Possible to Reshape and Change the Lips?

Question

I'm a male with large lips. I understand reduction is possible but to what extent is it possible to dramatically reshape or reconstruct appearance to make them thinner and more masculine?

Glenn Vallecillos, MD, FACS · Answer

Hello and thank you for the question.

	Lip reduction and reshaping surgery is indeed possible. The procedure can generally be done awake with light sedation, or in more involved cases, under a general anesthetic. It is important you consult with surgeon who has a lot of experience in lip rejuvenation surgery.  I recommend consulting with a Board Certified Plastic or Facial Plastic Surgeon to maximize your chances of attaining an optimal result.

	Kindest Regards,

	Glenn Vallecillos, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Connie Hiers, MD, FACS · Answer

Lip reduction can be performed in the office under local anesthesia, or under general anesthesia in an outpatient setting.  it is a safe and very effective procedure, and scarring is usually placed inside the lip so it is not visible.  I recommend seeing a board certified plastic surgeon who is familiar with this surgery.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

Lip reduction surgery can usually reduce the size of the lips by about 20% to 25% in my experience as a one-time surgery. Tissue is removed from the dry vermilion back to the wet mucosa for the reduction. You must be very careful to not initially over reduce them as they can look both unnatural and there is no way to recover from lips that are too thin or distorted. This is done as an outpatient procedure under IV sedation and local anesthesia. In some cases, I have needed to perform a second stage reduction to get the patient the maximal reduction that they want,

Richard Galitz, MD, FACS (in memoriam) · Answer

The lips can be thinned dramatically usually with internal incisions, I would avoid any incisions on the outside of the lips because they always show and look unnatural. While thinning of bulky lips (fullness) is quite easy, the changing of the shape of the lips is more challenging.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

Yes, a Cheiloplasty or Lip Reduction can be done to reduce the size of the lip(s).  The amount of reduction is determined by removing mucosa and/or sections of the lip muscle through an incision on the inside of the mouth.  Obviously, there is a limit to the amount that can be reduced and if asymmetry exist, more can be removed from sections of the lip.  The procedure can be done under IV sedation or a general anesthesia and takes about 30 minutes.  Dissolvable stitches are used and the lips may be swollen for several weeks depending on the extent of the reduction.

Possible to Reshape and Change the Lips?

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Possible to Reshape and Change the Lips?

Answers (7)

Answer: Reshaping or Changing Lip Shape

Answer: Reshaping or Changing Lip Shape

Answer: Lip Reduction

Answer: Lip Reduction

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Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about Lip Reduction

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.