Lip lifting surgery- why and how?

Your upper lip may lose volume, become longer, and cover the upper teeth as you age, and you start showing noticeable signs of ageing through your lips. Thus, to achieve a more youthful lip profile, lip lift surgery is recommended.

A lip lift procedure is a long-term solution to your unaesthetic lip concerns and less appealing lip profile. Unlike dermal fillers, which typically last 6-18 months, a lip lift will last for years. Lip lift surgery helps achieve a fuller, plumper, and more pronounced lip profile that includes a plastic surgeon to meet realistic aesthetic goals.

According to Indian plastic surgeon Dr Karishma Kagodu, founder of Dr Karishma's Aesthetics, one should go for lip lift surgery if -

• You want to shorten the space between the nose and the top of the lip to achieve a more youthful lip profile.
• You want fuller, more pronounced, and plumper lips, revealing more of your upper teeth.
• You want to restore lip volume and increase the noticeable pink tissue that makes the lip more pronounced.
• You want to achieve the look you want that couldn't be restored with a lip filler, or if you find that fillers make your lip unnatural or duck-like, lip lift surgery is a perfect option.

Procedure

“Lip lift surgery is an outpatient, minimally invasive, almost painless procedure that includes a board-certified plastic surgeon making incisions in the lip area to improve the lips' shape, position, contour, and fullness. A lip lift is usually performed under local anaesthesia because the minimal pain associated with this type of surgery makes the procedure almost painless,” Dr Karishma said.

Lip lift surgery enhances the appearance of the lips, cupid's bow, and deformed mouth areas and gives longer-lasting results than injectable fillers. After a lip lift surgery, your upper teeth become more pronounced while smiling, as lip lift helps prevent drooping lips from hiding the teeth.

To-dos before the surgery

According to Dr Karishma, one should not smoke four weeks before and after the surgery because smoking can hinder the healing response due to decreasing blood flow.

Avoiding aspirin or medications with blood thinning response for at least two weeks before undergoing lip lift surgery is recommended. Also, drinking alcohol is prohibited at least 48 hours before the surgery.

Post-surgery cautions

Normal daily activities shouldn't be resumed within 24 hours of surgery. Refrain from exercise for at least two weeks to support the healing response. Hot liquids must be avoided for 48 hours, while soft foods are suggested to avoid chewing.

During the healing period, patients are advised to limit their mouth activities and not open it too wide to keep their sutures intact. Using a small toothbrush for gentle brushing and keeping the lips moisturised by lip balm up to 3-4 weeks after surgery is also advisable.

Is it costly?

“Any cosmetic plastic surgery cost is not a straight factor, as various factors may influence it. It is a highly customised procedure. However, the cost can vary from one individual to another." 

"The accelerators that can be counted as direct cost influencing factors are the type of lip enhancement surgery, such as direct lip lift, subnasal bullhorn, central lip lift, corner lip lift, or Italian lip lift. Aside from this, the other inclusions that influence the cost aspect are the combined lip lift procedures meaning a lip lift is combined with other surgical procedures,” explained Dr Karishma.

For example, getting a corner lip lift with another lift will be more expensive. Thus, it is inevitable to schedule an in-person consultation with your plastic surgeon knowing the exact cost for your specific concern. 

Are there any health concerns?

With any surgical procedure, side effects or health hazards are common when a surgeon is a novice or a clinic does not maintain the standard safety measures to avoid the associated risks. 

“The common side effects are infection, allergic reaction to anaesthesia, unpleasant results, the separation of the wound, and scarring." 

"In addition, loss of sensation, blood clots, and fluid accumulation are potential side effects of lip lift surgery, which can be effectively addressed with proper post-op measures and careful procedure planning,” Dr Karishma concluded. 

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