My Lip Lift and Columella Augmentation - Encinitas, CA

Today is the first day after my surgery and I'm very swollen but I'm not in any pain that can't be easily managed with a couple advil. I've read other reviews where people talk about numbness and an inability to move their mouths naturally weeks after surgery, and I can honestly say that that's not an issue for me at all, even one day out.

Dr. L did more than just a lift on me, he also used the extra tissue that he excised and filled my columella because it was flat. This will help to create more fullness in the space between my lip and nose, because it was flat before. He spent at least an hour going over my concerns. Not only that, but he also performed this procedure on his wife, who is very beautiful. He does a lot of these, and this is the type of procedure that you MUST get an experienced dr to do.

I will keep updating this as I heal, but even through the swelling I can see that I am going to have exactly what I wanted out of this procedure. The most incredible thing is that I was expecting to have a lot of pain and limited movement but he was very gentle during surgery and I know that I'm not going to be recovering from the swelling for several weeks like most patients do after this procedure. I have nothing but great things to say about Dr. L and his staff, and I have very high hopes for the success of this procedure.

I will continue updating this with pictures.

Hi there, It's been 6 days since my surgery, and I get my stitches out tomorrow. Btw, I had the option of dissolvable stitches but Dr. L felt that permanent sutures heal better and with less scars. Between the sutures it looks like my scar is healing very flat. I'd had a scar from a rhinoplasty before and it looks like he actually improved that scar. As soon as I get the stitches out tomorrow I think I'm going to feel comfortable going outside and in public without looking done. I have almost no swelling at this point. There is a little bit of swelling that slightly restricts my smile but it isn't too bad. Yesterday I have to admit that I was having a down day. I felt like I looked deformed and I was never going to look better. So, if you're going through this procedure don't worry, that is totally normal.

By the way, the first picture below, let me explain what it is you're looking at. The top left picture is me smiling. The top right picture is 3 days after the procedure. The bottom picture is today, at 6 days after the procedure. I still have stitches in so it looks gritty beneath my nose, but when I get them out tomorrow I will post again. :)