I am a 20 year old male with no visible upper lip and a long philtrum. Would a lip lift fix this issue? (photo)

Question

My philtrum is about 20 millimetres long, which is considerably longer than what I would prefer. However my main concern is that my upper lip is not visible when my mouth is in a neutral position. Would it be possible to fix this by undergoing a lip lift? Thanks.

Farhad Rafizadeh, MD · Answer

The lip lift can produce increased vermillion show. There are special techniques that I use to enhance this process further.

Gary Linkov, MD · Answer

There are surgical and non-surgical approaches to lip augmentation. Non-surgical approaches include botox (slight lift, reducing gum show) and filler (volume restoration). Surgically, you can have two separate incisions under the nose (italian), one incision under the nose (bull horn), one incision at the red/white upper lip junction (gull wing) or two separate incision at the corners, or a combination, depending on your desired look and anatomy. My preferred surgical technique is called the Elelyft, which is a version of the bullhorn approach.
The ideal candidate for the Elelyft, or upper lip lift, is someone with a philtral length of 15mm or longer, no upper dental show, and/or a thin upper lip. The nasal base to mouth width ratio needs to be taken into consideration to avoid leaving the lip corners down. 
You seem like a good candidate for the procedure, but a few additional angles would be important. 
Gary Linkov, MD
Lip Specialist
Manhattan

Greg Bran, MD, PhD · Answer

Hi there, thank you for your question. 
According to your photo the distance between your nose and your upper lip is elongated. Performing an upper lip lift will certainly improve the proportions of your lips. Shortening this distance by removing a strip of skin and lifting the upper lip towards your nose will create a more balanced appearance of your lips, add extra volume and redness to your upper lip. 
Do find a plastic surgeon who is well experienced with lip surgery in order to have an in-person consultation and discuss achievable results. Good luck!
Kind regards,
GB

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

A lip lift is one option for your upper lip and would be of some limited benefit, increasing the vermilion height of the Cupid's bow area mainly but not the sides of the upper lip. A lip advancement offers a complete approach to increased upper lip vermilion show of the whole upper lip.

Piotr Osuch, MD · Answer

From a limited photo you attached, I think it's possible to perform a lip lift in your case. You seem to have quite a long philitrum, which is a key parameter for a lip lift surgery. Your upper lip appears to be quite thin; after lip lift it'll be pulled over, thus it'll be more prominent. I could say more if I could see full pics of your face to review nose-lip ration & overall face proportions. 
best regards, 
Piotr Osuch, MD, PhD

I am a 20 year old male with no visible upper lip and a long philtrum. Would a lip lift fix this issue? (photo)

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