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Dr. Carson Huynh Radiance Surgery & aesthetic medicine in a lab coat
Dr. Carson | Radiance Atlanta, GA

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The Complete Guide To Lip Lifts

Overview

Lip Lift

If you’re a someone looking for a beautifying change in your life, then a lip lift might be just what you need. Lip lifts typically reduce wrinkles and make lips look fuller. In addition, this procedure can help with sagging skin around the mouth caused by aging, sun damage, or even just genetics.

This article explores everything involved in getting a lip lift procedure done, including how much it costs and what recovery time to expect after surgery.

What is a Lip Lift?

Lip Lift is a procedure that lifts sagging and drooping skin on top of the mouth. It can help resolve issues that can contribute to an unattractive appearance in addition to extreme sensitivity from the lips rubbing against teeth during eating and drinking.

The procedure can take as little as one hour under local anesthesia with minimal recovery time. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that this surgery exists and, if they do, may incorrectly refer to it as lip augmentation.

Why do a Lip Lift?

As a person ages, skin on the face and neck starts to sag. As a result, the mouth’s natural shape changes, resulting in discomfort while eating and drinking.

The upper lip typically begins to wrinkle, sag, and droop over time due to exposure to smoking and other environmental factors. The inner lining of the mouth also loses its thickness, which causes a loss of definition.

Another cause for sagging lips and skin is over-exposure to the sun’s UV rays. If you spend too much time in the sun without proper protection, then your lips will often show signs of aging before your face does because they have constant exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays.

Do Lip Lifts Look Natural?

In most cases, the result is a natural-looking fuller smile that many patients refer to as “younger-looking lips. It can be performed independently or combined with other procedures like a brow lift to achieve even more dramatic results.

Anatomy of the Lips

Oral Commissure

Glogau-Klein Points

Lower Vermilion Border

Upper Vermilion Border

Tubercle

Cupid’s bow

Philtrum

Philtrum Columns

Types of Lip Lifts

It is possible to perform a lip lift in various ways, depending on the desired result, the severity of sagging skin, and personal preference.

The Five Most Common Types of Lip Lifts are:

How Long Do Lip Lifts Last?

In most cases, lip lifts are one-time procedures that last for several years. A touch-up surgery may be needed if you are unhappy with the appearance of your lips or if you wish to reduce the scars.

The results will vary according to your anatomy and the amount of skin you need to be lifted. For example, a lip lift may not produce dramatic results if you have excessively long upper lips.

Lips that are too thick for the size of your mouth may also need additional procedures with fillers or laser resurfacing before getting a lip lift.

When you do not want to undergo a lip lift, lip fillers can help you define your lips. On the other hand, a lip lift is an excellent choice for long-lasting yet subtle results.

If you are interested in lip lift surgery, you should consult with a board-certified plastic surgeon with experience in facial procedures.

Experts on this topic seem to agree that lip lift surgery can be a useful procedure for those who want to rejuvenate their appearance by lifting sagging upper lips.

You need to ensure you are ready to undergo lip lift surgery and understand what it involves before proceeding.

 

Lip Lift Preparation

Preparation for lip lift surgery begins with finding a board-certified plastic surgeon. Next, you should meet with the surgeon in person and ask them to show you their credentials.

Finally, they should answer all of your questions and address any concerns that you may have about the lip lift procedure. During your consultation, your doctor will go over your medical history and perform a physical examination.

If you have any health conditions treated with medication, your doctor will want to know any side effects or complications. The surgeon may also recommend postponing the procedure until you finish taking certain medications, especially those that increase the risk of bleeding during surgery.

It is also important to inform your doctor about any allergies that you have. For example, you should not be allergic to anesthesia or pain medications. Still, it is also a good idea to let them know if you are allergic to bandages, tape, or other kinds of skin dressings before surgery.

All of these should go away once the treatment area is numb. Following treatment, you may experience temporary side effects that usually disappear within a few days. These side effects include:

During lip lift surgery, your surgeon will make incisions at the corners of the mouth or in the upper part of your lip. The length and location of the incision depend on how much skin needs to come off.

In general, a small lip lift surgery will require about two small incisions, while a larger procedure may need up to four or five incisions. Inquire about the incisions your surgeon plans to make and how they will treat the scars after surgery.

Generally, the procedure lasts about an hour, but some surgeons may take longer depending on their technique and the amount of extra skin they have to remove.

After removing some or all of the sagging skin, your surgeon will close up the incisions using dissolvable stitches that will fall out on their own. Some surgeons may also use hypoallergenic tape to hold the incisions closed and reduce scarring around the mouth.

Lip surgery runs the risk of infection or bleeding at the incisions site. If you have an infection, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to clear it up.

You may have swelling at the wound site if a blood vessel has ruptured during surgery. If you experience severe bleeding after surgery, seek medical attention immediately.

Other risks of lip surgery include prolonged swelling or bruising and nerve damage or numbness. During surgery, you run the risk of damaging the nerves in your mouth, causing the muscles not to function properly. You may not be able to smile or look natural after this procedure.

Some people are more at risk than others of developing these complications. If you are older, have a history of blood clots or bleeding disorders like hemophilia, take medications that increase your risk of bleeding, or have any other health conditions, it is important to inform your doctor before having lip surgery.

Nonsurgical Lip Lift

Can You Get a Lip Lift Without Surgery?

