Also known as: Surgical lip augmentation, Gullwing lip lift, Bull horn lip lift.
A lip lift is a surgical technique used to correct drooping or elongated lips.
The surgery can be performed using several different techniques, but all involve cutting and repositioning the tissues of the upper lip.
OVERVIEW
WHY US
WHO WE ARE
Consultant Plastic Surgeon (Head & Neck Surgery)
MBChB, BSc, MRCS Eng, MD, PhD, FRCS(Plast)
Consultant Plastic Surgeon (Hand & Plastic Surgery)
MBBS, FCPS(Surg), FRCS(Glasg), FRCS(Plast), DipEBOHS
Consultant Plastic Surgeon (Hand & Plastic Surgery)
MBBS, FRCS (Plast)
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
MBBS, FRCS (Orth)
Consultant Anaesthetist
BSc (Hons), MBChB, FRCA
Consultant Plastic Surgeon (Hand & Plastic Surgery)
MBBS, MS, MRCSEd, FRCSEd(Plast), Dip in Hand Surgery(Eur)
Consultant Plastic Surgeon (Hand & Plastic Surgery)
MBChB (Hons), FRCS (Plast)
Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
MBBS, FRCS (Orth)
Senior Hand Therapist
BSc (Hons) Occupational therapy
Senior Hand Therapist
BSc (Hons) Physiotherapy
Patient Care Co-ordinator
BSc, MSc
Theatre Sister & Senior OPD
Theatre Sister & Senior OPD
Senior ODP & Anaesthetic Associate
Senior ODP & Anaesthetic Assoicate
Theatre Sister
Find answers to our frequently asked questions
Patients can typically have a lip lift performed and go home the same day.
Patients can have the procedure under local anaesthetic & sedation or can be asleep with a general anaesthetic.
The incision for a lip lift in the crease at the base of the nose under the nostrils.
The skin is removed and the scar is hidden in the natural crease around the nostrils and base of the nose.
A lip lift is likely to benefit those with previously fuller lips that have thinned with time with little of the “red” surface of the lip visible.
This may be for a number of reasons most commonly, age-related.
As patients get older, the area on the upper lip including the skin and muscle may begin to elongate due to gravity, resulting in a gradual decrease in the volume of the upper lip, that then looks thinner.
Those who wear lipstick may notice that less can be applied and so contributes to an aged look.
The signs of ageing include the various structures around the face drooping, so once a youthful face with the inverted triangular shape with most mass around the cheeks, shifts to the triangular structure with more emphasis at the bottom of the face, near the jawline.
One of the most effective ways of demonstrating this is to compare photos of the patient in their early 20’s to the present.
When patients come into the clinic, our UK-trained plastic surgeon makes a full assessment of the patient.
This includes any relevant history, including reasons for surgery and a thorough examination of the nose and the upper lip itself.
Part of this process is explaining to the patients what can be done, why, and what to expect, based on each patients’ anatomy and suitability for surgery for a lip lift.
Patients are put into a “We see you in one week after surgery” to check on the patients and remove any visible stitches.
The swelling starts to come down gradually from 48 hours after surgery and within a few weeks patients feel brighter and fresher.
Once safe, patients are let out of the clinic with close follow up arranged to ensure improvements would happen as anticipated.
One alternative to a surgical lip lift is the use of fillers which may be either synthetic which is temporary or use of natural ones such as fat.
This can provide a method to deal with the lost volume but does not adequately address the increased distance between the base of the nose and lip.
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