Lip & Mouth Lift
The Lip and Mouth Lift restores your mouth to a natural, youthful smile. The process shortens the upper lip, which tends to lengthen with age, and also enhances the upper lip vermillion to allow a thinner upper lip to appear fuller. The procedure overcomes sagging at the corners that falsely create the look of a frown. The final result is a younger happier look, with a restored “cupid’s bow,” and the top front teeth visible when the lips are slightly parted. Along with this procedure, the lips are often plumped with fat injections to complete the look. This surgery often takes five years off the patient’s appearance and is the crowning touch to a face lift.
Who Is a Candidate?
The Lip and Mouth Lift is the ideal procedure for lips that are turn down at the corners or when there are vertical wrinkling, furrows at the nasolabial creases, or thinning sagging lips.
Procedure Information
The Lip and Mouth Lift is done on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia. It is often done in conjunction with a face lift and takes only about 30 to 90 minutes. For the lip lift, an incision is made directly beneath the nose and the skin is lifted, causing more of the vermillion (pink part) of the lip to be exposed and lifting the lip restoring the natural “bow.” For the Mouth Lift, triangular pieces of skin are removed from the corners of the upper lip, the muscles may be slightly shortened, and sutures are applied. The incisions are small and the scars are hidden in the vermillion of the lips so they are virtually undetectable even from inches away. Laser or dermabrasion may be used for resurfacing of the skin. Fat injections may be used to plump and firm the lips, 25% of which will be permanent with some volume loss in the remaining 75%.
Postoperative
Downtime is minimal. The sutures for both the Lip and Mouth Lift are usually removed within a week. Patient can return to normal activities within one week, though taking care to protect the lips from sun.