Can This Crooked Philtrum Be Corrected?

Question

I'm a 22 year old male, and something which bothers me a lot about the way I look is my crooked mouth / philtrum area. Possibly caused by braces. What options are available to me to correct this? Would something as simple as acupuncture correct this? Muscles in the left side of my face are alot stronger than right, 3rd pic - cannot perform the same 'sneer' face expression on the right side with either right nose or lip.

Otto Joseph Placik, MD · Answer

You may want to consider the use of botulinum toxin as a temporary solution to muscle imbalance of the upper lip.

Ben Lee, MD · Answer

Everyone has static and dynamic facial assymetries. By dynamic I mean that there can be assymetries in muscle tone and strength in different areas of the body. Consider that one of your arms is stronger than the other. In the face, this can create distorted expressions and imbalance. I would not consider surgery for your condition. This can result in scarring which can worsen your condition. Botox can be attemted in order to achieve more muscular balance, but this can be tricky. My suggestion would be to accept this situation as intervention could lead to other undesired consequences

Steven Wallach, MD · Answer

Everyone has asymmetry and some more than others. I would not recommend trying to improve on the asymmetry that you have it will leave you with unwanted scars.

Can This Crooked Philtrum Be Corrected?

Answers (3)