Upper Lip Shortening – Lip Lift
As we age, the lips lose the bone support of the jaw and teeth, which can lead to unwanted thinning of the upper lip and an increased distance between the nose and mouth. A lip lift, performed through a discreet incision just under the nose, repositions the upper lip to its ideal location and refreshes your smile. This procedure also ensures that your upper teeth are once again visible when smiling.
Permanent
1 hour
1 week
About the procedure
- As the upper lip lengthens and the distance between the nose and the red part of the upper lip increases, the upper teeth become hidden while the lower teeth become more prominent—creating a stern or angry facial expression.
- In addition to repositioning the corners of the mouth with Botox, a small surgical procedure under local anesthesia can shorten the distance between the nose and the upper lip. This reveals more of the upper teeth and restores a youthful appearance to the lips.
- The lip lift procedure can also be combined with other treatments, such as rejuvenation with hyaluronic acid fillers or surgical lip enhancement.
- A preoperative consultation and discussion about your goals and possibilities is crucial in planning the surgery. We will go over the scope of the procedure and any potential scarring.
- Recovery after a lip lift is generally mild, with slight swelling.
WHY OPT FOR AN UPPER LIP LIFT SURGERY
A surgical upper lip lift improves facial proportions. As we age, the white part of the upper lip (the skin between the nose and the red part of the upper lip) elongates, giving the face a stern and angry appearance. At the same time, the upper teeth become hidden and only the lower teeth are visible, further emphasizing a harsh expression. Aging also flattens the attractive contour lines of the upper lip (philtrum, Cupid’s bow) and brings about vertical smoker’s lines on the upper and lower lips.
By surgically shortening the area between the nose and the Cupid’s bow, the upper teeth become visible again, the red part of the upper lip rolls outward, and the mouth regains a youthful expression. The lip’s color and volume can additionally be enhanced with hyaluronic acid fillers, although after a surgical lip lift this is often no longer necessary.
LIP SURGERY OR REJUVENATION WITH HYALURONIC FILLERS?
Lip surgery can be combined with fat grafting, where fat is harvested via simultaneous liposuction from areas with excess fat (hips, abdomen, thighs). Recovery after surgical lip rejuvenation is significantly longer than with hyaluronic acid fillers. In cases of advanced aging where excess skin is present and the tissue has descended so much that gravity can no longer be counteracted with fillers or Botox, a facelift becomes the most appropriate solution.
SURGICAL PROCEDURE FOR A YOUTHFUL SMILE AND FULLER LIPS
The shape and position of the lips can also be corrected with surgical procedures. It is well known that the distance between the nose and the upper lip increases significantly with age, causing the lower teeth to become more exposed and giving the face an angry or dismissive look. This can be corrected by excising a strip of skin from the upper lip just beneath the nose (a “bull horn” excision). The scar is hidden in the shadow at the base of the nose and nostrils. By shortening the skin above the lip, the upper teeth become visible again, as is typical in youthful lips.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
As with any surgical procedure, the final result takes time, mainly for the swelling to subside. To minimize scarring, we use special sutures beneath the skin to anchor the upper lip to the connective structures under the nose. This relieves tension on the skin, prevents stretching of the scar, and makes it nearly invisible. The effect is immediate, but the full result becomes visible after about three weeks, when the patient comes for their first follow-up. Over the following months, the effect will continue to improve. The final appearance is seen after 3 months, when scars are fully healed, swelling is almost gone, and the lip area looks rejuvenated. The improved appearance can also be attributed to the softening of the soft tissues in the lips, skin, and underlying structures.
The result of an upper lip shortening procedure is permanent; however, it does not stop the natural aging process.
Potential complications include prolonged swelling, inflammation, or excessive scarring. With precise and gentle tissue handling during and after the procedure, the risk of complications is extremely low. If the patient has had permanent fillers (e.g., silicone, biopolymer, aquamid) injected into the lips previously, it is essential to inform the surgeon during consultation.
During the consultation, we carefully assess the amount of skin to be removed. Typically, 5–7 mm of skin is excised to achieve an attractive appearance and reveal the right amount of upper teeth. In patients with a particularly long upper lip, more skin may need to be removed. The ideal distance between the base of the nose and the red part of the upper lip is 10–18 mm, but this varies by individual and depends on each person’s facial proportions.
A surgical lip lift improves facial balance. Aging leads to the elongation of the white portion of the upper lip (the skin between the nose and the red part of the lip), which gives the face a stern and angry look. At the same time, upper teeth become hidden, and only the lower teeth remain visible, intensifying the harsh appearance. Aging also flattens the attractive relief lines of the upper lip (philtrum, Cupid’s bow) and causes vertical smoker’s lines to appear on both lips. By surgically shortening the area between the Cupid’s bow and the nose, the upper teeth become visible again, the red part of the lip curls outward, and the lips instantly regain a youthful appearance. The red lip area can be further refreshed with hyaluronic acid fillers, although after a surgical lip lift, this is often unnecessary.