What is the best regimen for post-op scar care after a lip lift?

Question

I am really worried about having a visible scar, especially as I have an upward turned nose. What is the best regimen for post scar care? Silicone gel or silicone strips? Moisturiser as well, vit E or Bio-Oil? How do I combine the two? Obviously I will wear SPF too - under or over the silicone gel??

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

Scar care after a lip lift is important, particularly because the incision sits directly beneath the nose and is very visible. The good news is that scars generally continue to soften and fade for many months, so early on, the goal is to support proper healing rather than constantly adding products.
Once the incision is fully closed and your surgeon confirms that the wound has healed, I generally favor silicone gel or silicone sheets/strips as the main scar-treatment product. You don't necessarily need both—the important thing is consistent use.
- Silicone gel: Apply a thin layer to clean, completely dry skin and allow it to dry before applying anything over it.
- Silicone strips: These can be particularly useful because they maintain continuous contact with the scar, but they need to be tolerated well without irritating the surrounding skin.
- Moisturizer: Fine to use around the scar, but I wouldn't layer a heavy moisturizer underneath silicone because it can interfere with adhesion and the silicone's contact with the scar.
- Vitamin E/Bio-Oil: These aren't essential for scar treatment, and some people develop irritation or contact dermatitis from vitamin E. I would prioritize silicone rather than adding several different products.
- SPF: This is extremely important. Once the area has healed, use a broad-spectrum SPF 30–50 around the scar and the rest of the face. If you're using silicone gel, let it dry completely first and then apply sunscreen over it. With silicone strips, sunscreen can be applied to the surrounding exposed skin, but the strip itself provides a physical covering while it is in place.
A simple routine would therefore be: gentle cleansing → completely dry the area → silicone gel or silicone strip → sunscreen during the day. You can moisturize the surrounding skin as needed.
I would also avoid picking, scrubbing, or aggressively massaging a fresh incision. Massage can sometimes be helpful later in the healing process, but only after the incision is completely healed and your surgeon has cleared you to do so.
Most importantly, don't start silicone or other scar products on an open, draining, or crusted incision. If the scar becomes increasingly red, painful, swollen, warm, or starts draining, that needs medical evaluation rather than additional scar products.

Timothy Osborn, MD · Answer

Vitamin E is great for scars. It can help to lighten their appearance. SPF is super important, especially in the weeks following the procedure to prevent pigmentation. It is important during the surgery that enough sutures are placed to secure the incision and prevent pulling/stretching of the skin, which would make the scar larger. Unfortunately there is no way to complete a lip lift without leaving a visible scar, so you do have to weigh the pros and cons.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

When performed properly this scar is well hidden within the base of the nose. For few months after surgery application of silicone gel may be beneficial.  Hope this helps.

Jacob Tower, MD · Answer

Hello, hope you are well. Your surgeon will undoubtedly advise you on their preferred wound care regimen. I generally recommended a topical antimicrobial to start, and then switch to silicone gel. You can buy a silicone gel that has SPF, or apply sunscreen first followed by silicone gel.
Best,Dr. Tower

Raffy Karamanoukian, MD, FACS - Account Suspended · Answer

Plastic surgery scars require attention after surgery so that they remain cosmetically-appealing and barely noticeable. In our office, we use a protocol for scars that minimizes their activity in the 6-8 weeks after surgery. If you have late plastic surgery scars, you may also require laser and RF therapy to help reduce the longterm effects of the scarring. Keloids, hypertrophic scars, widened scars, red scars, and hyperpigmented scars all require scar modulation with topical creams followed by lasers and RF therapy. Topical skincare should be directed to a specific need, whether for pigmentation or hypertrophy and our office can guide you through the process to obtain the correct Plato’s Scar cream or Melarase cream for hypertrophy and discoloration. In terms of lasers, we would employ the vbeam laser for redness, Venus Viva RF, PRP microneedling, chemical peels, and Morpheus 8, fractional erbium, or fractional co2. All of these have their individual benefits. Most of all, we recommend you visit a solid plastic surgeon who understands surgical scar revision, laser therapy, and RF therapy for scars. 
 
Best, 
Dr. Karamanoukian
Realself100 Surgeon

What is the best regimen for post-op scar care after a lip lift?

Answers (5)

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