Are you considering a lip lift procedure to get the fuller, plumper lips you have always desired? In recent years, the lips have come into prominence as one of the most crucial aspects that determine facial beauty. Cosmetic surgery allows people to acquire the nuanced lips that they covet. The procedure, moreover, is a simple one and involves a relatively short recovery period. If you are unaware about the procedure regarding how lip lift can beautify your facial expression then worry not as you have just landed at the right place. Here we will provide all the details about the lip lift and what you should keep in mind before going for the same.
Why chose Dr Kamran Dastoury, MD Cosmetic Surgeon at Modern Surgical Arts of Denver?
What is a Lip Lift?
A Lip Lift is essentially a surgical procedure in which the upper lip is shortened in order to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the lip. A typical rule of thumb is that the distance between the base of the nostrils and the top of the lips should not be more than 20 millimeters in order to be deemed conventionally attractive. By undergoing a lip lift and shortening this distance, the patient’s lips look fuller and the Cupid’s bow is more aesthetically defined.
A non-surgical form of lip enhancement is the use of lip filler injections, which contain collagen and make the lips look fuller. However, such injections need to be administered on a regular basis and often lead to bruising. Those who seek permanent solutions should opt for a lip lift procedure.
What Are the Benefits of a Lip Lift?
A lip lift is deemed the best lip enhancement procedure for several reasons.
- It can shorten and plump up the upper lip in patients who have lost volume in their lips, owing to age and the consequent atrophy of their skin.
- It can enhance the vermilion border, which is the demarcation between the lip and the rest of the facial skin, thereby creating more prominent and attractive lips.
- It can improve the appearance of the corners of the mouth by correcting any drooping or downward tilts.
- It can correct prominent signs of facial aging around the mouth, such as fine lines or wrinkles.
- It is a one-time procedure and produces permanent results, unlike lip filler injections that require repeated sessions.
- The entire procedure takes only 30 minutes, can be done with general anaesthesia and heals within ten days.
Types of Lip Lift
Surgical lip lift procedures are generally divided into four categories, all of which have their own outcomes and involve their own healing periods and potential side effects. The four categories of lip lift procedures are described as follows.
Direct Lip Lift
This procedure is used to enhance the vermilion color of the lips by lifting skin and tissue from the portion of the face directly above the lips. It typically involves pushing out the Cupid’s bow peaks at the top of the lips towards the corners of the mouth. Some incisions are added below the lower lip to enhance the coloring there as well. While the surgery itself takes about 20 minutes and the swelling subsides within two weeks, this procedure may lead to scarring and asymmetry.
Indirect Lip Lift
This type of lip lift involves cutting out a portion of skin under the nose and lifting the skin below it to meet the base of the nostrils, thereby raising the lips and making them appear more prominent. This is the most common form of lip lift and creates the best results on the whole. Depending on what the patients want, the surgeon may also readjust portions of tissue at the corners of the mouth to create a lifting effect.
Corner of the Mouth Lift
This procedure is used to correct drooping or frowning corners of the mouth by making incisions at the corners and drawing them up. For this reason, it is also dubbed as the smile mouth procedure.
V-Y lip augmentation
This procedure involves internal augmentation. The surgeon makes incisions inside the mouth and creates V-shaped flaps, which are then drawn together in a ‘V-to-Y’ shape to augment the vermilion of the lips and create a more aesthetic effect. This process has permanent results, but may often involve a painful recovery period and also leave a scar inside the mouth.
How to prepare for a Lip Lift
A lip lift procedure can completely transform the way you look and enhance your facial aesthetics as nothing else can. For this reason, it is crucial to do your research beforehand and have conversations with your doctor to ensure that you get the results you desire. Keep the following tips in mind before going for a lip lift procedure.
Provide a complete medical history
An important factor that the surgeon will consider before performing the lip lift is your medical history and current lifestyle. Provide full details of any medications that you take any past surgeries you have undergone and any allergies or chronic medical conditions you may have. Your surgeon can accordingly evaluate any risks associated with the lip lift. For instance, if you suffer from haemophilia or are prone to excessive bleeding, a lip lift may not be the right option for you.
Be Clear About Your Expectations
When it comes to cosmetic surgery, less is often more and even small changes in your facial structure will transform the way you look. Have multiple discussions with your surgeon about the possible outcomes and get a clear idea of how it will affect your face. Most surgeons will take pictures of your face from multiple angles and use computer software to convert that into a “before-and-after” image so that you can see exactly how you will look after the surgery.
The Lip Lift Procedure
A lip lift is a fairly straightforward surgery and takes around 30 minutes on an average. Most lip lift procedures involve the removal of extra upper lip skin just below the nose. This has the effect of raising the lip and making it look fuller.
- The surgeon will draw a specific pattern on the upper lip with a marker. This pattern is known as a ‘Moustache’ or ‘Bullhorn’ owing to its curved appearance.
- The amount of skin that is marked off will generally measure around one-third of the distance from the base of your nostrils to the top of your upper lip.
- It is essential to make this marking with a permanent marker pen so that the pattern does not fade out. The success of the surgery hinges on the pattern, so it should be done with precision.
- Before surgery, you will be given local anesthesia. Some surgeons may also use general anesthesia if needed.
- A sharp surgical knife is used to remove the skin marked out in the pattern. Some amount of muscle may also be removed if required.
- After the skin removal is complete, sutures are used to pull the skin into its new lifted position. The sutures will stay in place for at least a week.