Upper lip lift, also known as upper lip shortness treatment, is intended for patients who are not satisfied with the length of the upper lip area. In lip lift surgery, the upper lip, the area between the base of the columella (the middle column of the nose) and the reddish pink of the lip is targeted. The ideal length of this area in facial aesthetic surgery is between 12-15 millimeters. However, this length may vary depending on the location of the peripheral features of the face. If the length in this area is much longer than it should be, that is, if it is too much to cause discomfort to the person, support from plastic surgery can be obtained.
Many patients who are interested in upper lip lift or upper lip shortening are disturbed by the excessive length of the distance above the upper lip when the lip is immobile. If this length is longer than it should be, it causes the lower face of the person to appear much longer than it is. In fact, the length of the upper lip in the vertical direction is usually about the length of the lower lip-chin. To create more harmony and balance in a face that does not have ideal proportions, the upper lip shortening procedure can be a very effective solution in some cases.
At the same time, some patients may request lip lift surgery for smile aesthetics. In an ideal smile aesthetics, the upper lip should go up and make the teeth appear in a certain proportion. If the distance of the upper lip is more than the ideal ratio, the lip may be pulled upwards and prevent the teeth from being seen sufficiently. Insufficient appearance of incisors can also be corrected with lip lift surgery.
During the upper lip lift procedure, excess skin is removed from the upper lip area to shorten its vertical length. To achieve the desired measurement, one of two techniques can be performed. The first involves an incision at the red lip border (lip cylinder), where a small section of skin is removed. As a result, the upper lip is raised and shortened. However, this technique can cause a scar to stand out in some patients.
The second and more popular approach is to make an incision below where the upper lip meets the nose. This is called a sub-layer upper lip lift because the incision is placed in the lower part of the nose (nasale). In this surgery, the upper limb of the incision follows the natural contour of the upper lip just below the nose. After removing excess skin, the upper lip is lifted by suturing the cut edges together. It is important that the incision is closed in layers – that is, it is vital that the sutures are placed under the skin so that the suture provides enough strength to maintain the proper shape. Once the deep sutures have been placed, the skin edges are then meticulously aligned to make them as minimally visible as possible.
Lip lift surgery is performed as an outpatient procedure in an accredited surgical facility under general anesthesia. The surgery usually takes 1-2 hours to complete. In the first few days after surgery, there will be some swelling and moderate pain, but the results will be immediately visible. The final appearance of the lifted lip may take several months to take full effect.
For more information about lip lift surgery, you can make an appointment with Assoc. Dr. Güncel Öztürk.
