Lip Lift

Have you ever wondered what a perfect smile looks like and how important the lips are, along with the teeth? The canon of beauty is also considered to be the visibility of the front teeth when the mouth is still, but also during facial expressions. It’s about a few millimeters that ‘peek’ out from under the lip.

Conversely, when people can’t see their front teeth or gums at all when they smile, they notice that their aesthetics are distorted, but they’re not sure why. The secret is in the lips!

A lip lift procedure can improve the aesthetics of the lips and smile in several ways.

Namely, younger people usually have shorter, or narrower, fuller, and curved lips.

Older people often have elongated upper lips and lose volume in their lips with age. Lip elongation and loss of volume are the result of bone changes in the upper and lower jaws and decreased collagen production. The appearance of the lips is also affected by atrophy of the skin, mucous membranes, perioral muscles and glandular tissue, as well as tooth wear.

The goal of a lip lift procedure is to narrow the upper lip and increase the area of ​​the visible red part of the lip, resulting in greater lip volume. A lip lift is performed by shortening the so-called philtrum, the part between the upper tip of the red part of the lip and the nostril. In the ideal framework of beauty, the philtrum is considered excessively long if it is greater than 15 mm.

The average, optimal distance from the base of the nose to the edge of the upper lip, i.e. the desired size of the philtrum, is between 10 – 13 millimeters.

What is a lip lift?

A liplift shortens the length of the philtrum, repositioning and enlarging the pink part of the upper lip, making the lips appear fuller and more pronounced. It also increases the visibility of the upper teeth when the lips are still.

It is a good option for patients who want to add height and size to their lips, rather than volume.

Permanent lip augmentation using the ‘Bullhorn’ technique

There are several types and techniques of lip lift, and at the Bagatin Polyclinic we perform the so-called ‘Bullhorn’ technique, under local anesthesia. If necessary or desired, the procedure can also be performed under general anesthesia. It is also possible to combine it with another procedure, such as rhinoplasty , face lift , etc.

The surgeon will make an incision that is usually hidden along the base of the nose where it is least visible. The incision is often shaped like a ‘bull’s horns’, hence the name of the technique. The excess skin in the philtrum area is surgically removed, lifting the upper lip. The central part, right and left parts of the lips are pulled towards the nose, and the suture is not visible because it is located in the natural shadow of the nose.

It is natural for the upper lip to be thinner than the lower lip, in a ratio of 1 to 1.6 in favor of the lower lip. In cases where the upper lip is dominant, but with an insufficiently visible pink part, or is drooping, we can perform a lip lift.

Who is a good candidate for an upper lip lift?

• if you want permanent lip augmentation,
• clients and patients who want a more precise cupid’s bow without the ‘duck lip’ look,
• A lip lift can be a good option for older people who want to reduce the space between the lips and the nose (philtrum). With age, this ‘space’ usually increases, which is why the lips can look thinner and the face older,
• if you have a too long philtrum even as a younger person, which disrupts the perfect proportions of your face

You are not a candidate:

• if you do not have enough space between the base of the nose and the tip of the lip (under 15 mm),
• if you have active oral herpes or skin inflammatory processes,
• if you have impaired blood clotting ability or cannot stop anticoagulant therapy.

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia.

According to your doctor’s instructions, you should stop smoking in the weeks before and after surgery, as smoking can affect anesthesia and recovery.

Alcohol consumption is prohibited 48 hours beforehand.

Avoid blood thinning medications 2 weeks before the procedure.

The procedure takes approximately an hour.

An incision is made in the natural groove under the nose, and careful measurements are taken to outline the area that needs to be removed in order to evenly lift the entire upper lip. Projection lines are made to define exactly in advance which part will be removed and by how many millimeters.

The excess skin is then surgically removed and the muscle is internally fixed to ensure that it is positioned correctly and continues to follow the (new) facial expression. Once all corrections have been made, the surgeon will carefully place stitches in the furrow under the nose to minimize the risk of scarring. The stitches are usually removed 7 days after the procedure.

The initial goal of this procedure is to shorten the philtrum and thereby achieve better harmony and balance of the middle third of the face, and consequently the upper lip is lifted, which can provide up to 3 millimeters of additional surface area of ​​the red part of the lip.

The scar is usually not visible. The first results are visible after the stitches are removed, and the final result is visible in 6 months, after which the lips can be further enhanced with hyaluronic fillers.

Since the procedure is performed on a fairly superficial level, there is no fear of injury to blood vessels and nerves.

As with all surgeries, permanent lip augmentation has potential complications, which is why it is always good to be informed about everything.

Potential complications of plastic surgery include:

• hypertrophic scar
• poor wound healing with scarring
• nerve damage
• allergic reactions to anesthesia