Lip Lift
A Lip Lift is a procedure that elevates the position of the lip to give a more youthful and relaxed smile. The procedure has become more popular as it creates a more attractive upper lip shape, thereby giving improved facial balance and proportions.
The distance between your nose and upper lip may have always been long, or can lengthen with facial ageing.A lip lift can help improve:
- A long distance between your nose and your upper lip
- Thin upper lip
- Teeth that don’t show when smiling
A lip lift improves appearance by reducing the skin between the nose and upper lip, there are several key ways a lip lift enhances appearance:
- Shortens the philtrum, the space between the nose and upper lip, creating a more youthful facial appearance. In some people this distance the philtrum lengthens with age, shortening this distance can rejuvenate the face creating more elegant facial balance.
- Increases "lip show": Lifting the lip reveals more of the pink part (vermilion) and more upper teeth at rest, a youthful sign.
- Adds more definition, by making the upper lip appear plumper and more defined, improving the cupid's bow.
- Lateral lip lift corrects downturned corners, it can lift the corners of the mouth, preventing a sad look. Dr De Silva customises lip lift by sometimes completing this in conjunction with central lip reduction.
- Reduces fine lines: Tightening the skin helps reduce vertical lines above the lip (sometimes "smoker's lines" although many people have never smoked.
- Creates facial balance: It improves harmony between the mouth area with the rest of the face, making features more proportionate.
- Offers a permanent solution that is natural in appearance. Unlike fillers, that can result in a puffy appearance and need repeated treatments.
- By addressing these structural elements, a lip lift creates a naturally lifted, fuller, and more vibrant smile, contributing to an overall refreshed and rejuvenated appearance.
- This is a procedure of half millimetres and Dr De Silva will tailor the procedure to each individual person.
How does Dr De Silva’s technique differ?
Dr De Silva customises each lip lift procedure for each patient to give them the result they are looking for. Less is more when completing a lip lift in that shortening the distance should be rejuvenating and natural. Some patients require additional refinements such as a lateral lip lift, and improvement of fine lines (skin resurfacing) and use of regenerative medicine (reduce scar).
This is a procedure of technical detail, ie measurements of half millimetres and artistry as some elements there is no perfect measurement. Dr De Silva is an artist and his portrait paintings decorate the walls of his Harley Street clinic.
Hiding the scar is very important and this requires meticulous technique. The techniques used by Dr De Silva includes 3-layer closure (ie three levels of stitches) to give the finest possible scar. Dr De Silva is able to rotate your upper lip during the surgery to give you a fuller upper lip in conjunction with the lift lip procedure. In addition the use of regenerative medicine can enhance healing of the scar which means using your own growth factors to heal the anatomy faster.
In addition, Dr De Silva uses techniques that encourage faster healing and reduced scar formation. Dr De Silva offers patients a choice between local anaesthesia or sedation “twilight” anaesthesia, both giving patients a fast recovery from surgery.
Does lip lift plastic surgery require a general anaesthetic?
Dr De Silva can use general anaesthesia. However, he is able to offer patients a faster recovery with local or sedation anaesthesia, avoiding the risks and hangover of general anaesthesia. Dr De Silva would expect you to be able to go home 30minutes after the surgery.
What does the procedure involve?
A precise amount of soft tissue (excess skin and muscle) are removed from above the upper lip just beneath the nose. The incision is hidden in the curvature of the lower part of the nose which gives rise to a “bull horn” appearance. A meticulous technique is required to make the scar as hidden as possible. The Lip Lift Surgery takes approximately one hour to perform.
What is the recovery after lip lift surgery?
There may be mild discomfort for the first 24-hours. Most patients have minimal or no bruising. The superficial stitches are removed after one week, and the deeper stitches dissolve over 3 to 6 months.
The scar will be pink in colour initially, at which time it can be covered with concealer and will fade to a normal colour and fine line over a period of weeks and months.
When will the results of the lip lift be seen?
The results can be seen as early as a few days after surgery. Swelling is a normal part of healing and the majority resolves over the first 1-2 weeks. The final result from the surgery will be some months after the surgery
Are there different types of lip lift?
Lip lifts include:
- Bullhorn lip lifts
- Gullwing Lip Lifts
- Corner lip lifts
- Italian Lip Lift
The different techniques depend on the desired outcome and location of incisions around the lips. Dr De Silva is able to advise you on the preferred technique to achieve the result you are looking for.
What are the risks with lip lifts?
- Care is required with this surgery to hide the incisions and scars with lip lift surgery. A meticulous technique is required to hide the scars under the nose.
- Caution is advised if you have an active cold sore and anti-viral medication may be required to treat cold sores at the time of surgery.
- Caution is also required with patients who have keloid scarring. Complications from lip lift surgery are rare, include: scarring, asymmetry, numbness, distorted lips and lengthened lips.
Can the procedure be combined with other procedures:
Dr De Silva often combines the lip lift procedure with other facial surgery to improve a patient’s appearance. Lip lifts can be combined with lip augmentation to give a fuller and more youthful, aesthetically larger lip. The procedure can be combined with face and neck lift surgery to rejuvenate your face and improve facial balance.
Lip lift photo
This patient had been concerned for some time about the long distance from the base of her nose to her upper lip (termed philtrum).
She searched for some time to find a facial specialist to advise her on treatment options to reduce the length of her philtrum and improve the position of her upper lip.
She made an appointment at The Centre to see Dr Julian De Silva, who discussed with her both management options and expectations from surgery.
Dr. Julian De Silva is a renowned facial cosmetic surgeon at Harley Street, London, specializing in facelift, blepharoplasty, and rhinoplasty. Known for natural-looking results, he has treated top celebrities and uses advanced technology for fast recovery. Dr. De Silva is also a recognized author and educator in aesthetic surgery.