Does lip repositioning lengthen the philtrum and/or help lip incompetence?

Question

I was wondering if lip repositioning affect the length of the philtrum, as seen from the outside, and whether it helps lip incompetence at rest. I have a case of very mild lip incompetence, probably caused by a combination of a slightly longer maxilla and a slightly open bite. Going forward with a Lefort I would be a bit of an overkill. I do not have a gummy smile at all, I just want to reduce the incisor show a bit (which also isn't terrible, just an aesthetic preference). Thank you!

Robert T. Buchanan, MD (retired) · Answer

There are only two ways to correct lip incompetence, Reduce the underlying maxillary or mandibular height or augment the lip. The only real way to augment the lip is to increase the vermillion, and the amount that can be done is limited by aesthetics. (Elongating the philtrum would require external skin flaps and would be cosmetically unacceptable.) However, an expert injector may be able to help if the problem is relatively small.

Does lip repositioning lengthen the philtrum and/or help lip incompetence?

Answers (1)