Can the Function of the Upper Lip Change After Tension Nose is Released?

Removal of the anterior nasal spine and release of the depressor septi muscle can make the upper lip longer afterwards. It can also cause a horizontal line to form when smiling in some rare cases. These are well known effects from that exact procedure. The muscle is there for a reason and, while removing it may have solved one problem, this can be the trade-off. One fairly simple solution would be a subnasal lip lift. By removing some skin directly under the nose, you can shorten the middle third of the lip and 'resuspend' it so to speak. This is the only good option worth considering.

When you have a tension nose--typically caused by a septum that is "too large" for the nose--there is a fullness of the junction between the base of nose and the upper lip. This can effectively cause a shortening of the upper lip because it is being pushed outward at the nose/lip junction. This problem can also occur if there is a large anterior nasal spine as you mention in your case. Regardless, when the problem is corrected the upper lip is allowed to "relax" and it can make the lip appear longer. If you had a long lip to begin with, then this "relaxing" of the lip could have made your upper lip seem even longer. A lip lift might help shorten the lip a little, in order to allow for more of your teeth to show when you smile.

Hope this helps!

Dr. Y

The appearance of your upper lip is secondary to the removal of your nasal spine and probable lysis of the depressor septi muscle. There is nothing that can be done to repair the muscle, but the changes in lip appearance can be improved with the placement of a cartilage graft at the base of your nose at the posterior margin of the columella.