a more natural relationship to the mid face. Redness at the base of the nose indicates early healing of the scar 3 weeks later.
LIP LIFT INFORMATION
Lip lifts are an elective cosmetic surgery that can make the upper lift look larger and more pronounced. Unlike lip implants or injections, lip lifts are a permanent solution. The best patients for a lip lift are patients who have had a prior nose surgery, or patients who have had facial rejuvenation. Any procedure on the face has an impact on the surrounding areas. Ironically, the most natural results are achieved when more than one area has been operated on to create better harmony. If your nose gets shorter, a shorter lip will make your face look more natural.
Lip augmentation is a very popular and safe procedure. Typically filler of some kind is inserted into the lip either as an office procedure or combined with another procedure in the operating room. Implant materials can be either natural or synthetic. Using natural materials, such as fat, requires a longer recovery and is associated with more swelling, but can achieve longer lasting results. Off-the-shelf injectable materials are very popular and can easily performed in our office. We suggest making small changes over time, to avoid an over-done and unnatural appearance. The materials used for injection are proven to be safe but are only expected to last for periods of months at which time a repeat procedure might be desired.
The skin of the upper lip flattens and grows longer as we age. The distance between the base of the nose and the upper portion of the lining of the lip increases over time. Sometimes for patients after rhinoplasty, the upper lip feels disproportionately long as well. A very straightforward procedure is to remove a small portion of skin under the base of the nose to shorten the distance to the lip. This has the effect of creating a more youthful proportion to the mouth, but also everts the edge of the lip to recreate the natural appearing gentle upward slope of the lip. Fillers and Botox have a role in lip rejuvenation, but there is no substitute for a lip lift in the patient who has an elongated appearance. Fillers in this patient will only result in the very unnatural-appearing duck lip. Lip lift needs to be avoided in any patient who might be self-conscious about scar.