Subnasal Lip Lift for More Youthful Lips
A lip lift creates naturally fuller, more balanced lips with long-lasting results.
Restore Youthful Balance with a Deep Plane Lip Lift
When most people think of facial plastic surgery, they think of lifting things that have fallen from gravity. We want to lift jowls, lift eyelids and lift sagging necks. That is why facelift and blepharoplasty exist.
Often overlooked is the aging that happens in the lip.
Gravity also has an effect on the upper lip. With time the upper lip elongates and the lip itself gets thinner. While lip augmentation can help, it does not change the gravitational pull that has happened to the upper lip.
Sometimes trying to inject a thin upper lip with filler will not lift it, but only gives it a duck-like appearance. That is where a surgical lip lift, especially a Deep Plane Lip Lift, comes into play.
What is a Lip Lift?
A lip lift is a surgical procedure that shortens the distance between the base of the nose and the top of the lip, enhancing lip definition and restoring youthful proportions. Rather than simply adding volume, it repositions and reshapes the lip itself, making it appear fuller, more defined, and naturally lifted.
“We’re not just shortening the space between the nose and the lip, we’re reshaping the lip so that it turns up a little, has more contour, and shows more of the red lip. It makes the face brighter and more youthful.”
– Dr. Balikian
Types of Lip Lifts
Dr. Balikian offers a range of advanced lip lift techniques tailored to enhance lip shape, shorten an elongated upper lip, and restore youthful balance to the face.
Deep Plane Subnasal Lip Lift
Dr. Balikian’s Signature deep plane lip lift is a refined, advanced approach that offers more natural and durable results than traditional methods. By working in the deep plane beneath the skin, this technique allows for precise structural lifting and long-lasting support using internal sutures, minimizing tension on the skin and reducing the risk of visible scarring.
The incision is hidden along the base of the nose, and a small amount of skin is removed while the underlying tissues are gently released. This allows the upper lip to roll outward, enhancing the cupid’s bow, increasing red lip show, and restoring youthful tooth visibility, all without creating an overfilled or artificial look.
Subnasal “Bullhorn” Lip Lift
This more traditional method involves removing a strip of skin below the nose in a bullhorn shape, lifting the central and lateral parts of the upper lip. While effective, Dr. Balikian typically uses a deep plane variation for superior, more natural results.
Corner Lip Lift
Also known as a “grin lift,” this technique elevates the outer corners of the mouth, helping to correct a downturned or sad appearance. Dr. Balikian offers this approach selectively for patients with significant drooping at the corners of the lips.
Each technique offers unique benefits depending on your facial structure and aesthetic goals. During your consultation, the most suitable lip lift option will be recommended to help you achieve natural, balanced results.
Why Choose a Deep Plane Lip Lift?
Unlike surface-level lifts or temporary fillers, the deep plane lip lift works with the natural anatomy of the face to create harmonious, balanced rejuvenation. It’s especially powerful when combined with procedures like a facelift or brow lift as part of Dr. Balikian’s Artiste Lift™, resulting in comprehensive facial enhancement that still looks like you, just brighter, more defined, and refreshed.
During your consultation, Dr. Balikian will analyze your facial proportions, review your goals, and recommend the most effective technique to achieve subtle, natural, and lasting results.
Lip Lift Before and After Gallery
Is a Lip Lift Right for You?
Lip lifts are a great option for patients who have lost lip volume because of aging. It is also considered by younger individuals who were unable to achieve their cosmetic goals through fillers.
They might also feel that fillers do not offer that natural fullness and give preference to lip lifts. It’s best to be in good overall health, with no conditions that could hinder proper healing.
Your Personalized Lip Lift Consultation
During your consultation for a lip lift, your medical history will be reviewed to assess your compatibility. Dr. Balikian will ask about any underlying conditions, past surgeries, and current medications or supplements.
You’ll also have the opportunity to discuss your goals and expectations in detail, which will help Dr. Balikian design a personalized treatment plan tailored to your unique features and desired outcome.
In some cases, he may recommend combining your lip lift with other facial procedures to further enhance balance and achieve a more comprehensive, natural-looking result.
Complementary Procedures for Balanced Rejuvenation
A lip lift can beautifully enhance the upper lip area, but for patients seeking more complete facial harmony, it may be paired with additional treatments. During your consultation, Dr. Balikian may recommend combining a lip lift with one or more of the following procedures:
- Chin Augmentation – A chin augmentation improves lower facial projection and balance by enhancing the shape and definition of the chin, creating harmony between the lips, chin, and jawline.