You can get a lip fill without surgery using a derma filler in the lips, like Radiesse or Restylane. It adds fullness to the lips for a more pouty look, and the results can last up to a year.

When choosing fillers for lip enhancement, talk with your doctor about which is right for you. The lips may also appear fuller when a person loses weight or if their cheeks are full and have more fat in that area than they want to keep. Lip fillers are often used in this situation to make the upper and lower lip appear more balanced.

Lip lift vs. Lip Flip

A lip lift and a lip flip are two very different procedures. A lip flip is the common name used to refer to a lip filler. A lip filler is a product that can be injected to add volume and definition to the lips.

Fillers are used in order to help with appearance and has been around for over two decades. It is a temporary measure and lasts anywhere from six months to one year depending on your age, skin type and lifestyle.

The most popular filler is hyaluronic acid, which is a substance that naturally occurs in the body and has been used for decades to add volume to lips. It typically takes fifteen to thirty minutes.

The lips may be swollen for a few hours or up to two days after the procedure is complete, but this varies according to what was injected in your lips and how much of it was used.

Radiance Surgery and Aesthetic Medicine offers both lip lifts and lip flips to suit your needs. Contact us today for a consultation.

Recovery & Results

Typically, the recovery time associated with lip lift surgery is very short. Some bruising and tenderness may persist for two weeks or longer, although mild swelling usually subsides within a few days. It can take three to six months to see the final results from a lip lift procedure.

The results of a lip lift can be very dramatic. If you feel that your lips are thinning with age, or if you have lost some of the fullness in your upper lip as a result of weight loss or aging, lip lift surgery can help rejuvenate your appearance and make you look years younger.

How Do I Take Care of Myself After Surgery?

After surgery, it is important to follow the instructions of your surgeon. You will need to keep your head elevated for several days and avoid strenuous activities for at least a week.

You should rest as much as possible, and you may need someone else to drive you home from the surgery center or hospital. Your doctor will give you specific guidelines on what to do after surgery.

It is also important to schedule a follow-up appointment with your surgeon about two weeks after surgery. Your doctor will check the healing progress and make sure that everything looks normal. He may also remove any tape or stitches at this time.

Tips to Remember After A Lip Surgery

It is important to research your options for lip surgery and find a qualified doctor who has performed the procedure many times. However, there are some ways you can improve the appearance of your lips without going under the knife.

Eating a healthy diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C can help plump up your lips naturally. Drinking lots of water can also hydrate your skin and make it look firmer and fuller.

Avoiding cigarettes, excessive sun exposure, and tanning beds is always important to avoid premature aging or skin appearance damage.

Simple natural remedies like aloe vera gel may help keep your lips soft and moisturized. Just be sure to apply it after using soap and water, as the chemicals in the soap can dry out your skin.

If you decide to use lip plumper, look for one with natural ingredients like bee wax and lanolin. These ingredients are less likely to cause irritation and allergic reactions than products made with synthetic chemicals.

It is important to get plenty of rest to keep your energy up and avoid fatigue. You should also get plenty of sleep each night to prevent fatigue from affecting your skin.

Avoid straining yourself if you work out. Lifting weights or doing other strenuous activities can stretch the muscles in your face and cause them to sag.

If you notice swelling or bruising after lip surgery, it is best to avoid using lipsticks, glosses, and other products for a few days. Then, you can wear concealer on the area until the color looks more normal.

Wash your face gently with soap and water every day to keep your skin clean and hydrated. Use a moisturizing cream every morning and night to keep your skin soft, and avoid using products that cause irritation or allergic reactions.

Remove Makeup Every Night

While everyone needs vitamins, these supplements can be especially important for improving their skin and lips.

Look for a multivitamin that contains plenty of B-complex vitamins and other nutrients like vitamin A and iron. Maintaining clear, strong, healthy, and moisturized skin is possible by taking vitamins daily.

Stress can harm the health of your skin and lead to breakouts or signs of premature aging. Avoid stressful situations as much as possible if you want to keep your skin looking young and healthy for as long as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, a lip lift can sometimes change the shape of your nose. For more definition between the nose and mouth, you can remove the skin to varying degrees. The doctor will inform you before the procedure if this is common.

Yes, lip lifts are relatively simple procedures and safe when done by a board-certified plastic surgeon. These treatments aim to enhance the face by reducing excess skin and firming up contours that have become undefined with age.

Yes, a lip lift can change how your smile looks, but if you remove too much muscle from the upper lip, it will appear smaller and tighter, making you look less inviting. The key to obtaining natural-looking results is to find a plastic surgeon with skill, experience, and a good reputation.

The cost of a lip lift can vary depending on the surgeon and the number of procedures performed. However, in most cases, A lip lift averages about $3,000 to $4,500 per procedure.

After a lip lift, you can generally return to normal activities in one or two weeks. There is usually some mild bruising and swelling that begins to resolve within a week of the surgery. You may experience numbness for up to several days after the surgery.

Conclusion

Last Thoughts

This blog post has covered a lot of ground about lip surgery. We hope this information is useful as you seek to determine whether a lip lift would be right for you.

We at Radiance Surgery and Aesthetic Medicine offer Lip Lifts, as well as lip flips for those who prefer a nonsurgical option. Contact us if you have questions or would like to to schedule a consultation.

What’s been most helpful in our discussion? First, don’t forget that these surgeries are permanent changes that will affect everyday life–so get ready to love that new smile!

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