Posted on March 7, 2023
Ah the lip lift. I saw a woman on the Real Housewife franchise who had a lip lift and now her upper lift distractingly does not move at all when she talks. I have seen others where the scar is quite visible at the base of the nose.
So do you do want to do this? or not? The jury is out for me. Currently I can do most of what a lip lift does with facial fat transfer, and fat grafting has no scars.
Aesthetic Surgery Journal, December 2022. “CUPID Lip Lift: Advance Lip Design Using the Deep Plane Upper Lip Lift and Simplified Corner Lift.” The article writers did a deep dive to analyze techniques. They conclude “Upper lip lift design is more complex than most practicioners realize.”
Article pearls
- The majority of techniques have a high rate of dissatisfaction. For this reason, it is usually saved for older, light, thin skinned patients.
- The major need for revisions are for 1. scarring 2. asymmetry/lip imbalance 3. poor function 4. unnatural appearance
- Do you have incisor show? A youthful look shows 1-5mm, though they say to avoid more than 4mm.
- Most lip lifts remove 4-5mm of skin. For every millimeter over that you cause addition 1mm of tooth show.
- A downturn to the mouth? A lip lift may worsen these.
- Lip filler (temporary or permanent) can distort what should be done.
- They think most people who do a lip lift, also need a lip corner lift as well.
- Poor markings can cause teeth to show, problems with mouth closure, accentuating the mouth corner downturn, chin strain. You need to mark patients sit upright.