As we age, gravity pulls down all of your facial muscles including the lips. Additionally, the bone in your mouth gets ground down and becomes shorter. All of this results in the upper lip becoming excessively longer and smaller in appearance because it’s sagging which changes the shape of your smile. For example, when you see a youthful woman’s mouth slightly ajar, you’re able to see their teeth but as we age this aesthetic starts to diminish. A lip lift can restore your smile to a more natural, youthful appearance. 

There are 2 different techniques for a lip lift, both of which can be performed in the office under local anesthesia. The first technique involves pulling the skin itself upwards, which allows the lip to naturally roll out more. The second technique involves creating a surgical excision to the skin and muscle which naturally lifts the entire lip. The advantage of the latter technique is that there’s no rolling upwards of the lip. Lip lifts can also be done in conjunction with other facial procedures.

The recovery for lip lifts is relatively quick. Patients return home the same day with stitches that are left in for one week. Once the stitches are removed, patients can hide the site of the incision with makeup while it continues to heal.