Different Lips After Rhinoplasty, What Can I Do?

I'm sorry you are having problems with this.

Most rhinoplasty work does not directly affect the lips, unless the area near the base of the columella is specifically worked on.  Can you post some before and after photos for us to look at ?

If it's a surgical change, it should be fixable with a revision procedure.

Hi!

Thank you for your question.

It is difficult to provide you with an accurate diagnosis without a
consultation or at least a photograph. On that note, revisional
rhinoplasty is very much possible. I would recommend doing your
research and consulting with a board certified plastic surgeon that
has much experience in rhinoplasties.

Good luck!

Dr. Sam Speron

Without seeing photos its difficult to advise.  In certain rhinoplasty procedures the nose is shortened while maintaining the rotation of the tip of the nose.  This would result in  a longer upper white lip but would not change the shape of the red lip.  If the nasal spine was reduced which is done in certain rhinoplasty procedures this would have further changed the character of the upper lip.  Speak to your surgeon to find out details of what was done. As a  model you may be highly sensitive to the changes that have been made.  Give it time before you consider touching your nose again.

It is highly unusual for you to have changes in your lip after rhinoplasty.  In many situations it is an illusion from the changes to the nose.  Seeing pre-op photos and post-op results would be helpful.

Without photos, there is no way to give you an opinion on your situation. However, it is unlikely that a rhinoplasty changed your lips. The nose needs to be in balance with the rest of your face, and it is possible that the balance is now off making other areas of your face more noticeable. Resubmit with a before and after photo to get a better answer.

Best of luck,

Vincent Marin, MD
San Diego Plastic Surgeon

Before and after photos would help identify what has created this illusion...as Rhinoplasty can't actually change the lips but will make the upper lip and the area between that and the base, of the nose, more prominent (better visualized actually).  As the nasal tip is rotated upward, the upper lip becomes more visible as does the entire space between the nose and upper lip.  Rhinoplasty patients sometimes confuse this for an actual change to the lips.

Understanding and following the proper aesthetics of facial beauty, IMHO, is the most important factor for any plastic and cosmetic surgeon you select.  My guess is that the lips do not approach the ideal aesthetic proportion and once the upper lip was made more evident, this mismatch was exaggerated.  In that case, this can be rectified with a lip augmentation.  This illustrates a very important aesthetic point about the face in general and Rhinoplasty in particular.  Facial beauty is not isolated and by changing one feature, or aspect of a feature like the nose, other consequences can and do occur.  Knowing this, in advance, requires a thorough and clear understanding of what does and does not constitute true, natural, facial beauty.

It is hard to provide an answer without seeing some pictures.  In general the results are probably final after a year. 

The nose is intimately related to the upper lip so any distortion or tension near the columella can change upper lip dynamics.  Revision rhinoplasty is technically more demanding than primary rhinoplasty but for the unhappy patient it remains a necessity.  Check with a board certified Plastic Surgeon who has experience with complex revisions.  Make sure to see plenty of pre and post op photos to guage his/her experience level and concepts.

There is no possible way to answer your question without a consultation, or at the very least a full set of medical pre and post op photos, not the kind you just take at home. However I am sure you can find a well qualified surgeon that can give you the result you want. Just do careful research and make sure it is someone who does a lot of nose surgery. Not all plastic surgeons do.