Lip Lift (Bullhorn Lip Lift)

For years I've felt self-conscious about my thin lips and have spent hundreds of dollars on potential lip serums and glosses that promised to make my pout fuller. They all fell short.
I’ve gone to Dr. Richardson for my Botox for a couple of years now. I also follow him on Instagram. One day I saw he had pictures of a before/after from a lip lift he performed, which up until that point, I didn’t even know existed! I frantically visited his website to see more pictures, and threw myself into researching the procedure. I loved the results! I met with Dr. Richardson and explained that I wanted a rather aggressive lip lift, especially after doing a lot of research and reading that most women who had the procedure wished they had gone with a more drastic lift. It was the #1 negative thing women wrote about it. Dr. Richardson was consultative and friendly, making sure I understood what I was asking and making sure we were on the same page with regard to expectations.
The day of the procedure, Dr. Richardson spent approximately 30 minutes making sure my surgery markings were exactly where they should be. Having a rather asymmetrical face (nose and lips among other areas), this was no easy task, but I appreciated his dedication to this process. I feel he’s a true perfectionist, which everyone wants in their plastic surgeon. The lift lift itself took around 45 minutes for him to complete. The office staff at Texas Facial Aesthetics were extremely friendly and comforting. Music of my choosing was playing during the procedure, and they made sure I was comfortable, with a pillow under my knees and a blanket covering my legs. After the surgery, I was given detailed instructions on how to care for the incision and what I could expect in the upcoming days of recovery.
I was told going into this that bruising can be quite bad, but that everyone is different. I’m definitely a bruiser, so I can’t say I’m all that surprised at my results. The first couple of days, while tender and swollen, were fine. The bruising really started showing up around days 4 and 5. It gradually got worse over the next few weeks, and then finally started fading around the 4 week mark (thank goodness for masks- or I’d have scared some people).
A week after my procedure, I went back to see Dr. Richardson for a checkup and to get my stitches removed. I had a lot of swelling around the scar, which caused the upper lip to feel extremely stiff. It hindered mouth/lip mobility greatly. Smiling, for instance, was difficult and somewhat painful for several weeks.
Twice a day I applied Biocorneum (and still do) to my scar, and take a few moments to massage it in. There’s still slight stiffness and the scar has moments of extreme itchiness. I believe I have another month or so to go before my upper lip begins to feel somewhat normal again, but I am so very pleased with my results. I feel the change to my face is a big one- noticeable but also keeping with a natural look. Dr. Richardson did a fantastic job, and I could not be more pleased!

Here are some updated, recent photos. The one with the before/after is at 1 month, and all others are now, at 2 months post lip lift. This was truly the best decision I could have made for myself and I can't wait to see how the lips settle and the scar fades in upcoming months.