Can a rhinoplasty correct a pig nose due to lip lift? (Photos)

Question

I want both lip lift and rhinoplasty. I’m finding lip lifts often pull the nostrils down creating a pig nose look. Could a rhinoplasty correct it? I want to get a rhinoplasty either way, so I was thinking of doing lip lift first, then after seeing how it affects my nose after say a year of fully healing, then I could asses how to go about my nose. I know you can do both simultaneously, otherwise the rhinoplasty is usually encouraged first, but due to the pig nose, I prefer this route.

Ronald J. Edelson, MD · Answer

I think a lip lift is worthless. You are correct in noticing what one patient referred to as monkey face. You’re a great candidate for a rhinoplasty. Lip lift is not so great. Save yourself the money and aggravation

Selcuk Inanli, MD · Answer

Hello! Thank you for your question.When you try to do lip lift or the rhinoplasty one after another will be much difficult. Since the incision site is the same in both, cutting the wound again after it heals will not be correct and will make the surgery difficult. Therefore, it will be much more easier to do it at the same time. It would be more convenient to decide with face-to-face consultation. Best Regards!

Jonathan Kulbersh, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and for the photos you provided.  Since rhinoplasty is one of the most complex of all plastic surgery procedures, requiring experience, skill, and even artistry to achieve an optimal outcome, it may be best to have this procedure done prior to a lip lift. Once you’ve healed from rhinoplasty and assessed the results, a lip lift procedure can then be considered. When performed correctly, the incision for a lip lift should be minimal and have little to no effect on the appearance of your nose. I recommend scheduling an in-person consultation with an experienced, board-certified facial plastic surgeon, with expertise in rhinoplasty techniques. They will be able to discuss your concerns and aesthetic goals with you to help you decide on the best course of action.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

Based on these photos, you should do both rhinoplasty and lip lift in the same time. Mayor element of lip lift is excision of the muscle in addition to the skin. For that reason, observation you made regarding appearance of nostrils is not seen in our patients?. However, doing lip lift after nose surgery result is stable and mature, would be safe. Good luck.

Steven M. Denenberg, MD · Answer

I'm personally not in love with lip lifts. I've seen too many patients who had the result you're concerned about: that the nostril edges get pulled down. And I don't have a way of correcting that. And I typically think the results are either not very noticeable or look wrong, somehow. Just my two cents.
For the rhinoplasty, the two cartilages that form the tip of your nose are strong and broad. They make the tip look wide-ish (well seen on the second image you posted, where the contour of the right side of your nose curves around the tip), and they also hold the tip down, making the nose perhaps longer than it needs to be, and they also hold the tip out away from your face, so the entire nose could be brought back closer to the face. We call that "de-projecting" the nose.
How *much* to elevate or narrow the tip, or deproject the nose, or make other changes? We figure that out with morphs, well before surgery. I'd love for you to see some excellent professionally-designed morphs of what could possibly be done with your nose. Morphs could also help you identify better just what's bothering you, and help you set a goal for the rhinoplasty that's accurate for your tastes. Profile and three-quarter views would be particularly important in morphing your nose. (Side note: in my opinion, morphs should really be done by the surgeon, or he should direct an assistant as she makes the morphs. Morphs should be made with a constant eye to what actually *can* be done in surgery, for that particular nose, and the surgeon has that information and judgment best.)
Remember that rhinoplasty is an exquisitely difficult operation to get right, and you should only have surgery if you are able to make yourself very confident in your surgeon's skills. The changes that your nose needs require advanced techniques, and skill that most plastic surgeons don't possess with expertise. For most noses, it's much better to not have surgery than to have inexpertly-performed surgery. Read my essay on how to stay out of trouble while selecting a rhinoplasty surgeon. And it also discusses how to take photos that are best for online evaluations.

Thomas Spalla, MD · Answer

Given your concerns, I don't think your rationale is unreasonable at all. Have the lip lift (conservatively done) first, and then have a rhinoplasty a year later. I'd wait the full year for scar maturation and relaxation prior to any tip manipulation.
There are multiple maneuvers that can be done during a rhinoplasty to support the tip and prevent it from drooping.
Since you didn't ask about your nose itself, I won't make recommendations as your desired nasal appearance is completely individualistic.
Best of luck!
~Dr. Spalla

Hakan Demir, MD · Answer

lip lift is a separate surgery .Lip lift is not to pull the nostrils down .If it is performed by correct technic and experienced hands it is not to effect nose or lip shape .What is a main purpose of lip lift surgery is shorten length between nostril sill and vermillion border .We suggest you that you can get both lip lift and rhinoplasty . Dr.Hakan Demir Antalya Turkey

William Portuese, MD · Answer

No, a rhinoplasty cannot correct a pig nose from as a direct result of a lip lift. From these photos, you don't have an elongated upper lip, and you will probably be unhappy with the scarring across the entire base of your nose from the lip lift procedure. In our practice, we do not even perform that procedure due to the poor results we have seen from other offices.
A closed rhinoplasty approach can accomplish Refinement of your bulbous nasal tip, shaving down the hump, narrowing the bridge line,and straightening your nose, with all the incisions placed on the inside of the nose itself. Rhinoplasty is the most difficult procedure to perform correctly in the entire field of cosmetic surgery, so choose your surgeon wisely based on extensive experience producing natural results.

Kenneth R. Francis, MD, FACS · Answer

Dear Charming,
A properly performed lip lift should never result in a "pig nose."  Perhaps your research has brought you to some overdone lip lift results.  At any rate, you can stage the procedures however you like.  So performing your lip lift first is certainly reasonable.  Good luck!

Can a rhinoplasty correct a pig nose due to lip lift? (Photos)

Answers (9)

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