Lip lift for young male: would I be a good candidate? (Photos)

Question

I am a 33 year old male. I have always had a slightly longer philtrum length but it seems to have increased in recent years, around 18mm. When I talk, my upper teeth are barely visible. I have to smile unnaturally hard to make the full teeth show. Would you consider me a candidate for a lip lift? I would only consider a procedure that is guaranteed to leave no scar.

Gary Linkov, MD · Answer

Anatomically, you are a candidate for a lip lift. But as the medical reviewer on realself for lip lift I must interject here and despite what you hear from any other doctor, you are guaranteed to have a scar after this procedure. So if you are looking for a procedure that does not leave a scar, a lip lift is not the right choice for you. Other options are lip filler or an implant, neither of which will increase your upper dental show. Please proceed with caution if you really do not want a scar. That being said, I do many lip lifts on male patients and find that they generally heal very well due to the robust blood supply. Gary Linkov, MDLip SpecialistManhattan

Michael P. Morrissette, DDS, FACS · Answer

Yes, a lip lift surgery will increase the amount of tooth show at rest. The ideal distance between the base of the nose and lip vermilion in  males is 13-15 mm. Distances greater than that can be reduced to provide a more youthful appearance. The problem worsens with aging. I have never seen the incision to leave and unacceptable result. I inform all my patients that I will perform CO2 laser resurfacing of the incision if it is noticeable at 3 months. The surgery is performed in the office with intravenous sedation and patients return to work within 3-5 days.

Farhad Rafizadeh, MD · Answer

You are a very good candidate for a lip lift. Your first step is a careful evaluation to determine how much would need to be remove to help you show some teeth. I have developed a method of hiding the scares in the nostrils. I find that this is the best way to hide them in an area that is less visible. In general the scaring is good and the incision heals very well. Over hundreds of cases I have only seen a few patients with slight hypertrophic scars that require a steroid injection. The great majority heal with invisible scars.

Gary M. Horndeski, MD · Answer

You appear to be an excellent candidate for 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.  The scar is placed at the nose-face junction and in the nostril to minimize visibility.  If you only consider procedures that guarantee no scar then you should not do surgery.  Every operation will leave a scar.Best Wishes,Gary Horndeski, M.D.

Jeffrey H. Spiegel, MD · Answer

I've been writing about, lecturing on, and doing lip lifts for years.    The key has to do with the position of your nose.  You have a pretty good crease under your nose and that should be a good place to hide the scar.  There is always a scar but it should fade nicely.

Robert M. Tornambe, MD · Answer

mrnyc87I appreciate your concern regarding scarring from lip lift surgery.The issue with this operation can be poor scarring, which can be quite noticeable. Sometimes less invasive procedures, like lip augmentation with fillers or fat can accomplish the same goals, without scarring. Consult with a board certified plastic surgeon in our area for a full evaluation. Good luck!

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

Males do very well with subnasal lip lifts because of their beard skin. The fine line scar at the nasal base heals well but there will always be a very discreet scar. Surgery can not be done and not leave a scar.

Lip lift for young male: would I be a good candidate? (Photos)

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Answers (7)

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