While everyone else is doing whatever they can to get a bigger pout, you’ve been overly-blessed. Lip reduction surgery can help you attain the optimal lip size to balance your face because sometimes you really can have too much of a good thing. When lips are too voluminous, they can look fake and unbalance your face. If you’re always being asked if you use lip fillers, feel like you have duck lips, or are too self-conscious to wear the bright lipsticks you love, a lip reduction surgery can give you the natural appearance you deserve. Whether it’s genetics or the poor results of previous plastic surgery, Dr. Roy can help.
Losing volume in our lips is a common occurrence as we get older, as is the development of a very long upper lip with diminished tooth show. An upper lip lift can help restore balance and symmetry to your face. If you’ve noticed that this imbalance is getting worse as you get older, a lip lift can help you grow older with more confidence and balanced aesthetics. Younger patients can also achieve a beautiful upper lip pout and attractive upper tooth show that also reduces the need for lip filler!
With our unique collaboration that pairs top aesthetic providers in Cosmetic Dermatology with leading facial plastic surgeons, such as double board certified Dr. Sudeep Roy, we work towards giving patients the very best in both cutting-edge plastic surgery and non-surgical treatments. This results in you getting the ultimate in facial rejuvenation.
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Lip Service: Lip Reduction and Lip Lift Surgery are two ways to reshape and balance the lips
Dr. Sudeep Roy offers two primary types of lip surgery: a lip reduction surgery and an upper lip lift. Lip reduction surgery decreases lip volume by removing excess “mucosa” (i.e. the wet, inner side of the red lip). Most people have upper lips that are thinner than their lower lips. However, when the difference is so dramatic that it unbalances your face, a lip lift may help. If you have very long, thin upper lips and want to avoid “duck lips” from simply using a lip filler, this particular surgery might be for you.
The lip lift procedure increases the red portion of the lip while allowing for more upper teeth to show, which adds to the sensuality of the mouth. Lip lifts can also be a great procedure for older patients who have experienced upper lip droop. There is minimal downtime for the procedure, and results are natural but dramatic and instantly restore balance and youthfulness to your face.
Lip lift incisions are hidden in the crease at the base of the nose, making the scar virtually invisible once healed. Local anaesthetic or twilight anesthesia is available. Dr. Roy uses the latest techniques to ensure the best long-term results for patients as well as a quick recovery.
Lip reduction is an outpatient procedure requiring local anaesthetic, and patients have an option for light sedation. Most lip reduction surgeries take between 1 – 2 hours. Incisions are hidden on the inside of the lip to ensure fast and easy healing. Thanks to dissolvable stitches, there’s no need for a suture removal appointment.
Many patients can resume most normal activities in about one week. Bruising and swelling will subside by this time, and following the post-operative instructions dramatically helps speed up healing. Low-impact exercise and activities can be resumed two weeks after surgery, with high-impact activities available three weeks post-surgery. Lips tend to heal very quickly, making lip reduction surgery relatively safe and well-tolerated.
After a lip lift, sutures remain in place for five days. It’s best to avoid excessive lip movement for 10 days. However, you can resume low impact activities after two weeks. Since it’s best to minimize mouth movement as you recover, proper planning is vital when undergoing a lip lift.
You’ll see results in three weeks after swelling and bruising have faded. However, full results take approximately three months and the aesthetic continues to improve for up to one year.
Keep in mind that we lose volume in our lips with age. Although many adults may be a candidate for lip reduction surgery, carefully consider your options if you’re in your 20s. Your lips may naturally lose the desired volume in a few years. Younger patients who are good candidates for lip reduction surgery are usually suffering disproportionately large lips that damage their self-esteem or interfere with their social lives.
Lip reduction surgery may be appropriate for the upper lip, lower lip, or both. The incision site is slightly different for upper and lower lips but is always situated so that it is well hidden. Dr. Roy will work with you to determine which lips are best suited for a reduction to achieve optimal balance.
A lip lift may be beneficial for adults of any age. When lips are so unbalanced in volume that they interfere with your self-confidence, it is unlikely that they will “balance out” with age.
If you’re considering a lip lift or lip reduction surgery, you care about the symmetry of your face. Nobody’s face is naturally, perfectly symmetrical, but for those with severe asymmetry, cosmetic surgery can help. Procedures that may complement a lip surgery include rhinoplasty, cheek or chin implants, and earlobe surgery. These areas of the face are particularly prone to being unbalanced compared to the rest of the face.
Lip surgeries are relatively quick and offer a speedy recovery. Ear surgery offers a similar level of invasiveness and recovery period and can include “pinning” the ears to decrease the amount they protrude or an earlobe reduction surgery. Ear or earlobe surgery can be a fantastic surgical complement for anyone looking for fast and easy ways to increase facial balance.
Some patients prefer to avoid additional surgeries, and that’s understandable. That’s why RefinedMD offers a wide range of non-surgical treatments that can complement lip surgery. Dermal fillers can still be used to improve the contour and volume of the lips, even though most patients feel like they need much less to accomplish the same desired effect. Skin tightening treatments such as collagen stimulators or Botox can help improve the overall laxity, texture, and tone of the face to better showcase your new lip look.
With the advent of modified lip lift techniques that pay particular attention to reducing visible scarring and achieving a natural upper lip appearance, there are plenty of reasons why the upper lip lift procedure can benefit both younger and older patients.
Patients in their 20s looking for a more pleasant lip aaesthetic and a little more tooth show are great candidates, as are patients in their 60s with elongate and thin upper lips with little to no red lip showing who are tired of the over-filled look of lip filler injections. The procedure can be performed on patients of all skin types/colors as long as there is no history of abnormal healing.
Results from an upper lip lift will become apparent around the 2-3 week mark once most of the swelling and any bruising from the procedure subside. Patients are able to resume daily activities at this point. The final outcome can be appreciated more fully after 3 months when the majority of healing has occurred, with continued improvement over the course of 1 year.
An upper lip lift will increase tooth show, which may not be appropriate in certain individuals that already have an adequate amount of tooth show. In these cases, referral to a cosmetic dentist may be appropriate to shorten the teeth, which may then allow an upper lip lift procedure to be performed if indicated.
If you’re interested in bettering your pout through a lip reduction or lip lift, you deserve to have the best working for you. Double board certified Dr. Sudeep Roy is a world-class facial plastic surgeon specializing in giving you incredible yet natural-looking results. With “one-stop shopping,” you can combine lip surgery with surgical or non-surgical treatments to give you the results you really want in a fun, safe environment. Schedule a consultation with Dr. Roy today to learn more. At RefinedMD, whether you’re interested in surgical or non-surgical aesthetic treatments, we always have something for you to smile about.