- Facial Fat Transfer – Facial fat transfer restores lost volume in the lips, cheeks, and around the mouth using your own natural fat, helping to soften deep lines and support a youthful, fuller appearance.
- CO₂ Laser Resurfacing – CO₂ laser resurfacing is often used to smooth fine lines and wrinkles around the lips, refining skin texture and tone for a more polished and rejuvenated result.
- Facelift or Neck Lift – A facelift or neck lift elevates and redefines the surrounding structures, allowing the results of your lip lift to blend seamlessly into a more youthful overall appearance.
Each of these procedures is customized to complement your features and can be combined strategically to enhance facial balance and deliver naturally beautiful results.
Understanding the Cost of a Lip Lift
The cost of a lip lift procedure varies based on several factors, including the personalized care and tailored approach provided by Dr. Balikian. Additional expenses such as anesthesia and surgical fees may also influence the overall price.
Lip Lift FAQs
What aesthetic changes can a lip lift create?
Clinical studies report shorter philtral length, increased vermilion show, and increased maxillary incisor display at rest after subnasal lip lift, which together read as a livelier, more youthful mouth posture.
Why does the upper lip lengthen with age?
Aging lengthens and thins the upper lip and reduces incisor display. Photometric and dental studies show lip length increases and tooth show declines with age, especially noticeable in smile dynamics. A lip lift counteracts these trends by restoring proportion.
Who is a good candidate?
Patients with a long philtrum, diminished tooth show at rest, or “tucked” upper lip are typical candidates. Healthy nonsmokers with realistic goals and stable skin care habits do best. Consultation reviews anatomy, dental show, prior procedures, and scar tendencies.
Where is the incision and how visible is the scar?
The incision is concealed at the base of the nose in a bullhorn pattern. With meticulous closure and scar care, most scars fade well; newer technique refinements aim to reduce tension and scar visibility at the alar base.
How long do results last?
Results are structural and long-lasting because skin is excised and the lip is advanced. Normal aging continues, but studies and systematic reviews show durable improvements in vermilion and tooth show over follow-up periods.
What is recovery like?
Most patients experience swelling and tightness for several days. Sutures are typically removed within a week. Pinkness can persist as the scar matures. Gentle cleansing, petrolatum, sun avoidance, and physician-directed scar therapy are important.
What are the risks?
Expected effects include swelling and temporary numbness. Reported risks include widened or hypertrophic scars, asymmetry, prolonged numbness, and, rarely, changes at the nasal base. Complication rates in modern series are low when performed by trained facial plastic surgeons.
Will a lip lift change my smile or speech?
The intent is to enhance tooth show at rest without over-shortening. Pre-operative assessment of resting incisor display and smile dynamics helps plan a conservative lift that preserves natural expression. Evidence ties youthful appearance to greater incisor show, which guides safe targets.
Is a lip lift better than filler for a long upper lip?
Filler can roll the vermilion and improve hydration but cannot reliably shorten a long philtrum or increase central tooth show at rest. A surgical lip lift addresses length and dental display directly; many patients still use small-volume fillers later for fine contouring.
Can a lip lift be combined with other procedures?
Yes. Lip lift can be combined with rhinoplasty or facelift in selected patients to harmonize the midface and perioral region. Contemporary series suggest the combination is safe with appropriate planning.
How do you decide how much to lift?
Planning considers philtral length, vermilion height, nasal base shape, dental show at rest, and smile changes. Quantitative analyses and smile studies help set an individualized target so the result remains believable.
Will a lip lift affect my nose?
Proper design respects the columellar base and alar contours. Studies describe maintaining nasal aesthetics while shortening the lip; technique refinements can further minimize base distortion.
Does skin type impact healing and pigmentation?
Yes. Thicker or more sebaceous skin, a history of hypertrophic scarring, or higher Fitzpatrick types may influence scar care planning and sun protection counseling. Your aftercare will be individualized.
Trust Your Face to a Facial Plastic Surgeon
Dr. Richard Balikian is a highly respected facial plastic surgeon serving the San Diego area.
With over 20 years of experience and double board certification in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery as well as Head and Neck Surgery, Dr. Balikian offers a unique combination of technical expertise and artistic vision.
He is part of an elite group of surgeons with extensive training focused exclusively on the face and neck.
Your Journey Starts Here
Elevated Care. Exceptional Results.
Dr. Richard Balikian is recognized for elevating facial plastic surgery through precision, artistry and outcomes that reflect your true self.
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Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS
Double Board-Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon
Balikian Facial Plastic Surgery: Richard V. Balikian, MD, FACS