How much bigger will my lip become from a lip lift?

Question

how much does the upper lip roll out for every millimetre of philtrum that is excised during a lip lift? I have heard that it’s not a 1 to 1 ratio but could anyone give me some more information ? Whats the average ratio between the increase in vertical height of the upper lip and let’s say a 4 mm lip lift? What about an 8mm lip lift ? Etc

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

I totally understand why this can feel confusing—there’s a lot of numbers and ratios thrown around, and it’s not as simple as a 1:1 increase. A lip lift works by shortening the space between the base of your nose and your upper lip (the philtrum), which in turn rotates and slightly rolls out the upper lip.

The general rule that surgeons reference is that for every millimeter of skin removed from the philtrum, the upper lip typically moves 0.5 to 0.7 mm forward and curls outward, not a full 1:1. So if someone had a 4 mm lip lift, you might see roughly a 2–3 mm increase in lip projection. For an 8 mm lip lift, the increase could be somewhere around 4–5 mm, depending on your natural anatomy, lip thickness, and elasticity of your skin.

It’s also important to remember that the visual change isn’t just vertical—it also subtly changes the curvature of your upper lip, making the cupid’s bow more defined and the teeth more visible when you smile. Everyone’s face reacts a little differently, so the ratios are really averages rather than guarantees.

The key takeaway is that a lip lift enhances projection and shows more of your upper teeth, but the exact millimeters of forward movement depend on your unique anatomy, so small differences in lift can have a noticeable effect without being strictly linear.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

There is no fixed formula to determine how much vertical height can be gained in the vermillion of the lip with a lip lift. Unfortunately, you have not provided photographs. The traditional lip lift is the bullhorn technique. This removes more centrally and results in the bunny appearance. For this reason, I prefer an eccentric lip lift. This 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. This takes 1 hour to perform under local anesthesia and costs $4,000.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.

How much bigger will my lip become from a lip lift?

Answers (2)

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