My upper lip has a deep indent when I smile. How can I treat this?

Question

I have had lip injections, last ones were Juvaderm, maybe 3 months ago. This might be something I'm just noticing...my appearance in every picture looks terrible, I couldn't pinpoint it! It's a deep curved horizontal line which makes my nose appear to be pointing downward even more than usual, like a spade. Please advise.

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

The appearance upon smiling of this kind of horizontal, curved crease or dent under the nose, as seen in the photo, is not that uncommon. It results from the particular dynamics of the perioral muscles below the skin when smiling. One method that I have been using for years is to instill a couple of microdroplets of Botox (or other neuromodulator, such as Dysport or Xeomin) directly into the muscle on both sides of upper lip. This is often enough to soften the horizontal creasing when emoting. Occasionally, a small amount of filler, such as Restylane L, will also be needed to further bolster up and smooth the area and make it more resistent to residual muscular movements. Results of this combination of approaches tend to be quite gratifying. Injection by an experienced board certified aesthetic core physician with expertise in treating this important cosmetic zone is essential.

My upper lip has a deep indent when I smile. How can I treat this?

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My upper lip has a deep indent when I smile. How can I treat this?

Answers (1)

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lip Fillers

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