LIP LIFT
DESERT BLOOM PLASTIC SURGERY
LIP LIFT
Many factors can elongate our upper lips and cause them to appear thinner. While age is the most common factor resulting in a thinner upper lip, other factors like genetics and previous fillers can make the lip look thin and create an unnatural appearance to the face and mouth. Facial balance is very important to maintain a youthful appearance and the lips are a very prominent part of this balance.
WHY DOES MY LIP LOOK LONGER EACH YEAR?
It is well documented in the medical literature that the lips “deflate” over time. The loss of fullness allows the upper lip to roll inward and results in a thinner upper lip and a lack of normal ratios of our lips. When the upper lips thins out we naturally look older.
How is a lip lift different
than fillers?
Fillers are injected by the millions each year to help achieve fullness and a more youthful appearance. While the right injector and a syringe of filler can make the lips look much better it is not permanent and will have to be repeated each year.
Lip lifts are done by making an incision under the nose and removing a small strip of tissue (commonly called a bullhorn shape) to shorten the distance from the bottom of the nose to the colored portion of the lip. This procedure helps create a natural-appearing fullness to the lip.
You should expect your lips to look overdone and have too much swelling right after the surgery. Cold compresses, and oral pain medications work well to control discomfort for the first few days after surgery. You can still do light exercise but normal rigorous exercise should be avoided for the first week.
What can be done to minimize a
scar after a lip lift?
While all incisions leave a scar, these scars fade very well over time and are difficult to find once healed. All scars, including those resulting from a lip lift, go through a healing process, and scar maturation can take up to a year; during this time, the red and pink color of scars fades to a flesh tone, and firm, bumpy scar tissue softens and flattens. Dr. Wallin recommends a variety of scar management options including anti-scar steroid injections if the scar is enlarging. At home, you should use sunblock and silicone gel or sheets which are available in the office for purchase.
Contact Dr. Jordan Wallin for a Lip Lift
If you’d like to learn more about any of these options, Dr. Wallin would love to talk with you. Call us at (435) 627-8150, or reach out to us online to set up an appointment to meet one-on-one with a talented
plastic surgeon.