What can be done to fix my lip lift results? (Photo)

Question

I underwent a lip lift procedure in mid-November. However, I have noticed that the skin near the sides of my nose pulls unnaturally whenever I smile. This is causing a deep line underneath and affecting my nasolabial fold. I am extremely upset by this and do not know what options are available to fix it.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

Few months after surgery you still have “significant”  swelling and rigidity in the area. Exactly what you experience when smiling. It will soften and improve over time (1 year). Keep smiling it helps.

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. It can be especially upsetting when a procedure that was supposed to improve your appearance leaves you feeling more self-conscious. The pulling you describe near the sides of the nose, particularly when smiling, can occur during the healing process after a lip lift, but the timing and severity are important.
If your procedure was only recently performed, scar tissue, swelling, and tissue contraction can temporarily create tension or an unusual pull around the base of the nose and upper lip. As the tissues mature, this can soften considerably. Scar maturation can take several months, so I would be cautious about considering a corrective procedure too early unless there is a significant complication.
If the pulling persists after the tissues have adequately healed, the appropriate treatment depends on what is actually causing the distortion. Possible approaches can include scar management, massage once the incision is fully healed, steroid treatment for an unusually thick scar when appropriate, or revision surgery to release and reposition tethered tissue. In some cases, carefully selected filler or other nonsurgical treatments may help soften an associated fold, but I would not recommend simply filling the nasolabial fold without first determining why the tissue is being pulled.
A revision should be approached conservatively. The surgeon would need to assess the incision, the amount of tissue removed, the position of the upper lip, and how the tissues move dynamically when you smile. Sometimes the issue is not the nasolabial fold itself but tension or tethering from the lip-lift incision, so treating only the fold may not address the underlying problem.
Because this is a postoperative concern, I would first have the original surgeon examine you, particularly if you are still within the healing period. If you develop increasing redness, warmth, drainage, significant swelling, severe pain, or other signs of infection, you should be evaluated promptly.
Most importantly, try not to assume that what you see right now is necessarily your final result. Lip-lift scars and surrounding tissues can continue changing for many months, and early postoperative pulling can improve substantially as the tissues soften and mature.

What can be done to fix my lip lift results? (Photo)

Answers (2)

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