Upper Lip Lift 14 days ago - will my nostrils return to normal or stay huge and distorted like this? (Photos)

Question

I had an upper lip lift (with upper eyelid lift and cheek fat transfer) 14 days ago. My nostrils are very wide open, and the edge of the L nostril is distorted at edge/ base. Is this due to swelling in the nasal tip, or is this permanent distortion? There is also some puckering of skin on RHS that is become obvious as swelling goes, will this flatten out by itself same as LHS? When will most of swelling be gone, eg 85% of final result?Really worried about this all .

Miguel Mascaro, MD · Answer

Hi! Thank you for your question and pictures.  Based on how your incision is looking, you are still fairly swollen.  Remember you have two reasons to have a fair amount of swelling in the midface/upper lip - the fat transfer to the cheeks as well as the lip lift.  It's going to take a little bit of time to settle down.  Every doc's technique is different, and skin redraping is based on individuals ability to heal, so the answer for 85% of the final result varies from person to person and physician to physician.  That being said, I like to say that by 1 month you'll be 80% there (for most people, everyone is different), but 3 months 95%, and 6 months to a year for that last 5%.  Hang in there, and make sure you keep your doc up to date on how you are doing! Best of luck.

Jed H. Horowitz, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello samiraI would advice you wait till total recovery to see your final result, this is mostly due to swelling but you should visit or contact your plastic surgeon about this concern.

Sarah Saxon, MD · Answer

I see what you are saying in your photos, but I would give it some more time. It looks like your nose and lip is still swollen. I do not typically see permanent changes to the shape of the nose, but if the muscle was incorporated somehow there is potential that it can. You'll be able to see close to your final result at about 3 months, but the scar will continue to mature after that. 
My recommendation is to go to your surgeon with your concerns. If you want a second opinion, be sure to go to someone who does lip lifts on a weekly basis and has good results to show. 
Best of luck to you,
Sarah Saxon, MD

Greg Bran, MD, PhD · Answer

Hi there and thank you for your interest. According to your photos the upper lip, and the cheeks are still quite swollen - which is absolutely normal taking into consideration when your surgery was performed. Using an ointment on your lip lift scar will not only accelerate the healing process, it will effectively reduce the tension along the incision line and thereby the visibility of the scar.
You should discuss with your surgeon if you are allowed to perform gentle pressure massage in your upper lip area. similar to post rhinoplasty, this type of massage helps reducing the swelling. Once the swelling goes down, the shape of the nostrils and the upper lip will improve due to the  reduction of vertical pull.
Get well soon

Upper Lip Lift 14 days ago - will my nostrils return to normal or stay huge and distorted like this? (Photos)

Answers (4)