Lip Lift Reviews
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Bullhorn Lip Lift - Sacramento, CA

Worth It
Spent: $2,500 in Sacramento

Comments (18)

Updated 10 Jan 2012

Posted 29 Dec 2011

I had a lip lift this past July and I could not be more thrilled with the outcome. I had a long upper lip and it dragged my features down. I'm 45 and all my age was showing around my mouth. The bullhorn lip lift makes my face look considerably younger.

My doctor removed 8mm of skin. I had wanted more but he said it would look strange and he was right; he removed the perfect amount. He also managed to hide the scars so I don't have the line under my nose and the outcome of the scar is negligible--this is where choosing the right surgeon made a HUGE difference. He really cared about the outcome and did not want me to have a noticeable scar and I happy to say I don't.

The recovery process on this is ridiculously long. At first, I looked like a pig,then I looked like a fish. At one point, my mouth looked just like the mouth on the Predator in the Arnold Schwarznegger movie. That look morphed into a cat, and finally I had a subtle geisha girl look that hung around until the fourth month, but...IT WAS ALL WORTH IT!!

I am at 5 months recovery and I can see the full results now and they are fantastic! I would only recommend this if you really need it, or you are older, because it is a long process of healing and I heal quickly. It is not a surgery to take lightly or to do because you want to show more teeth. I showed more tooth for 2 months and then I showed the same amount as I always did.

My doctor and his staff were wonderful. His expertise as a surgeon is the reason I had a stellar outcome. I can see how, in the wrong hands, the results could be disastrous. I would recommend that you really research the procedure, ask a ton of questions, and prepare for a long downtime.

This review is the subjective opinion of a RealSelf member and not of RealSelf, Inc.

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My Doctor: Charles Perry, MD

My rating:

My doctor and his staff were top-notch on every level. He answered every question and was never condescending. Everyone made sure I was comfortable and they were all very patient about any concerns. My whole experience was great!

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Comments (18)

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VILLE331 3 Jan 2012
Jude
Congrats on your surgery, you look great. Would love to see an up close photo of your scar with no makeup now that you are 5 months post. I would benefit greatly from the procedure,but stll hesitant due to scarring. Thanks for sharing.
Jude28 9 Jan 2012
Hi,
I have added photos of the scar at 5 months. As you can see, I have on no make up and you can barely see it. I was told the under the nose/mouth area heals well because of the blood flow...that are a gets a lot.
Detts 5 Jan 2012
You do look good.
Did you get a corner lift too?
Was the pain manageable after the surgery?

