I have a long philtrum, would a lip lift or Botox (lip flip) be good options for me? (Photos)

Cactusgal,

A "lip flip" with botox can make the lip look fuller in some patients, but most patients will see a minimal difference. Botox relaxes muscles, so you need to be someone who is always contracting that muscle and pursing their lips to benefit from relaxing it. It can also may make you unable to whistle or drink from a straw. Botox will not shorten the distance from your nose to your upper lip and it will also blunt some of the nice philtral column definition you have. As we age our upper lip gets longer and will eventually cover our upper teeth, botox won't reverse that either. Filler will actually accelerate the tooth covering process. A lip lift, on the other hand, will shorten that distance, increase tooth show, and roll out the lip making it look bigger. When a lip lift is done properly it will lift the entire lip - even the corners. The trade-off is a scar under the nose. With fair skin and no history of bad scarring I would expect that scar to be hard to find in a couple months, but it will be quite visible for a few weeks. An experienced lip lift surgeon should be able to show you before and after photos as well as photos of the scar at one week, one month, three months, etc., so you have an idea of what to expect. You will have to avoid excess sun on the scar for a couple months, which could be a summer challenge for a cactus gal in MN!

-Dr. Rolfes

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.

Best Wishes,

Gary Horndeski, M.D.