5mm - good amount to take off for natural-looking improvement

Adding this to show a before and after in one photo. Often it’s easy to forget the subtle difference until you compare it to the before photo..side by side! Still some swelling in the nose area and will take time to go down. Overall though very happy with the results.

Updated picture, still some swelling around nose and lip. Will continue to go down. Adding this photo for more reference as I think photos make a big difference in the decision making process. Hoping there will be more tooth show as the swelling goes down. That’s what I was told by Dr Pearson. He did also say residual swelling can take months to subside

Let me just start by saying, I’m not the easiest patient. I stress, overthink, freak out, and constantly question my decisions.
2 months ago I had a lip lift with Dr Pearson. I have been wanting this procedure for as long as I can remember (before I even knew it existed).
I found Dr Pearson on real self and decided on him based on the reviews on this website. It meant I needed to fly to LA but I was willing to do it to find the right surgeon to perform surgery that would be in the middle of my face.
I sent pictures to Dr Pearson and did a consult over the phone with him, however I didn’t schedule the appointment until a year later due to Covid but it was easy to schedule and I was able to get in a month and a half after I called him.
This man is not only talented and very highly skilled at what he does, he also has tremendous bedside manner. He is very forthright, calming, and took all the time I needed to answer questions the day of the procedure. The procedure itself wasn’t bad. The numbing injections were the worst part, other than that it was pretty quick and easy. We decided 5 mm was a good amount to take off to create a natural looking improvement.
The pain wasn’t bad and only lasted 24 post surgery and the pain meds helped alleviate that
Worst part of recovery for me was my mind. Dr Pearson had warned me that the recovery can cause a little anxiety and it certainly did for me. I couldn’t stop thinking and obsessing on wether I had made a mistake, whether it was going to look ok, whether I ruined my nose, whether my lips would be asymmetrical…on and on. He knew I was coming from out of town and knew I was very nervous the day after surgery about the amount of swelling so had me come by his office for help cleaning the stitches and reassured me for the 20th time that the swelling and slight unevenness all looked normal and nothing to be concerned about and that things will settle in just right.
I’m saying this to hopefully ease peoples minds that are thinking of having this procedure. My swelling lasted a while and still has some to come down, but I can tell you this:
Everything Dr Pearson said was truthful. All of what to expect and when to expect it was 100% accurate.
He’s done so many of these procedures and knows exactly what he is doing. If you’re like me, are wanting this procedure and are not sure on who to trust and what surgeon to pick, Dr Pearson is without a doubt the right doctor.
Attaching some photos because I know photos were a big factor in my decision making process on what surgeon to choose.
One last note- do not choose a surgeon that can’t show you many pictures of this procedure. Dr Pearson not only has a ton of pictures by patients on real self but also has photo albums of ALL his procedures (to include many lip lifts) in his waiting room at his office.