Enhance Your Smile with an Upper Lip Lift

Your smile is one of your most expressive features, and your lips play a crucial role in how it looks and feels. When people notice your face, their eyes are drawn to your eyes and mouth.

Understanding Lip Proportions

The size, shape, and fullness of your lips contribute to your overall facial attractiveness and youthfulness. Specifically, the distance between the base of your nose and the border of your upper lip, known as the vermilion border, significantly affects the harmony and balance of your facial proportions.

Changes in Lip Appearance with Age

A youthful and attractive upper lip typically has a gentle “M” arch, often referred to as a cupid’s bow, which aligns with delicate philtral ridges on the skin. On the side profile, the upper lip should have a subtle curve, with a slight forward flick where the skin transitions to the vermilion border.

However, as we age, the pink portion of our upper lip tends to thin out, and the skin above it elongates. This can create a heavy, drooping appearance that makes the midface seem longer. In some cases, the elongated upper lip can even cover the upper teeth, leading to self-consciousness, especially when speaking and smiling. It’s generally considered attractive to show about 2mm of your central incisor teeth, and a lack of tooth exposure can diminish the sensuality of your mouth.

Lip Fillers vs. Upper Lip Lift

For those seeking a temporary enhancement in lip volume and shape, lip fillers can be a suitable option. However, for individuals with an elongated or heavy upper lip, merely adding filler without addressing the skin’s length can make the upper lip appear even more weighed down.

Consider the Upper Lip Lift as Your Solution

This is where an upper lip lift comes into play. It’s a minimally invasive surgical procedure designed to remove excess skin from the upper lip, effectively reducing the distance between the base of the nose and the vermilion border.

This procedure enhances the visibility of your pink lip, improves the upper lip’s slope, and repositions it on your profile.

An upper lip lift can be performed as a standalone procedure for suitable candidates, or it can be combined with other facial rejuvenation surgeries like a facelift.

The surgery can be done in an office setting with local anesthesia or in an operating room with sedation, depending on your preferences and needs.

Permanent Results

Unlike fillers, which have a temporary effect lasting from 6 to 12 months, an upper lip lift provides a permanent solution for achieving more youthful, fuller lips and improved facial proportions.

Visible sutures are removed shortly after the procedure, while deeper sutures dissolve over time.

Most patients can present themselves confidently within 10 days, but the final results typically become fully visible after about three months.

Addressing Concerns

One of the most common concerns about this procedure is the scar at the base of the nose. Dr. Rosa B. Lipin employs meticulous advanced techniques to ensure minimal skin tension during the procedure.

Additionally, she provides comprehensive pre-operative and post-operative care plans to help scars heal as thinly and discreetly as possible, catering to patients of all skin tones and textures.

Exploring Your Options: Consultation and What Comes Next

If you’re tired of the maintenance required with repeated lip fillers, bothered by the drooping of your upper lip, frustrated by a lack of dental show, or concerned about the appearance of an aged midface, don’t hesitate to reach out to Dr. Rosa B. Lipin at Dr. Randy Rudderman Plastic Surgery.

Schedule a personalized consultation today to determine if this procedure is the right choice for you and your smile.