Profile balancing - upper lip lift?

Question

I am getting a rhinoplasty soon and I’ve never been in love with any profile morphs so far so I started playing around with photoshop. It turns out, if I make my upper lips protrude out more I’m in love with my profil. My bottom lip is bigger than my top lip. How would I be able to achieve a top lip that sticks out more? I’m thinking implant plus lip lift or lip lift plus filler/fat? Thanks in advance.

Jacob Tower, MD · Answer

Hello, hope you are well. A lip lift reduces the length of the philtrum, and increases vermilion and dental show. It does not do as much to increase projection, but that is where augmenting the lip may be beneficial. (These procedures are often done at the same time in my practice). There are many different options for lip augmentation (implant, tissue grafting, etc). The choices for that are a bit more nuanced. If you provide photos, a more personalized answer can be given, Good luck!
Best,Dr. Tower

Ruslan Zhuravsky, DO · Answer

Great observation. When deciding on the ideal nose, we have to take all the surrounding features into consideration. The morphing process is something I find to be critical for success. I do this along with my patients, bouncing off their feedback and explaining things along the way, as it is a collaborative process. There are many other instances such as yours, but from what I am hearing, it sounds like maybe your maxilla is retruded, or maybe its just lack of support around the nasal spine. In either case, a lip lift is frequently a great add on procedure. It elevates the lip, and also rolls out the top border to give a subtle increase in projection (not duck like). With rhinoplasty we occasional have to put a plumping graft of cartilage at the base to increase projection, but that wont account for the whole lip. Lastly, it can also be that you have a tensioned base of the nose at the nasal spine. I often see these left untreated and they can distort the whole final aesthetic. Perhaps repost the question with photos of this area, or address it at the consultations. Hope this helps!

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

If you want the upper lip to project more anteriorly then you need fillers.  A lip lift elevates the lip not make the lip more anterior.  A lip lift does 4 things: shortens the distance between your nose and upper lip, increases the mucosa of the upper lip, increases the incisor show and pulls up the corners.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Profile balancing - upper lip lift?

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Profile balancing - upper lip lift?

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Everything you need to know about Lip Lift

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.