Can a lip lift or lip lift variant work for me or is there another option?

Thank you for your question and photographs. It is my professional opinion, just based on your photographs, that is suitable alternative to a lip lift would be a V-Y lip advancement. This would moderately enhance the fullness of your upper lip from the inside and hopefully would improve the effect while smiling.
Best way forward is to find a plastic surgeon in your area with experience in lips to assess you and possibly confirm the plan.
All the best

Andrea Marando
Plastic and Cosmetic Surgeon
Manchester and London, UK

Usually, a lip lift is used for situations where the upper lip is excessively long, and there is insufficient incisal show when you smile, This is not the case in your situation, based on the photographs you submitted. It is important for you to understand that a surgery, such as a lip lift, comes with attendant risks, as well as benefits. These risks include the possible visibility of the scar, uneven contour of the lip, asymmetry of the two sides, etc. I think a safer way for you to proceed would be to try to determine the combination of botox and filler that allows you to achieve the appearance you desire. Once you know this, you could use fat transfer to the lip, possibly in concert with the placement of a lip implant, to achieve a more long lasting result. The incision used for placement of the lip implant is made on the inside of the lip, and is completely invisible, unless the lip is everted. Another important point that should be mentioned is that once you perform such a procedure on the upper lip, you will often have to perform one on the lower lip to maintain the balance of the upper and lower lips. Ordinarily, the lower lip has approximately 20% greater volume than the upper lip.

The corners of your mouth seem downturned giving you a frowning appearance. You could consider a lip lift which removes very little centrally and more laterally to give you more upturn.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.