What is a Lip Lift?
A lip lift is a cosmetic surgical procedure designed to enhance the appearance of the upper lip. It involves shortening the distance between the nose and the upper lip, typically by removing a small strip of skin beneath the nose. This procedure results in a more pronounced and lifted upper lip, giving the lips a fuller and more youthful appearance. It can also improve the balance and proportion of the facial features. Our board-certified surgeons focus exclusively on the face and understand the subtle intricacies of the facial bones and structure. They strive to produce natural-looking results with minimal downtime for every patient and every procedure that they perform.
At L&P Aesthetics, an upper lip lift is a subtle yet transformative procedure that can help you look and feel more youthful. During the aging process, tissues around the mouth begin to droop, and this lengthening can make a person look tired and heavy. Drs. David Lieberman, Sachin Parikh, and Steven Curti see many patients in the Bay Area who have been using dermal filler for lip augmentations, such as Juvederm® or Restylane® but a lip lift at our Palo Alto or Los Gatos location can be a longer-lasting option.
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What to Expect During Lip Lift Surgery
A lip lift is most usually performed in approximately one hour on an outpatient basis. At L&P Aesthetics, we perform lip lift surgery with the patient under either local anesthesia or light sedation, depending on what is best for each person.
It is recommended that you have someone drive you home from the procedure, as most patients experience mild to moderate discomfort, and the effects of the sedation will most likely still be present by the time you are discharged.
Why Choose L&P For Your Lip Lift?
Our board-certified facial plastic surgeons are known for performing exceptional lip lifts, a cosmetic procedure focused on enhancing the appearance of the upper lip by shortening the distance between the nose and the lip. This subtle adjustment can create a more pronounced and youthful upper lip, improving overall facial harmony. For those seeking a natural enhancement, a lip lift offers a tailored solution to achieve a fuller and more balanced lip contour. If you’re ready to explore options for enhancing your lips and facial features, schedule a consultation with our expert surgeons at L&P Aesthetics today!
Who is Considered a Good Candidate for Lip Raising Surgery?
A person in good health and over the age of 18 is generally a good candidate for a lip lift. While there are a variety of reasons to consider a lip lift, the most common reasons are either an elongation of the upper lip or flattening of the top lip. For both concerns, a lip lift can help restore the natural symmetry and youthful balance a person once experienced. For photos of lip lifts performed by our facial plastic surgeons, visit our photo gallery.
There are many reasons to consider getting a lip lift, and for each person,the outcome will be different. Some issues a lip lift can address are:
- Additional lip volume without repeated dermal filler treatments
- More definition of the “lipstick” lines
- More pronounced “pout”
- Shortening of the skin above the lip for more visibility of the teeth
An additional benefits of having surgery with L&P Aesthetics is access to The iO Clinic’s Surgical Recovery Package designed by Drs. Lieberman, Parikh, and Curti. This post-operative recovery protocol enhances your overall recovery, speeds up the recovery timeframe and improves your long-term results.
Lip Lift Before and After Gallery
View real results from real patients below.
Lip Lift Recovery & Beyond
Typically, we do not see any bruising in patients after a lip lift, but often patients will need to wear bandages for at least 24 hours after the procedure. In four to six days, our office staff will schedule a follow-up appointment, and usually in a week to 10 days, a patient will feel comfortable enough to return to his or her usual activities. To help conceal any visible wounds, make-up can be applied to the incision usually sometime between 10 to 14 days post-op.
Drs. Lieberman, Parikh, and Curti are known for achieving natural results, and with a lip lift, their goal is to provide subtle yet transformative results. Achieving a natural appearance depends on the surgeon’s aesthetic understanding of the size, shape, symmetry, proportion, and balance of the lips, as well as his or her surgical skill.
Lip Lift FAQs
Not everyone is a candidate for a lip lift procedure. Selecting the right candidate for surgery is an important part of every consultation.
Common reasons for seeking out this type of surgery:
- To shorten the distance between the upper lip and base of the nose to create a more balanced appearance
- To have more of the pink portion of the upper lip show
- To create a fuller upper lip and a more youthful appearance
- To enhance lip definition and improve the balance between the upper and lower lips
The upper lip lift is a specialized surgical procedure only highly trained and board certified facial plastic surgeons are equipped to perform. The lip lift is designed to reshape and rejuvenate the appearance of the upper lip. The surgeon will remove a small strip of skin just below the nostrils which will elevate the upper lip and expose more of the vermilion (pink portion) of the lip.
During the normal aging process, the perioral area often begins to change in size and shape. For most people, youthful-looking lips are balanced and full, so it is important to find a surgeon who not only understands how size, shape, symmetry, proportion, and balance affect the lips, but a surgeon who listens to your personal concerns and desired outcomes.
According to research done over thousands of years, an aesthetically pleasing face has a specific symmetry and balance between the lower and upper lips. The upper lip describes the tissues below the nostrils and the entire top lip. The lower lip describes the bottom lip as well as the skin that extends to the tip of one’s chin.
Generally speaking, a youthful lower face has a lower lip that is twice the height as the upper lip. As we age and the bone structure around the mouth thins, the cutaneous portion (skin-bearing portion of the lip) elongates and leads to a disproportion of this natural ratio.
In addition to the elongation of the cutaneous lip, people tend to lose volume in the vermillion area (red and pink parts of the lip), which then diminish the lips’ contours. The skin-bearing portions of the upper and lower lips can develop vertical lines (lipstick lines) from repeated actions of the muscles. In combination, these changes give a less than desirable appearance to the perioral area, and a lip lift is a procedure our surgeons use to address them.
While individual results vary, some results that a patient can expect are:
- Shortening of the lip length between the nose and mouth
- Improved balance, symmetry, and proportions between the upper and lower face
- Increased visibility of the upper teeth
- Increased sensuality of the mouth
- Shortening of the perceived length of the lower midface
- Turning the “cupid’s bow” upward (lip eversion)
- Increasing volume of the pink and white lip
- Improvement of lipstick bleed lines and wrinkles
- Subtle improvement in the corners of the mouth
- Decreased need for fillers
- Looking younger overall, especially in the lower and mid-face regions
