A lip lift is usually performed under local anesthesia or in combination with other rejuvenative surgical procedures, like a facelift for example. During an upper lift excess skin will removed to reduce the vertical length of the upper lip. The incision follows the natural curvilinear line, along the nasal base and excess skin will be removed in a „bullhorn“ type of pattern. The incisions will be aligned with several meticulously placed fine sutures in deep and superficial layers. This upper lip lift is also called the subnasal lip lift. This technique will preserve your natural white roll, and will cause a nice outward turn of your upper lip. A modification of the bullhorn lift, is the Italian lip lift. Two separate incisions are made beneath each nostril. The redundant skin is removed and the to sides of the lip are lifted separately by closing the wound shortening the distance between the nose and the lip.The gullwing upper lip lift refers to an excision of excess skin directly at the border of the lip red to the upper lip, and advancing the vermilion, in the form of a gullwing shape. As a result the upper lip will be lifted and shortened. However, the scars might be visible to the patient, and the unique anatomy of the „white roll“ of your upper lip will be weakened or completely disappear. This approach is usually less popular.
While there are several lip lift procedures, none of the above mentioned lifts will address the “drooping” or “sagging” corners of the upper lip. This can be done by excising skin directly above and outside of the “corners” of the mouth. Sometimes the scars can be visible. A temporary solution can be achieved by using neuromodulators (Botox®). A more direct method to elevate age related droopy corner’s of the mouth would be an appropriately performed facelift.
You are probably a good candidate for a subnasal or bullhorn upper lip lift, if you have noted the following:
Recovery time from a subnasal lip lift does not tak long. After the procedure you may feel some discomfort, which will be controlled by pain medication and cooling. There will be a moderate amount of swelling for the first 2-3 days, after which the swelling will gradually subside. Sutures will be removed around 5 days after your procedure. The incision will still be pink, but will improve with the appropriate care very fast.
During your consultation for a lip lift Dr Knoll will assess and discuss with you the relevant anatomy and aesthetic proportions of the lower third of your face when considering a lip lift. After your consultation appointment, you will receive further information about the procedure, costs and required preoperative testing. If you wish to have additional information or would like to schedule a consultation for a lip lift procedure please contact the office of Dr Bianca Knoll, we will be happy to assist you.
The success of an upper lip lift is clearly dependent on the meticulous planning and skilled surgical performance of your surgery.  Lip lifts are well tolerated and can be easily performed under local anesthesia taking 1-1.5 hrs. We are happy to provide you with further information about your options considering an upper lip shortening procedure and answer your questions during your consultation in Dr Knoll’s office.
