As we age, our faces change due to gravity, atrophy of the facial skeleton and facial muscle, and due to fat loss.  Many people may notice that the philtrum, the distance between the base of the nose and the upper lip, increases.  Many times people will come to our office asking for more volume in the upper lip.  While increasing lip volume can improve the look of the upper lip, often the patient will find that decreasing the length of the philtrum, also known as a lip lift, in conjunction with adding lip volume will achieve the results that they are looking for. 

The lip lift is a procedure that can be done in the office under local anesthesia (lidocaine) in about one hour.  The area below the base of the nose is marked and an incision is made so that skin can be removed.  Sutures are used to close the incision site.  These sutures are removed one week later.  Volume can be added to the lips at the same time as the lip lift procedure.  This volume could be in the form of a dermal filler, such as Juvederm Volbella or Restylane Refyne, or it could be in the form of an implant, such as Gortex. 

Patient 1

Before Lip Lift - Notice the Thin Upper and Lower Lip

After Lip Lift Procedure and Insertion of Gortex Implants to Both Upper and Lower Lips

Patient 2

Before Lip Lift

After Lip Lift with No Injectable Fillers and No Gortex Implant