Like other parts of the face, the upper lip can lose volume and start to sag with age. An upper lip lift can restore a fuller, softer appearance. While dermal fillers may last up to a year, an upper lip lift can last a lifetime and turn back the clock on the appearance of your lips.
What is an Upper Lip Lift?
Loss of collagen occurs with age, and the skin becomes looser and has less structure. Skin laxity allows the lip to turn inward, making it look thinner. An upper lip lift can restore a fuller-looking upper lip. This procedure makes more of the lip visible to enhance its appearance.
How is an Upper Lip Lift Performed?
Dr. Robert Langon of The Langon Center performs an upper lip lift using a local anesthetic. You will remain awake but feel no discomfort during the procedure, which takes one to two hours. The procedure begins with a “bull horn” incision in the skin between the nose and upper lip. His experience and skill allow him to disguise the incisions in natural skin folds for little to no visible scarring.
Dr. Langdon makes a second carefully disguised incision and removes the loose skin between the two incisions. This will remove excess skin above the upper lip, lifting and turning it up to make more of the lip visible. Creating an aesthetically pleasing result requires careful measurements of the distance between the upper lip and nose to determine how much skin to remove for a natural appearance.
What is Recovery Like From an Upper Lip Lift?
An upper lip lift has a short recovery time. Most people can return to work in three to four days. You will have some swelling that may last one to two weeks. You should follow the post-surgical plan Dr. Langdon provides for instructions on how to care for your incisions. You should avoid strenuous activities or exercise until after your follow-up appointment with your surgeon.
What Results Will I See from an Upper Lip Lift?
Your lips will immediately look fuller and plumper. Instead of turning under and hiding your lip, the skin now lifts it and causes it to turn outward, giving you a natural-looking, more youthful appearance. You may find yourself with improved confidence when smiling or otherwise drawing attention to your lips.
Am I a Good Candidate for an Upper Lip Lift?
If you have a significant distance between your nose and upper lip, you may make a good candidate for an upper lip lift. People who have found dermal fillers unsatisfactory or who want a more permanent solution should achieve the results they want. If the distance between your nose and upper lip is too narrow, you may not be a good candidate.
I had 3 treatments with the PicoSure laser to remove 2 black ink tattoos. The tattoos are 20 years old and located on my ankle and lower back. I previously had 12 treatments with a qswitch laser at Cornell and almost gave up as the results were poor in my case. The PicoSure laser at Dr. Langdon’s office was the exact opposite experience. There is much less pain and discomfort with a much quicker recovery time than my Cornell qswitch experience. I hardly noticed any pain after the procedure and even the next day there was no need to address a wound like I did with the Cornell qswitch treatments. The results are unbelievable and the tattoos are now greatly diminished. I anticipate 2 more treatments to completely remove the visible elements of the ink. I also feel the treatment price is fair due to the high cost of this cutting edge laser. It has been a wonderful experience and I would recommend the Langdon center to anyone removing an unwanted tattoo. I was getting very discouraged in the past and the PicoSure laser treatments gave me faith that I will finally be able to remove my tattoos.
Take the Next Step
If you have further questions about upper lip lifts, we encourage you to schedule a consultation at The Langdon Center in Guilford, CT. Call us at 203-453-8625 or fill out our convenient online contact form.