Is muscle hemming my only option for a shorter philtrum? (Photo)

Question

I want a lip lift so bad! My desired Dr. told me that because I have this muscle under my nose I wouldn’t be a good candidate for a skin only LL. He recommended muscle hemming which he does not do! I researched and it’s risky. I don’t see a lot of doctors that do it either. Is that the only way I’ll get my desired look? Will it increase the muscle because that’s where the stitches go permanently? Will a skin only LL be a bad choice in general? it doesn’t look long on the pics but is about 24 mm

Brock Ridenour, MD · Answer

In my opinion, muscle hemming is rarely required when performing a lip lift. Doctors love to develop nuance in surgical procedures to distinguish themselves, and sometimes these embellishments are confusing to the public. Muscle hemming can be useful when you want to roll the vermilion upward in a patient that has an already short cutaneous upper lip, but it is not needed to support the lip or prevent widening or migration of the sub-nasal scar. There are ways of closing the incision that anchor the lip to the stronger, deeper tissues for support. If you have a redundant muscle roll under your nose, it can be conservatively trimmed without impairing function. As already suggested, you can also use a very small amount of Botox to weaken the muscle.  Personally, I think that you are a good candidate for skin only lip lift.

Is muscle hemming my only option for a shorter philtrum? (Photo)

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Is muscle hemming my only option for a shorter philtrum? (Photo)

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