Liplift

Table of contents:

The lip lift is one of the specialties of The Doctors Team. The techniques that have been developed to make the lips of trans women more feminine in the context of a Facial Feminization Surgery, are actually techniques that can also benefit older women.

As our faces age, our lips also age. The region around the mouth tends to sag. This can be partly explained by volume loss, and partly by the breakdown of the structure of the skin and supporting tissue. 

Gender and aging of the lips

The male face usually has a long upper lip and the upper teeth are not or barely visible when the face is at rest. On a younger woman's face, there is a shorter distance between the nose and the upper lip and the teeth are more visible. This is a typically feminine trait that is also characteristic of youth as opposed to a longer, sagging upper lip that covers the teeth. The latter is characteristic of the aging process.

Male lips and aging female lips

  • Longer upper lip with less projection
  • Teeth less visible

Youthful feminine lips

  • Shorter upper lip with good projection
  • More visibility of the teeth

Enlargement and rejuvenation of the lips

To have youthful, sensual lips, we now know that shape is much more important than volume. Enlarging the lips with a filler is only intended to address the volume problem. An increasing number of patients are looking for more beautiful lips by having them reshaped. This also offers the advantage that it is a permanent solution. 

The various lip operations we perform

Dr. Bart van de Ven performs the following procedures to shape the lips:

  • Lip lift—Shorten the distance between the nose and upper lip. The teeth are more exposed and the upper lip is subtly rolled outwards so that the red part of the upper lip is more visible. Below you will find all relevant information.
  • Mid-facelift to lift the corners of the mouth—Resolving drooping corners of the mouth.
  • Lipofilling of the lips—A fat graft is an excellent way to add permanent and natural volume to the lips.

Procedure

Liplift
  • A lip lift can be performed under local anesthesia or in combination with other procedures under general anesthesia.
  • After the design for the lip lift cutout is made, the local anesthetic is injected.
  • The lip is rolled upwards so that a larger vermilion (red part of the lip) portion is visible.
    • The resulting curvature increases lip projection.
    • There will be an opening of about 3 or 4 mm through which the upper teeth become visible.
  • The wound is closed in 2 layers.

Recovery

  • Pain or discomfort—The patient may experience mild pain or discomfort the day of the procedure and the day after. This can easily be treated with the pain medication we will give you.
  • Swelling—During the first week it may appear as if the upper lip is much too short. However, you will see that the lip will return to a normal length as the swelling caused by the surgery decreases. 
  • Scars—The scar under the nose will be red and thick for a period of two to four months. After the scar has fully matured (after 12 to 18 months), it will hardly be visible.