Lip lift is a surgical procedure to reduce the vertical dimension of the upper lip and at the same time increase its volume. This surgical procedure consists of removing a small strip of skin just above the lip mucosa, creating a subversion of the mucosa itself, which gives the lips a fuller and plumper appearance.

Augmentation des lèvres. Lip enhancement. Dr Raspertova. Dr Xavier Tenorio. Aesthetics Clinic

Somewhat different from the Russian Lips, the lip lift is a procedure that needs to be carefully planned in advance; more and more patients come to the plastic surgeon after making their own diagnosis of « what to do » on the internet, but especially for procedures such as the direct lip lift, it is essential that a professional assess whether or not the indications for this type of procedure are present. In the pre-operative phase, it is essential to evaluate the smile line, as well as the length of the upper lip, which will help avoid uncovering too much of the teeth and/or excessively shortening the length of the upper lip. A lip lift may seem like a trivial operation, but if it is performed without the correct instructions, the results will be poor at best. Another important point for the correct planning of a lip lift is the assessment of any teeth along the smile line that may be rotated, out of place or in any other condition that could alter the aesthetics of the lip itself. The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis, so the main pre-operative tests to be carried out are: blood tests and an electrocardiogram, except in the case of specific underlying pathologies.

Type of anaesthesia required

The lip lift is an operation that can easily be performed on an outpatient basis; in theory, it can also be performed under simple local anaesthesia, but to minimise patient discomfort, it is useful to combine it with a light anaesthetic sedation. In any case, shortly after the operation, the patient can go home without any problems.
The day of the operation

On the morning of the scheduled lip lift operation, the patient should go to the agreed upon location and fast from midnight onwards, even in case of local anaesthesia. He/she should wear comfortable clothes, preferably a tracksuit, and avoid wearing any make-up, while cleansing thoroughly before the operation. The procedure takes about 30 to 40 minutes and after a reasonable period of hospitalisation, the patient can easily go home.

The immediate post-operative period

At the end of the operation, the patient will not wear any medication, but there will be very fine stitches all along the edge of the lip, between the dry mucosa of the lip and the skin of the lip itself. These stitches will remain in place for about a week, but generally there is no swelling or bruising, the hospital stay is really very easy as it is a very minor procedure and there is no pain in the postoperative period either.

Late postoperative

After the removal of the stitches, the patient will not feel any discomfort, but it must be stressed that for a correct aesthetic result of the scar, a long and careful post-operative care will be necessary with different creams. 6 months after the operation, if necessary, it is also possible to carry out a dermopigmentation along the edge of the upper lip in order to better conceal the scar (which is already quite invisible).

Possible complications

Complications of a direct lip lift, if performed by experienced hands, are practically non-existent. However, this procedure, although not technically complex, can, if not properly planned, lead to excessive tissue resection, which would result in permanent cosmetic damage.

Possible alternatives to Lip Lift

The alternative to the lip lift is the indirect lip lift, also called « buffalo wings », because of the characteristic appearance of the scar below the base of the nose, which takes on the appearance of buffalo horns. Theoretically, the positioning of the scars at the base of the nose, instead of immediately above the lip, should further conceal the lip, but with this technique the eversion of the lip is minimal and above all it is not possible to carry out a subsequent camouflage by dermopigmentation.