Flat lips from the side. Will filler help for projection? (Photo)

Question

I had a direct liplift 2 months ago because the doctor said my philtrum was too thick to perform a bullhorn. Although I like my lips from the front but now it gave me a flat appearance from the side. Will filler help for projection?

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

Yes, it can—but the answer depends on why your lips appear flatter from the side.

A direct lip lift primarily shortens the distance between the upper lip and the vermilion border, increasing the amount of pink lip that is visible when viewed from the front. It does not necessarily increase forward projection. In some patients, especially after healing, the lips can appear more defined from the front while still looking relatively flat in profile.

From your description, it sounds like you're happy with the frontal view but would like more projection from the side. In that situation, a conservative amount of hyaluronic acid filler can often help by adding forward support to the upper lip rather than simply increasing overall size.

The key is the injection technique. An experienced injector can place filler strategically to:

Increase forward projection.
Improve the side profile.
Preserve the shape achieved by your lip lift.
Avoid creating an overly full or "duck lip" appearance.

Since you're only two months out from surgery, I would also keep in mind that healing is still ongoing. While much of the swelling has resolved, scar remodeling continues for several months. It's not uncommon for the final contour to soften slightly as tissues continue to mature.

If the flat appearance is due to scar tightness or the way the lip healed rather than a lack of volume, filler may still provide improvement, but it may not completely correct the issue. In those cases, it is often beneficial to allow the tissues to finish healing before deciding whether additional treatment is necessary.

Overall, based on what you've described, lip filler is a reasonable option to improve projection without undoing the results of your direct lip lift. The goal wouldn't be to make the lips larger—it would be to create a more balanced profile while maintaining the natural look that you're already happy with from the front.

Anil R. Shah, MD · Answer

Hello, my name is Ranen and I work at Shah Aesthetics.  Lips may be projected by using certain techinques to project the lips more and reduce the appearance of flatter lips.

Zoran Potparic, MD · Answer

You seem to have large lips that may not need any further augmentation. However, injection of small  amount of filler within white role of lips may create more perkiness/projection? Good luck.

Camille Cash, MD · Answer

Based on the submitted photos your lips seem to be full and nicely shaped.  You can consider adding fuller to enhance your profile but you don't want to do it at the expense of the overall look.  See an expert injector for an evaluation to learn more.

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

Lip fillers typically do give some projection.
You could always try and see how you like it.
Best,
Mats Hagstrom, MD

Flat lips from the side. Will filler help for projection? (Photo)

Answers (5)

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