Lip Lift
Conveniently located to serve the areas of Santa Rosa and Sonoma County, CA
A lip lift is a cosmetic procedure that removes skin beneath the nose or at the corners of the mouth to reshape the lips. This treatment can provide more noticeable and youthful-looking lips, as well as combat the thinning effect that aging can have.
At Plastic Surgery Associates of Santa Rosa, Dr. Francisco Canales, Dr. Heather Furnas, and Dr. Eric Culbertson provide lip lifts for patients in Sonoma County, Marin County, and beyond. They are highly experienced cosmetic surgeons who foster a safe and comfortable environment and provide high-end aesthetic results for their patients.
For more information, call (707) 537-2111 or visit our contact page.
Contents
Before and After Photos
About Lip Lifts
Shapely and well-defined lips are a feature that many women want. They can play a defining role in the level of attractiveness and the appearance of femininity in the face. (1) Injectable fillers are a common treatment for women struggling with flat, thin, or fading lips. However, some patients look for a more permanent solution, which lip lifts certainly are. (2) At Plastic Surgery Associates, our lip lift is a surgical procedure that produces elegant and subtle results. It can reshape the Cupid’s bow (the double curve on the upper lip), define lip borders, and fill out thin lips to accentuate the vermilion (the darker part of the lips).
A surgical lip lift can significantly improve the appearance of the lips and mouth, offering results that will last for years to come. Younger patients often choose a lip lift to achieve more volume and improve the aesthetic appeal of their mouth. On the other hand, as the lips can lose volume and elongate with age, older patients often look to restore facial balance by plumping and raising their upper lip. This technique can better define the lip borders, providing a more youthful appearance. Dr. Heather Furnas, Dr. Francisco Canales, and Dr. Eric Culbertson can use their innovative lip lift procedure to make precise cosmetic changes that provide natural-looking and stunning results.
Types of Lip Lift
The two primary techniques that our surgeons utilize are the “subnasal” and “corner” lip lifts. We commonly combine both of these techniques within the lip lift procedure to provide exceptional results for our patients.
Subnasal Lip Lift
The subnasal lip lift is the most popular lip lift procedure. Also known as a “bull-horn lift,” this technique improves the Cupid’s bow by excising a small portion of skin directly under the nose (the columella). With the removal of this tissue, the lip naturally lifts. Our surgeons can lift the upper lip enough to expose a small section of the teeth if the patient so desires. A subnasal lip lift will create a more noticeable vermillion border and can significantly increase the pink area of the lips.
Corner Lip Lift
A corner lip lift involves one of our surgeons making a small, wedge-like incision along the upper corners of the mouth. This can give a slight lift to the corners of the mouth, improving facial aesthetics when smiling or straight-faced.
Benefits of Lip Lifts
There are numerous benefits that come with receiving a lip lift from Plastic Surgery Associates. These include:
- Lifting and defining the Cupid’s bow
- Increasing the appearance of lip volume
- Lifting the corners of the mouth for a friendlier look
- Tastefully increasing the visibility of the teeth
- Restoring proportion, harmony, and balance to the lower face
- Shortening the length between the nose and mouth
- Reducing the need for dermal fillers
Who is a Candidate for a Lip Lift?
An ideal candidate for a lip lift from Plastic Surgery Associates will be in good health overall to ensure that they can properly heal and recover from treatment. Patients should clearly understand the procedure, the recovery requirements, and the potential of side effects, as well as hold realistic expectations for their results. During your consultation, we can determine if a lip lift is right for your needs.
Personal Consultation
At your personal consultation, you will meet with Dr. Canales, Dr. Furnas, or Dr. Culbertson to have an in-depth discussion about the lip lift procedure. They can explain the surgical techniques available, the recovery process, and your treatment options so you can make an informed decision. You can tell them your beauty goals, and they will help you choose the techniques that can best meet them. They will also want to know about your medical history and your current condition, including past surgeries and prescriptions. This will allow them to determine if surgery is safe for you and how they can customize the treatment process for your comfort. With the information they learn about you, they can make a personalized treatment plan and provide an accurate cost estimate. At the end of your consultation, you can schedule your procedure appointment with our office.
