Do Lip Lifts Look Natural?

There is a very pleasing curve of the upper lip that is only achievable by the bullhorn lip lift. Most women over 40 that are considering a lip augmentation really need a lip lift.

When performed correctly on the right patient, the subnasal lip lift looks perfectly natural and does not look strange or impart an "operated look". The best candidates are patients with a long distance between the base of the nose and the upper lip (the philtrum), who also want a subtle augmentation in upper lip size. There is a 7-10 day healing period where the incision is quite visible and red, but soon after this, makeup can be applied to camoflauge the area. As the swelling... more

Unfortunately all lip lifts leave visible evidence of their having been done. The areas around the lips and lower nose where most incisions are placed don't hide marks well. When people talk are eyes are drawn to their mouths and any imperfections are quickly and easily noticed. I gave up all lip lifts, corner of the mouth lifts etc. early on in my practice, could not handle the scars even on great healers. All I do these days is fillers or dermal-fat graft implants to the lips for... more

Lip lifts can be a very satisfying operation. It must be well planned and well executed.  In order to perform one the patient needs to be evaluated and be determined to be a good candidate.  There are specific areas of concern that should be addressed by the doctor. As with every surgery the benefits  should be far out weighed by the risks. Good luck. 

Lip lift is a tricky operation and if anything goes wrong with planning or doing the surgery or with healing, the result can be very diappointing and end up looking odd.  Also, anything but a "perfect scar" under the nostrils can look really bad, the so called "dirty nose" look.  I think fillers are a safer way to go for most lip rejuventation unless the upper lip is really, really long.  Also, sometimes it's the upper jaw that is a problem and... more

The key to a natural looking lip lift is 1) how the surgery is performed/designed and 2) Appropriate patient selection. The lip lift surgery is not for everyone and you must be evaluated by an experienced lip lift surgeon with and artistic eye in order to get an opinion if it is the right surgery for you. View the video link below to see a patient after subnasal lip lift procedure with her results and discussion on the procedure itself.

Lip lift procedures can be very natural with a very well hidden scar. The larger question is - is a lip lift the best procedure for you. Lip aging is a rather complicated process involving the loss of several defining conditions of the lips. A lip lift helps to increase red show of the lip but other procedures may need to be undertaken to better plump the lips, redefine the philtral columns, and redefine the natural slope of the upper lip. Determining which combination is right for you is... more

This is intended to achieve a subtle correction of a long upper lip. A dramatic change is not a realistic outcome. It also frequently requires the use of a corner lift. If not only the central one third of the lip is really lifted with this technique.