Lip Lift/Corner Lift | Montgomery AL
Why Choose a Lip Lift/Corner Lift?
As we age our upper lip length (distance from the upper lip to the base of the nose) becomes longer and the red portion of the lip tends to become less prominent and rolls down. This results in an aged appearance. Additionally, years of lip filler can migrate above the border of the upper lip giving an unnatural appearance. For these individuals, a lip lift (also called a bullhorn lip lift) is the best solution. A lip lift addresses the central two thirds of the upper lip. However, it does not address the outer corners of the upper lip. A corner lift addresses these areas by rolling it upwards. In summary lip lifts and corner lifts are methods to increase the amount of red show of the lip and decrease the distance between the nose and the upper lip. Filler merely adds volume to the existing red portion of the lip that is showing. Finally, if the lip lacks definition in between the red and white portion lip blushing/lip color tattoo may be recommended. During consultation Dr. Nizam will review your goals and see if you are a candidate for filler, a lip lift, corner lift, lip blushing/tattoo or a combination of these treatments.
Lip Lift Procedure
The procedure itself utilizes an incision that wraps around the lower contours of the nose in a bullhorn pattern (as seen in the diagram above). Intervening skin is removed, and meticulous suturing is undertaken. If fat transfer was planned to the lower lip to add balance, a small cannula is used to insert your own micro fat into the lips. The procedure usually takes 1 hour.
Corner Lift Procedure
A small incision is made in the lateral third of the lip where the red border meets the skin. The lip is released and then sutured to the top border of the incision. The incision heals imperceptibly by 6 months and lip liner can be placed after 1 week. The procedure usually takes 30 minutes.
Lip Blushing/Lip Color Tattoo
Some people will loose definition of color in between the white and red of the lip as they age. For these individuals, once 6 months has passed from the above procedures, permanent cosmetics can be used to regain this definition, fine tune the result, and camouflage the incision in the rare event it is needed. This is performed under local anesthesia and typically takes 1 hour.
Recovery
Social downtime is typically 7-14 days. Sutures are removed at 7 days. The incision line can remain red for the first few months; however, it can be covered up with makeup after the first week. If fat transfer is planned, it can cause lingering swelling for the first 2-3 weeks. At 6 weeks we usually use our custom laser cocktail to refine the incisions under local anesthesia, which takes 5-10 minutes. Lip blushing/lip color tattooing can cause minor swelling for 2-3 days. Final results and incision healing is normally appreciable by 6 months.
Longevity
As with other surgical procedures the changes made are permanent. You will continue to age from that point on and the speed at which this happens is dependent on multiple factors including genetics, age, sun exposure, etc. Lip lifts can be repeated easily in the future to take additional tissue if needed.
Would You Like to Rejuvenate Your Face?
Alabama Surgical Arts offers a number of facial cosmetic surgery procedures including lip lift, face lift, and rhinoplasty. Contact us today to learn more!