Lip Lift Before and After Photos

A subnasal upper lip lift is a procedure designed to make the upper lip look fuller, while simultaneously shortening the length of the upper lip between the nose and the mouth.  It is ideal for those individuals who have a long upper lip, inadequate red lip or dental show, and an upper lip that is flat and rolled inwards. 

It is generally not performed on someone who has a gummy smile.  During this procedure, a bullhorn shaped skin excision is performed at the base of the nose and then closed meticulously with stitches.  By removing this skin, the central two thirds of the lip are lifted.  It can be performed for those individuals who have genetic life-long deficiency of upper lip show (thin upper lip) or those who have experienced aging of the lips (volume loss, elongation of the upper lip, and an upper lip that rolls inwards).  The resulting scar is a very fine line. 

The procedure can be performed in the office with local anesthetic numbing injections or in the operating room with intravenous anesthesia.  Stitches are in place for one week and there is mild bruising and swelling for the first 2-3 weeks. The results are long lasting compared to temporary injectables, which have a short duration.  Also, injectables generally do not shorten the upper lip length. A subnasal lip lift result can also be enhanced by temporary or permanent lip augmentation with injectables or Perma Facial implants respectively. Please view our photo gallery to see examples of patients who have had an upper lip lift performed and contact us to make your consultation appointment with one of our plastic surgeons.