Thanks for your valuable input.
Jude28 9 Jan 2012
Thanks :) I am happy & that is what is most important but even my husband thinks it looks good.
No corner lift, that brings in a whole new bag of tricks and more scars.
The pain was, surprisingly, not bad. Pain-wise, the only icky part was taking the stitches out-we numbed the area topically first because the nostril area is so sensitive.
VILLE331 8 Jan 2012
I also wanted to ask did you doctor due muscle and skin or skin only? Thanks.
Jude28 9 Jan 2012
No muscle...I know that Haworth does the muscle thing, and he is known for this, but I felt that was a dicey proposition and so did my PS. When I was researching the procedure I read a lot of forums, and read enough posts about issues after the muscle was cut. If the doctor knows how to do it the "skin only" is unlikely to have to be redone.
VILLE331 9 Jan 2012
Jude,
Thank you so much for sharing the new photos at 5 mos. WOW! It does not appear that the scar was placed in the nose? Did you have work done on you nose and if so did it play a part in your outcome? Why did you pick your PS? I am so very happy for you and your outcome. Thank you again for sharing.
Jude28 10 Jan 2012
No problem. I don't mind sharing because looking at this site helped me great deal when I was researching the procedure. The incision was made just below the nose, as opposed to the straight line under the nose, and I did not have work done on my nose.
I saw four other PSs before choosing my doctor because he is very honest and conservative but not so conservative that he does not hear you. He really listens to you and is able to read between the lines and his assistants are like that too. He said no when I thought I needed more that 8 mms, and he was so right. My lip was too high at first and I looked a bit like a cat; it took 4 months for most of the swelling to be gone.I know that others could probably not tell but I was told that it would be 4-6 months before I saw the final result of the surgery. Really...five months was the turning point. If you have any questions or want me to send you want to swap pics via email let me know. I know it's a HUGE decision.
VILLE331 11 Jan 2012
Jude
May I just say WOW once again. And, thank you for adding the extra photos in the out door light. I am an African American who has been "lurking" on this site for approx. a year now. My concern( like everyone I am sure) is scarring. I hypopigment, which means the scar will show up a bit more intense against my darker complexion. I saw May's results and thought she looked really great. I live in Texas and thought I would go to the same doctor that she had gone to (1rst one) as he is located in Texas. Of course at that time I did not understand that placing the scars inside the nose was causing so many negative issues. I have seen the results for "SnowPrincess" who saw a Dr.Svelak in the LA area her results are great as well. She states that her doctor did skin and muscle excision. There are a couple of others that have had great results and are happy with the outcome. However there are quite of few who post about negative outcomes. I saw where "Sandy/Texas" stated that there is recent negative post about Dr. Haworth who I thought was suppose to be the "premier top dog" in such procedures. Of course he is only human but still. I have been dealing with some health and am feeling better now than I have in a long time. My hope is to get the surgery done by summers end..... if I continue to progress health wise. Dr. Perry is definately on my list for consideration. How long did you have to keep your stitches in? If I travel to Sacramento I am guessing I would need to be there at least 5 days? I have been to California a few times but never Sacramento. I would consider it a "working vacation" of sorts.:) Though I have not taken any photos of my lip once I do I would be happy to share them with you. I am sending my email address on the messages link above or if you wish you may message me thru this link as well. Thanks again for your help.
Jude28 22 Jan 2012
Hi
I had my stitches in for a week & I did not go anywhere for an additional week after that because it was still pretty raw looking. After 2 weeks I could cover it w/ make-up. I would think you would need to be in Sac for a week but it's better to do it right then have to deal w/ revisions like May did. I'm almost at 6 months and my scar is almost gone; it's not white either-just a small line that you need a magnifying mirror to see. I have your email & I will send you some pics. I know that darker complexions are more prone to hypo-pigmented scarring but the line is soooo tiny.
L.A. 22 Jan 2012
I am thinking about a lip lift, but I don't want my already large nostrils to appear any bigger. Are yours bigger than they were originally, or can you see more of the floor of the nostril than before?
Jude28 22 Jan 2012
I understand because I have a wider nose. The answer is no they are not bigger than they were before & no I can't see more of the nostril floor. While it was swollen the nostrils were a bit different & they changed. Of course, this was something only I could see but now at almost 6 months-they are the same as they were before surgery. If you look at my pics you can see it's the same. The only issue I can see is if you have a wide mouth...the LL only lifts the center and then your corners can droop...I have a smaller, pouty mouth so this was not an issue in the end but I did have a geisha girl thing going on for a bit until it all settled.
Rosie55 4 Feb 2012
Jude, your pics do look good. How do your lips look now? Did you have any lip injections? If so, with what? If you did, do you continue to do so - and does that make a difference in maintaining the look? I had a lip suspension with subsequent fat injections about 4 years ago and it has totally fizzled. Can't even tell it ever happened. However, no skin was removed. The doctor used threads inside my nose. I'm now thinking that the lift that you had may have been the way to go. But, I have a wide thin smile, so maybe the bullhorn method without muscle won't work. Would you be willing to share the names of the doctors you saw, but didn't choose? Any recent pics? How long has it been now? Suggestions?
Jude28 15 Mar 2012
Hi
I had no lip injections at the time. All of the pics are very recent. I had the surgery the end of this past July. Everything still looks great. It is the best decision I ever made cosmetically speaking :)
I don't want to give names on here of the other docs but I'll send them to you privately. I may have gotten great outcomes from them too but...
I chose Dr. P because I felt he had the skills & the integrity to achieve a positive outcome.
My suggestion is to have many consultations and go with the doc you feel most confident about. One doc I saw in LA was incredibly cocky and I did not like that so...He did a lot of lip lifts but he was super annoying and I would not want to deal with him if something did go wrong & you never know w/ cosmetic surgery. I'll send you the names via email :)
deb6630 15 Mar 2012
what happens if you have a corner lift as well
Jude28 15 Mar 2012
It's my understanding that the effect could be more pronounced, and that can be good or bad. The corner lift leaves additional scars & some people look JOKER-ish. It was not for me but, as I mentioned above, I have a pouty mouth so the LL was enough.
mimi08 17 May 2012
Looks great! When they did the actual surgury were you under anestics or did they just numb the area really well? I'd perfer to be awake if possible. C
mimi08 17 May 2012
I accidently pressed enter...can you please tell me what the distance between your nose and lips are now? Thanks.

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