Does a lip lift cause chin strain? (photos)

Question

Hi, I'm considering a lip lift with fat graft. My lips close perfectly. When my mouth is at rest, you see my bottom teeth and a 'bit' of my upper teeth. If I had a lip lift, would I still be able to close my mouth comfortably without making my chin look wrinkled/strained (I think is called Mentalis Muscle Strain)?

Jeffrey H. Spiegel, MD · Answer

Hi Shelly8,We would not expect any chin strain from a lip lift.  I do these procedures every week, commonly in the office under local anesthesia, and we've never had that problem.  Find an experienced surgeon and you'll be in good hands.

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and I appreciate your concern. Rest assured that as long as your lip lift is performed by an experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon, you should not have to worry about mentalis muscle strain. The purpose of a lip lift is to shorten the philtrum (the area between the nose and lip), and increase mucosal (red) show of the lip. Based on your images, it appears you would see a good result from a properly performed lip lift.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

A lip lift should not induce a mentalis muscle strain. With a lip lift the actual lower edge of the upper lip does not move that much upward. It moves far less than the actual amount of skin removed.

Does a lip lift cause chin strain? (photos)

Answers (3)