To schedule your personal consultation, call (707) 537-2111 or fill out this form.
Preparation
We will give you personalized instructions to help you prepare for your lip lift procedure. They may include important changes to your prescriptions. Following these instructions carefully will reduce the risk of complications and help us provide excellent surgical care for you. Before any procedure, there are a few general guidelines that you should follow.
If you smoke, you should stop as soon as your procedure is scheduled until you are fully recovered. Smoking can affect the blood vessels and disrupt your ability to heal. You should also avoid NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) like aspirin and ibuprofen, as well as vitamin E and certain herbal supplements. These substances have a blood-thinning effect that can cause excessive bleeding during surgery and bruising during recovery. You may feel disoriented directly after your procedure, so make sure to arrange for a ride home from our facilities.
Lip Lift Procedure
Dr. Furnas, Dr. Canales, and Dr. Culbertson perform their lip lift procedures in their operating suite in Santa Rosa. When you come in for your procedure, we will administer you with local anesthesia, general anesthesia, or a local anesthetic with IV sedation to prevent discomfort. We will make this decision beforehand based on the extent of your procedure and your preferences. Most lip lifts take less than an hour to complete. However, the length of each procedure will depend on the amount of correction required, the techniques utilized, and your unique needs. We perform lip lifts as outpatient procedures, so you can go home shortly after your treatment.
Recovery
You can expect your lip lift recovery to last from five to seven days. Initially, you will experience bruising, swelling, and mild discomfort in the treatment area. You can reduce swelling by keeping the head elevated and applying a cold compress intermittently. We will remove your sutures when your incisions are healed.
Side Effects
The lip lift is considered a safe and effective technique. Although complications are rare, as this is a surgical procedure, there is always a small chance for complications to occur. Risks include bleeding, infection, asymmetry, nerve damage, and unexpected scarring. Choosing an experienced and board-certified plastic surgeon for your lip lift, like Dr. Furnas, Dr. Canales, or Dr.Culbertson, reduces the chance of any post-op complications.
Results
The results of your lip lift will be hidden by swelling for up to several months after your procedure. When the final aesthetic results reveal themselves, you will be able to see the lifting and enhancing effect that this treatment can bring. Your results will be long-lasting, and you can prolong them by leading a healthy and active lifestyle. If you want to enhance or uphold them, you can receive a facial fat graft, in which we take excess fat from other parts of your body and inject them into your lips.
While a lip lift will create a scar, our surgeons can make small incisions in discreet locations that will be well-concealed within the borders of the mouth or nose. If you do have visible scarring from this procedure, it will fade with time.
Cost of a Lip Lift in Santa Rosa
The exact price of each lip lift will vary according to the desired level of correction and the techniques that we use.
To learn more about how much lip lifts cost at Plastic Surgery Associates of Santa Rosa, call (707) 537-2111 or contact us online.
FAQ
What is a lip lift?
A lip lift is a surgical procedure that can enhance the natural shape of the lips. It involves a small incision placed along the top of the lip, at the base of the nose, or along the corners of the mouth. The dramatic results include fuller lips with more pink tissue, more visible teeth, a more defined Cupid’s bow, and lifted mouth corners.
Are lip lifts painful?
Lip lifts are an invasive surgery, but they do not cause discomfort. Professional surgeons administer an adequate amount of anesthesia or sedative to prevent any pain during the procedure. Patients may experience some sensitivity near their treatment area while they recover, but this symptom typically resolves itself.
Can a lip lift add volume?
Lip lifts do not involve injectable fillers or skin rejuvenation, so they do not add any volume to the lips. However, lifting the lip and improving its shape can create the impression of added volume. This can improve the appearance of the lips without appearing unnatural.
References
- Sturm A. Lip Lift. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2022;55(4):835-847. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2022.04.013
- Zhao H, Wang X, Qiao Z, Yang K. Different Techniques and Quantitative Measurements in Upper lip lift: A Systematic Review. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Published online March 1, 2023:1-13. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-023-03302-5