Am I really not a candidate for a lip lift? Got rejected for the procedure today. (Photos)

Question

Hi all! I went to a lip lift consultation today , really liked the doctor and we had a good talk, but unfortunately he did not think I was a right candidate for the procedure . His reasoning was that I simply don’t need it and that there’s not enough philtrum to warrant a lip lift. He measured it, it was 16mm. I measured it at 18mm at home but I think he measured until the lip arch instead of the lip itself. What do you think based on the pictures, am I truly not a candidate? Thank you in advance !

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

The lip lift procedure I recommend is an eccentric lip lift, not the bullhorn 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.

Kyle Kimura, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and photos. 
Being completely transparent, I do worry about the frequency that I am seeing lip lifts performed today. A couple of my biggest concerns about the procedure include the fact that it is very difficult to perform without getting an unsightly scar and that some are overdoing the lift making the lip look unnatural. Once the skin is removed, there is no "reversal" procedure that can restore the normal contour of the lip and I have seen a number of awful results that patients will just have to live with the rest of their lives. 
In my opinion, lip fillers are often a better option in the majority of patients and if your plastic surgeon felt you may not be a good candidate for this procedure, then I would certainly take it to heart. 
I hope this helps and best of luck,Kyle Kimura, MD

Nelson Lee Novick, MD · Answer

Before even considering surgery, you may wish to try a simple treatment with a medium viscosity HA filler for the upper lip vermilion border. This would serve to flip the upper lip a bit and secondarily to add a bit of volume to the upper lip so as to establish greater proportionality between the upper and lower lips. A profile photo would have been very helpful for assessing this possibility. You may wish to consult with an experienced, board certified cosmetic dermatologist filler injector expert. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Anna Chacon, MD, FAAD · Answer

Thank you for sharing your experience and photos—it's really helpful to see what you're working with. From what I can see, a few key points come into play here.

The philtrum length (the distance from the base of the nose to the top of the lip) is often a major factor in determining candidacy for a lip lift. Generally, an ideal upper lip length is around 12–15mm in adult women, but everyone’s facial proportions and goals differ. A measurement of 16–18mm is slightly above that average, which means the lip is not unusually long. In other words, your doctor’s assessment that “you don’t really need it” is consistent with standard guidelines. Lip lifts are most noticeable and appropriate when there’s significant elongation of the philtrum or if the upper lip is very thin and tucked under the nose.

However, candidacy is not just about numbers. It’s also about the overall balance of your face, your lip shape, and your personal goals. Some patients with borderline measurements may still benefit from subtle changes, sometimes combined with filler to enhance volume or projection. Based on your photos, your upper lip has a nice natural curve and your length is not extreme, which supports the idea that a surgical lift might not be necessary—you might achieve improvements with non-surgical options like targeted filler instead.

So, yes, it’s likely that your doctor’s assessment is reasonable, but candidacy can be somewhat subjective depending on your goals and the approach taken. If your main concern is subtle enhancement rather than shortening the philtrum dramatically, non-surgical options could give you noticeable improvement without surgery.

It’s completely normal to feel disappointed after being told you’re not a candidate, but in this case, it seems your lips are already in a range where a lift wouldn’t be dramatically transformative.

Am I really not a candidate for a lip lift? Got rejected for the procedure today. (Photos)

Answers (4)

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