Does a lip lift, help vertical lip lines (smokers lines)?

HelloThe end result of a lip lift is subtle, but the benefits are substantial. Several changes are noted almost immediately:

Shortening of the lip length between the nose and mouth
Increased tooth show
Increased sensuality of the mouth
Shortening of the perceived length of the lower midface
Turning the Cupid’s bow upwards – lip eversion
Increasing the volume of the pink and white lip
Improvement of lipstick bleed lines and wrinkles
Subtle improvement of the corners of the mouth
Makes the lips and lower face appear younger
Improves the definition of the philtral columns and Cupid’s bow
Improvement by offsetting the balance seen in patients with a simian appearance around the mouth
Decreased need for fillers

​Fillers such as Restylane Silk, Belotero, or Juvederm can work well to treat lines around the mouth, but the best first option is laser resurfacing or deep peels to induce collagen production. Superficial radiofrequency devices and microneedling can help as well and are less invasive. I suggest going to an experienced cosmetic dermatologist with expertise in lasers and fillers. Best, Dr. Emer​

Dear Happy traveller,
Thanks for your question.  A lip lift will not get rid of vertical lip lines, except a portion of them may be excised with the skin that is removed.  Vertical lines are best treated with a combination of Botox, fillers, and resurfacing.  Nasolabial fillers usually do not interfere with the lip lift procedure.  However, in general, if you're thinking of undergoing a surgical procedure, it's best to get fillers done after the procedure so that your surgeon can best evaluate your face.  Hope that helps.
Best wishes,Dr. Amy Hsu

Thank you for your question. A lip lift does not affect vertical lip lines unless they are within the area of skin excised during the procedure. I like to address the lip lines with a series of microneedling plus Volbella  or Belotero injected directly into the lines. The key is building the collagen back up in the area, so products such as TNS Essential Serum work in conjuction with microneedling. Another option would be to have CO2 laser resurfacing which is quicker but has more downtime right after treatment as opposed to the other option which has virtually no downtime. 
For your question about filler in the nasolabial folds, I tend to want all filler gone before doing a lip lift. I used to think otherwise, but I have had one instance where the nasolabial fold was injected at the base of the nose on one side that I did not know about. Once the filler went away, the lip lift looked a little asymmetric which I could have accounted for during the procedure had the filler not been there. 
Best of luck to you,
Sarah Saxon, MD