Should I do a lip lift/corner lift or rhinoplasty first? (Photos)

There are some circumstances that I will perform a lip lift and a rhinoplasty at the same time.  Anatomically the two procedures will not adversely effect the healing of the other.  However, when performing a rhinoplasty, the swelling of the nose can be unpredictable.  One of the most common and avoidable complications of a lip lift procedure is scarring.  In your particular case, based on your photos, you have very thick nasal and lip skin.  You will absolutely have swelling of the nose and upper lip after rhinoplasty with or without a lip lift and probably worse with a lip lift which could potentially lead to scarring.  So I would perform the rhinoplasty as a separate procedure from the lip lift.  The order of the procedures is your choice!

I recommend a lip lift.  A lip lift does 4 things: shortens the distance between your nose and upper lip, increases the mucosa of the upper lip, increases the incisor show and pulls up the corners.  Rhinoplasty can be done at the same time if desired.Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Hello and thank you for your question. Based on your limited view nasal photograph, you may benefit from a tip refining rhinoplasty. Your surgeon can accomplish this by trimming, suturing, and reshaping the cartilage in your lower nose. A lip lift can be done at a later date under local anesthesia (at least 3 months).  A lip lift should not be performed at the same time as rhinoplasty due to the risk of columellar necrosis or increased lip lift scar formation due to excessive swelling from the combined procedures.  Make sure you specifically look at before and after pictures of real patients who have had this surgery performed by your surgeon and not just a computer animation system.  You should be able to view numerous pictures of actual patients with noses similar to yours performed by your surgeon.  If you cannot find enough real before and after pictures, then consider continuing your search for a surgeon.Best wishes and good luck.


Richard G. Reish, M.D. FACS

Harvard-trained plastic surgeon
 

Although I do not see much of your nose, I do not see any reason why these two surgeries should not be done together. In person consultation with a good rhinoplasty surgeon, familiar with lip corner lift (we call it "smile surgery"), would give you best chance for good evaluation and to discuss  your options. Good luck.

Great question. Studies have shown that both surgeries can be done simultaneously safely. Based on your photos and your concerns, I believe you will be a great candidate for both procedures. The decision regarding which procedure you want to do first or whether you want both done the same day largely depends on what bothers you most and your surgeon's comfort. Best of luck!

Thriving3471, you should not have a lip lift at the same time as a rhinoplasty. Too much swelling from the nose surgery will make the incision from the lip lift not heal well. Does not matter which one you do first, depends on your budget, what bothers you the most and expected healing time. See an experienced plastic surgeon that specializes in only faces. Make sure they have a lot of good photos. See the video and good luck!

When staging these two procedures it really depends on which is your biggest priority. That would be the order. Healing time is much longer with a rhinoplasty than a lip lift. You have astutely pointed out the downturned outer corners of your lips of which a subnasal lip lift alone will not correct. This needs to be combined with an extended pennant corner of the mouth lifts as well.

It is difficult to tell the true shape of your nose, but from the photograph you have provided, I believe a tip rhinoplasty may improve the width as well as the length of your nose. There is a very well known relationship with the bottom of your nose and the upper portion of your lip, so any consideration of a lip lift would certainly be advised to consider once the rhinoplasty has healed.