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Is It Possible to Make my Mouth Wider? (photo)

I would like to have my mouth appear wider. My lips are quite thin and they often look odd paired with my large cheeks and nose. What kind of procedures would help with that look? Also, the corners of my lips are basically non-existent, would injections there make my cheeks puff out less or would I just need to get the lines filled?

Doctor Answers 8

February 14th, 2013

Wider mouth

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In my 40 years of practice I have only done one ( but a successful one) operation to extend the corners of mouth. In addition the corners were raised as would also benefit you.


San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon

February 14th, 2013

Mouth Widening by Commissurotomy

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A mouth can be made wider by a procedure known as a commissurotomy. This is where skin is removed from beyond the exsting corners of the mouth and the vermilion/mucosa advanced outward to cover the area where the skin was removed. While it can effectively make the mouth wider, it does so at the price of some small scars around the corners. This trade-off has to be seriously considered in a purely cosmetic reason for mouth widening or commissure expansion.

Learn more: http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com/lip.html

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD
August 31st, 2016

Lip Injections to Widen the Mouth

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I would avoid surgery as this will cause scarring and is quite involved.  I would opt for lip injections both in the lips and the corners of the mouth.  In addition injecting Voluma into the cheeks will help balance the face and should give you a beautiful result.  Best, Dr. Green

Learn more: http://www.michelegreenmd.com/lip-augmentation

Michele S. Green, MD
February 13th, 2013

Is it possible to make mouth wider?

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It is possible to make the lips fuller and it is possible to raise the corners of the lips, but it is not possible to make the mouth wider.  Fillers or surgery can be used to help with fullness in the lips or raise the corners of the mouth.  

Michael I. Echavez, MD

Michael I. Echavez, MD
San Francisco Facial Plastic Surgeon
4.5 out of 5 stars 18 reviews

July 17th, 2017

Mouth Widening Procedure

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Thanks for your questions and for attaching your photos! Surgically, there’s a procedure, which could help widen our mouth if by only a little. Nevertheless, it will require invasive surgical procedure that I do not entirely require for your case. The reason behind it is due to the risk of possible scarring. So, more than doing good, it may actually do bad for you.

 

Instead, I would just improve your upper and lower lips with Juvederm, a type of hyaluronic acid based filler. The filler may be injected in the corners of your mouth to make it look a little wider. I will also add some volume to your lips so they will appear plump and soft, but this suggestion is merely based on the photos that you showed. For a more accurate assessment and procedure suggestion, it would be best for you to look for a board certified plastic surgeon who can do a thorough evaluation on your case. This way, he or she will be able to accurately refer a procedure that will assist you in reaching the look that you want to achieve.

Learn more: http://sbaesthetics.com/lip-augmentation/

Robert W. Sheffield, MD
April 21st, 2017

Contouring the mouth and lips

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You could do well with lip injections. Particularly at the corners and along the lateral surfaces. I would still focus centrally with the majority of the product but you are right it is all about getting the right balance with the rest of your face.

Hope this helps.

Best of luck,

DrC

Benjamin Caughlin, MD

Benjamin Caughlin, MD
Chicago Facial Plastic Surgeon
5.0 out of 5 stars 12 reviews

January 26th, 2016

Possible to make mouth wider

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There is a procedure to widen the mouth, however this requires a surgical procedure and runs the risk of poor scarring. Based on your photos, I would enhance your lips (upper and lower) with Juvederm. I would also place some filler in the corners to make them appear slightly wider as well. Good luck.
Robert Najera, MD
February 13th, 2013

Lip augmentation/ enhancement

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Hello 'Idonteven', thanks for your question.  There IS a way to widen your oral aperture through surgical incisions of your commissures and advancements of the mucosa, which we sometimes do for microstomia reconstruction cases, but I would not recommend it in your case.  The width of your mouth actually nicely balances the aesthetics of your face and any attempts to widen it can detract from the feminine qualities and proportions to your face, leading to a masculinizing effect.  Thus, I would not obsess over it too much.  One thing that could enhance the cosmetic appearance of your mouth is to have thicker, fuller lips with the help of fillers, which can be performed safely as a simple office procedure.  The key here is moderation to avoid the 'blowfish' effect, which unfortunately is fairly prevalent here in southern California.  I recommend having a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon who knows the lip anatomy well and stays conservative with your lip augmentation procedure to give you a beautiful, aesthetic enhancement to your lips, just in time for Valentine's day. Hope that helps! -Dr.92660

Parviz Goshtasby, MD, FACS

These answers are for educational purposes and should not be relied upon as a substitute for medical advice you may receive from your physician. If you have a medical emergency, please call 911. These answers do not constitute or initiate a patient/doctor relationship.