If the popularity of dermal fillers is anything to go by, people want lush, full lips, and they’re having aesthetic treatments to get them. However, fillers are temporary, and in some cases, patients don’t achieve quite the shape they’re after, like “duck lips.” At Awaken Aesthetics, Dr. Ahn can give you a natural-looking lip lift, which requires no repeated treatments and can avoid that upper lip shelf you may wish to avoid. 

The Lip Lift

Aside from the minimally invasive cosmetic treatments to improve lip shape, there’s the lip lift. It’s a fast, in-office procedure that doesn’t rely on volume to shape and improve the lip’s appearance. It’s designed to shorten the distance between your nose and upper lip, which can sometimes lengthen with age, giving your top lip a much thinner shape. Shortening this skin increases the visibility of pink tissue of the upper lip, which gives the lip a fuller appearance. It also raises the lip’s position for a more open smile. 

Lip Lift Torrance

*Individual Results May Vary

Lip Lift Details

Surgery details

The incisions are located just above the rim of the upper lip or in the crease on the underside of the nose, depending on which type of lip lift will achieve your goals.

Length of procedure

The lip lift is quick, taking only about 60 minutes to perform.

Anesthesia

For such a small treatment area, local anesthesia is all that is usually required to keep you comfortable during the procedure.

What is the recovery process like?

You’ll need to take it easy for 24 hours following your lip lift and will likely experience swelling and bruising for the first 1-2 weeks. After 1 week, your sutures will be removed.

How soon can I return to work?

Most patients can resume work in 5-7 days.

How soon can I return to my regular exercise routine?

After 1-2 weeks, you’ll be cleared to resume exercise at levels with which you feel comfortable.

Will follow-up appointments be necessary?

Yes, 1, 6, and 12 weeks after surgery.

Length of consultation

You’ll need around 45 minutes to meet with us initially.

There are a few different techniques used for the lip lift. Your Awaken Anesthetics surgeon can adapt the types of lip lift to suit your unique features and aesthetic goals.

*Individual Results May Vary

Direct Lip Lift

This technique removes a strip of skin just above the rim of the upper lip. It defines the lip’s edge, and the skin is pulled upward, making the pink part of the upper lip more prominent. This incision leaves a pencil-thin scar. 

Subnasal Bullhorn Lip Lift

This is the most commonly performed lip lift. Your Awaken Aesthetics surgeon will make the incision along the base of the nose where it’s less noticeable. The shape of the incision is like a bullhorn, with the right, center, and left contours of the nose’s underside. This lifts the upper lip along its entire length.

Central Lip Lift

This technique is similar to the subnasal bullhorn but only heightens the lip in the center with an incision in the middle under the nose, leaving the corners of the lip in their original position. The upper lip’s vermillion (the pink part) becomes more prominent in the center only.

Corner Lip Lift

This lip lift is sometimes called the grin lift because it turns up the corners of the mouth for a more smiley aesthetic. Two small incisions are made at the corners of your mouth to remove a small portion of skin. This can be done at the same time as another of the lip lift techniques to raise the height of the upper lip and give a fuller result.

Italian Lip Lift

Your surgeon will make two precise incisions below each nostril while leaving the middle portion alone. It’s very much a partial bullhorn incision designed to increase the height of the upper lip on either side of the central dip (or philtrum). 

What Procedures Can Be Combined with the Lip Lift?

The lip lift can complement many facial surgical procedures, including the facelift, upper or lower eyelid lift, or eyebrow lift.

Why Awaken Aesthetics for Your Lip Lift Procedure?

Awaken Aesthetics goal is to focus on a limited number of procedures for the face and body. In doing so, they’ve cultivated an award-winning reputation for being meticulous and achieving incredible results. For this reason, Awaken Aesthetics attracts patients from all over the world.

What Type of Anesthesia is Used for This Procedure?

The lip lift usually requires only local anesthetic to keep patients comfortable. In some cases, if you’re nervous, light sedation can be added to help you relax completely.

What is Recovery Like?

The lip lift has one of the easier recovery processes. You can expect some swelling and bruising for the first  1-2 weeks, and it’s important to sleep with your head elevated. We also recommend you take care with dental hygiene by using a smaller toothbrush. You’ll begin to see results as the swelling goes down, with your new lip contour becoming apparent after 2-3 weeks and continuing to improve in the following months.

I Am Interested! What Do I Do Next?

Schedule a consultation with Awaken Aesthetics, and your surgeon will discuss the procedure in detail and whether or not it will help you achieve your lip enhancement goals. You’ll learn about the best technique for your anatomy, any risks, and important before and aftercare information.

Want to learn more about what you can expect from a lip lift? Schedule a consultation at Awaken Aesthetics in Torrance, CA to learn more. (310) 791-2233