Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in patients wanting fuller, more enhanced lips.
The popularity of larger lips keeps growing, leading many to turn to lip fillers. Lip fillers will enhance lips, but they require maintenance at least once a year. This can become time-consuming and costly for patients who are looking to have permanently bigger lips.
Lip lift surgery is a one-time procedure that permanently accentuates lips for a younger, fuller look.
The term “lip lift” can be somewhat confusing, since there is also a “lip flip” intervention, which uses neuromodulators (Botox or Dysport) to increase the visualized amount of the upper red lip.
The difference between a lip lift and a lip flip is that the lip lift is a surgical procedure that decreases the amount of “white lip,” creating a more visible, youthful appearing red lip.
When thinking about lip anatomy, we can divide the lips into the red and white lip.
The upper white lip extends from the top red lip to the bottom of the nose, and the lower white lip extends from the bottom red lip to the horizontal crease above your chin.
During the lip lift procedure, we remove a portion of the upper white lip to effectively increase the proportion of the upper red lip, which is associated with a younger, more feminine appearance.
Lip fillers like Juvederm, Restylane, and Refyne increase the height of the red lip, but there is only so much vertical height that can be added by upper lip filler injections.
Overdoing fillers can lead to the upper lip being overfilled, causing a “duck lip” appearance.
Patients are trending more towards subtle lip enhancement and wanting to look natural while having subtly bigger lips. Overdoing filler can potentially cause lips that are too dramatic and larger than the patient wants.
A lip lift offers a more permanent solution to lip rejuvenation.
Paying a one-time cost for a lip lift that will last forever may make more sense than getting lip fillers annually and paying several thousand dollars over the course of years.
A lip lift can address two main aesthetic issues.
First, an elongated upper white lip is a sign of aging. As women age, their upper white lip gets longer, and the lower red lip gets smaller. This is not something patients typically notice about themselves, but it is a subliminal sign of aging.
A lip lift removes part of the upper white lip, restoring lips to their youthful look.
The second main reason patients choose a lip lift is that an elongated upper white lip is associated with a more masculine appearance. Reducing it can adjust the face to appear more feminine.
Decreasing the size of the white lip accentuates the red lip, making it appear bigger — leading to a more feminine, youthful appearance.
There are two categories of patients who elect to have a lip lift surgery done.
The first is the older patient that has age-related elongation of the upper white lip. This procedure results in less white lip and more red lip, which causes patients to look far younger.
The second patient candidate is the younger patient who has been making frequent office visits for lip filler injections. By decreasing the amount of white lip, this gives the appearance of a fuller red lip.
They choose to have a lip lift done for a variety of reason, whether it is the convenience, cost, or permanent results.
The short answer is yes.
Anytime we make an incision in the skin it will result in a scar.
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by our patients and we certainly see why patients would be hesitant to have a scar located on their face.
However, choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon with decades of experience in facial plastic surgery is essential. Experienced, certified surgeons like Dr. Edwin Williams will utilize wound closure techniques to ensure that patients have the least scarring possible.
During surgery, we can hide the incision in the crease along the bottom of the nose. The incision is configured in a curved, somewhat gull-wing, appearance that follows the natural contours of the bottom of your nose.
Once the healing process has completed, this incision should not be visible.
During the initial patient consultation with Dr. Williams, patients will discuss their desired results and the surgery itself to come to an agreement about the amount of white lip that should be removed.
The amount tends to be around four to six millimeters, but this small amount of tissue removal can make a dramatic change for our patients, making them appear younger.
During the procedure, we use fine measuring tools called calipers to precisely measure the amount of skin to remove.
Some patients have an asymmetric upper red lip — a lip lift can remedy this by slightly altering the amount of tissue taken off on one side for a more symmetric result.
The lip lift is a relatively simple procedure, lasting about 30 to 45 minutes.
We can perform the surgery as an in-office procedure using local anesthesia or with sedation in our on-site surgery center. Some patients prefer to do this in the office to avoid anesthesia — and reducing the costs of operating room expenses and an anesthesia provider.
Additionally, the lip lift can be performed concurrently during other procedures that the patient may be having, like a facelift.
Lip lift surgery can be done quickly, safely and with minimal discomfort.
The sutures will remain in place for five to seven days.
At the Plastic Surgery Center at Williams, we use nonabsorbable sutures because these will be less inflammatory compared to the absorbable sutures and won’t leave permanent marks in the skin.
For the first few days after surgery, patients should apply an antibiotic ointment to the incision and then transition to using a product such as Aquaphor or Vaseline to keep the incision well hydrated during the healing process.
The incision should start to be concealed as you approach the second week after surgery. The normal healing process will leave the incision temporarily raised and red, however this can be easily hidden with makeup.
We tend to recommend patients stay home for about two weeks while healing from a lip lift.
We encourage all patients to wear sunscreen to prevent sun-related skin changes and skin cancer development, but it is especially important to protect your healing incision with sunscreen after lip lift surgery.
For at least the year after surgery, patients should wear sunscreen to prevent discoloration while the incision fully matures.
Our double board-certified specialized surgeons are experienced and dedicated to performing only facial plastic surgery procedures. Their expertise means that our patients have a smoother recovery and achieve their desired results.
To hear what our patients have to say about a lip lift procedure at the Plastic Surgery Center at Williams, watch this patient testimonial.
At the Plastic Surgery Center at Williams, our specialized surgeons would be happy to schedule a consultation to discuss a lip lift procedure.
During this consultation, patients can discuss their desired outcome and learn more about the lip lift surgery
If you have any questions regarding this procedure or would like to schedule a consultation, please give us a call at (518) 786-7000.