The lips are a defining feature of the face, and full, well-defined lips are often associated with youth and beauty. For those with thin and uneven lips—or those whose lips have lost volume with age—dermal fillers are often cited as the ideal treatment for adding volume and shapeliness. Indeed, our double board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Beaty, and Kelsey Taylor, NP can augment the lips with Restylane Silk, Kysse, or Juvéderm Ultra or Volbella. But these are temporary changes, as the body will eventually absorb the hyaluronic acid in these fillers and the lips will return to their original size and shape. A surgical lip lift provides permanent changes to a patient’s lips, elevating the upper lip and enhancing how much of the pigmented portion of the lip shows. This can help make the lips appear fuller and shapelier while also combatting common signs of aging around the mouth.
What Is Lip Lift?
A lip lift is a surgical procedure designed to shorten the philtrum—the area of skin between the top lip and the nose. By shortening the philtrum, Dr. Beaty is able to increase the amount of pink lip tissue that’s visible. This makes the lips look fuller and more pronounced. It may also increase how much of your upper central teeth show when your lips are resting, which is considered aesthetically appealing. Whereas the injection of dermal fillers adds volume to the lips, lip lifts add height.
Surgical vs. Non-Surgical Lip Augmentation
At Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery, we offer a variety of different lip enhancement treatments to achieve different goals. The three primary categories are: Lip Lift, Lip Flip, and Lip Filler.
- Lip Lift: A lip lift is a surgical procedure designed to shorten the space between the nose and the top lip (philtrum), increasing how much of the pigmented lip shows and creating a more full and shapely upper lip arch.
- Lip Flip: A lip flip uses neurotoxin injections—such as BOTOX Cosmetic—to relax the muscles around the mouth. This can allow the lips to “flip” outward, making them appear fuller.
- Lip Filler: Non-surgical lip augmentation involves the use of hyaluronic acid-based fillers to enhance the volume and definition of the lips.
Who Is a Good Candidate for a Lip Lift?
A lip lift is a great surgery for people with very thin lips. It’s also a good option when you’re getting older, as the space between our nose and the top of the lips tends to increase, and this makes our lips appear thinner. For patients who have been using dermal fillers to augment their lips, lip lifts can provide a permanent alternative. Also, some people find fillers make their lips look unnaturally plump. A lip lift doesn’t do that. Plus, fillers require regular sessions, every 9 to 12 months, whereas lip lifts are permanent.
If you don’t have much space in your philtrum (at least 1.5 centimeters), the lip lift may not be a good procedure. Dr. Beaty needs to remove some of this skin to provide the lift.
How Is a Lip Lift Performed?
Our facial plastic surgeons generally perform lip lifts with the patient under local anesthesia, usually with some sedation. After your upper lip and nose area are numb, Dr. Beaty makes markings on your upper lip based on the goals you are seeking to achieve. Next, they make an incision along the bottom of the nostrils and columella. Your surgeon then removes the necessary portion of skin, closing the incision with very small stitches to virtually eliminate any visible scarring. It is important to keep in mind that each procedure will be personalized to the anatomy and goals of the patient, so your treatment plan may vary from what is presented here.
What Are the Different Types of Lip Lifts?
Everyone’s lips are different, and patients have different goals. That’s why there are a number of different types of lip lifts Dr. Beaty may use.
- Direct lip lift — Sometimes called a gullwing lip lift, this method creates a more defined lip border. Here, a thin strip of skin is removed just above the upper lip, and the skin is then pulled upwards. This creates a more pronounced vermillion, the pink part of the lips. But this lift does leave a scar on the upper lip area.
- Subnasal bullhorn — This is the most common method, as described above. Here, Dr. Beaty makes an incision that is hidden along the base of the nose. The incision is often made in the shape of a bullhorn and the center, right, and left of the lip are all pulled up toward the nose.
- Central lip lift — This is similar to the subnasal bullhorn, but it focuses on the center area of the upper lip.
- Corner lip lift — As we age, the corners of our mouth tend to descend, giving us a perpetually slight frown. A corner lip lift corrects this. Dr. Beaty makes two small incisions at both corners of the mouth and then removes a small amount of skin. This elevates the corners into a neutral or even slightly upturned position.
What Will Recovery Be Like After a Lip Lift?
After a lip lift, you’ll need to lay low for several days, as you will have swelling along the upper lip and around the lower nose. This can be noticeable, but it is completely normal. Most patients report that any discomfort can be well-managed with adequate rest and over-the-counter medication. During this period, patients will want to minimize any activities that cause blood pressure to increase in the face. Exercise and other forms of exertion need to wait at least two weeks. After those two weeks, your swelling should begin to resolve and your new lip shape will begin to appear, but it will take a full 2-3 months before you see your final results.
In order to best optimize your post-lip lift recovery, we recommend eating a low-sodium diet to reduce swelling, drinking plenty of clear fluids, minimizing facial movements, and getting a lot of rest. It may be best to eat primarily soft foods or cut your food into smaller pieces to avoid straining your incisions when chewing. You will also want to keep your lips moisturized, and our care team can provide specific product recommendations for you during your lip lift consultation.
When Will I See My Lip Lift Results?
As mentioned above, you will have some swelling after your lip lift, and it can be dramatic. This will obviously cloud your initial perception of your results, but it is important to remain calm and remember that the final outcome will not become apparent for 2-3 months. Swelling will begin to run its course in two to three weeks, but it can return, especially at night if you’ve been on your feet a lot during the day. The best thing you can do to ensure an efficient healing process and an exceptional aesthetic result is to follow all of your surgeon’s post-operative instructions. Our team is also here to answer any questions you may have during the recovery process and beyond.
Will My Lip Lift Look Natural?
Many patients gravitate towards lip lift surgery precisely because the results are generally quite natural-looking. Furthermore, as a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Beaty has the training, extensive knowledge of facial anatomy, and surgical experience to deliver exceptional results tailored to your anatomy and goals. Essentially, a lip lift is the removal of a small amount of skin, usually right below the nose, to gently lift the upper lip. This creates a pleasing, naturally higher upper lip without the need for artificial volume enhancement via fillers. If you’ve always disliked thin lips but don’t like the results gained with dermal fillers, a lip lift from Dr. Beaty is a great option.
Will I Have Lip Lift Scars?
As with any surgical procedure, a lip lift does involve the creation of incisions, which may result in scarring. That said, our double-board-certified facial plastic surgeons have the requisite skill and experience to blend the incisions into the natural contours of the face for maximum discretion. In most cases, lip lift scars are carefully hidden under the nose. Once fully healed, they are typically not noticeable. For patients receiving a directed or corner lip lift, additional incisions may be made along the upper lift or the corners of the mouth. Our surgeons meticulously place these incisions so that they blend into the naturally pigmented edges of the lips, ensuring any scarring is virtually undetectable once healed. Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery also offers a number of skin treatments—such as microneedling—that can help further diminish any visible scarring for a beautiful, natural-looking result.
What Is a Non-Surgical Lip Flip?
The lip flip is a popular way to obtain a fuller appearance to the upper lip—without the need for surgery. This office procedure works by injecting very small amounts of BOTOX above the upper lip, relaxing the orbicularis muscle. This allows the lip to “flip” upward at its edge, creating a fuller appearance. Not only is this a quick in-office procedure, but many patients like it because there is no filler present and it does not add any bulk to the lip. At Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery, our expert injectors will help you decide if the lip flip may be a good procedure for you.
Our providers specialize in non-surgical procedures, facial plastic surgery options and more.
If you would like to learn more about our services, please contact us to speak with one of our experts.
