How to Get Up-turned Lips?

In certain instances, patients may develop sharp downward turning of the corners of the mouth making them look sad or angry. There is a procedure called a "corner lift" which lifts the outer corners of the mouth and pulls them out of the deep groove which blends with the marionette lines. There are a few variations on the incisions ranging from triangular excisions to heart shaped excions of skin with repositioning of the corner (commissures) of the mouth. Typical removable... more

For patients under 60, or whose skin is moderately firm, placement of a hyaluronic filler can correct this problem quite readily. My preference for this area is Restylane since I feel it gives better support. However, Juvederm can be used, especially if there are other areas to be filled that are more adaptable to this filler. The filler is injected into the small triangle that seems to form with the down-turned smile. This is done with a fanning technique approaching at different... more

What you describe is a very common concern, that is, the downturned corners of the mouth. This can be addressed by: 1. Injectables like Restylane or Juvederm. When these are injected into the corners of the mouth, it can serve as a platform to lift up the corners. 2. Surgery. The most direct approach is an anguloplasty (AKA a "corner lift"). This procedure can be done under local anesthesia where a triangle or heart shaped portion of skin is removed from each corner of the... more

Hi, There are two fairly easy ways to accomplish this.  The first is with the use of Botox.  There is a muscle called depressor anguli oris which runs from the corner of the mouth to the angle of the chin.  If you place a small amount equally to both sides where the muscle meets the jaw, you will block that muscle and naturally lift the smile up.  If this technique still does not pull your smile up, you can add a filler such as Juvederm or Radiesse, or Restylane... more

Depending on the individual, there are different approaches to this problem. For most people, conservative management is effective, simple, and safe.  There are two approaches that I usually use together.  The first is to weaken the muscle called the depressor anguli oris.  This muscle pulls down on the corners of your mouth.  This is accomplished with a small amount of Botox. Putting Botox here is not to be confused with placing it in the lips where... more

Downward desend of the lip corners is a common complaint as people age. As many of my colleagues have posted, the best strategies include either a filler such as restylene or juvederm or facelift procedure. The latter will of course correct for other signs of facial ageing too.

This is a common complaint for many of my patients.  For the younger patient, it is easy to correct with facial fillers like Juvederm or restylane.  For older patients, there may also be laxity of the soft tissues that would best be served by a Facelift  to get the lip to turn up.