Lip Lift Procedure in Norwalk, Connecticut
Dr. Laurence Kirwan. is one of the most experienced Board Certified Plastic Surgeons in Norwalk, Connecticut, and in the entire country. He is a recognized international leader in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. He offers a superior level of knowledge, care and understanding to help you achieve the youthful, bright and contoured look you desire.
Conveniently Located: Every patient is a VIP. For your lip lift appointment, you will see Dr. Kirwan himself at every single appointment. Our Norwalk, CT location is conveniently located in between Manhattan, New York and New Haven, Connecticut. Patients regularly visit from across Connecticut (Stamford, Greenwich, Stratford, Fairfield, Westport, Bridgeport, Darien, New Canaan, Trumbull), New York ( Manhattan, NYC, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, New Rochelle, Port Chester, White Plains, Harrison), New Jersey and other neighboring cities/towns for their lip lift and other plastic surgery procedures. Our office is close to all of the New York Airports for patients who are coming from out-of-state or other countries.
Key Highlights
- A long upper lip can be an inherited facial feature, just like a big nose or thin lips, and have no relationship to age.
- The upper lip usually lengthens with age.
- A lip lift can reduce the signs of aging in the lower face.
- A long upper lip skin often occurs together with a thin upper lip.
- An upper lip lift is often done at the same as fat injection to the lips
- A lip lift can also be done at the same time as a nasal tip plasty; lifting and defining the nasal tip as well as narrowing the nostrils.
- A lip lift may be combined with a chin implant.
- Lip lifting may be part of face lift surgery and/or a chemical peel around the mouth for wrinkles.
- The ideal length of the upper lip is the diameter of the iris or about 13 mm.
- The upper lip, from the base of the nose to where the upper and lower lips touch, should be one third of the vertical height of the lower face.
- The upper lip vermilion should be smaller than the lower lip vermilion
- The philtral columns should be well defined in a youthful lip.
- A lip lift is usually done in the office under local anesthesia.
- Stitches are removed after three to five days.
- The scar is hidden at the base of the nose.
- A lip lift shortens the upper lip skin and make the upper lift project more. The upper teeth are more visible (dental show) and there is a space between the lips at rest.
- A short upper lip can be lengthened. This is done by detaching a small muscle at the base of the nose (depressor septi nasal muscle – DSNM). When smiling, this muscle can make the upper lip curl up, with gingival show, can pull down the tip of the nose to meet the lip and can create a horizontal crease in the upper lip. A short upper lip can also be lengthened, temporarily, with Botox injections.
Upper Lip Lift
An upper lip lift is usually done in women since the upper lip is aesthetically shorter. Men can also have a long upper lip, for example, John Major who is a past UK Prime Minister and Godfather to Prince Harry. In women and men incisions are hidden at the base of the nose.
The lip lift is a popular procedure for women who want to look younger or who just have a lip that is too long for the face. Many women choose this cosmetic procedure to achieve a more defined, a better proportioned and a more youthful appearance around the mouth. A facelift will not improve this area and unless it is specifically treated, a long upper lip will detract from the result of a facelift.
How did I get a long upper lip?
A long upper lip can be an inherited facial feature, just like a big nose or thin lips and therefore have no relationship to age. The natural aging process slowly wears away skin elasticity in the face. Constant lip movements and facial expression may also be related to lip lengthening with age. Loss of skin elasticity is further accelerated by the skin-damaging effects of stress, smoking, and other environmental factors such as ultraviolet rays and air pollution.
Women typically notice the lengthening of the upper lip as a part of aging, during their late 50s and early 60s. Loss of bone and front teeth in the upper jaw (maxilla) will also make the upper lip appear longer.
When to Consider a Lip Lift
A lip lift is a cosmetic procedure, meaning it is typically done for aesthetic enhancement. This is a highly personal decision. This increasingly popular procedure can be a great solution for many women and men who:
- Are between 20 and 80 years old
- Want to get rid of a long upper lip that does not conform to their ideal facial proportions.
- Would like to treat a long lip that is hereditary or results from aging, but are otherwise satisfied with the appearance of their face
Usually, a lip lift is performed together with fat injection to the philtral columns and upper and lower lips. A nasal tip plasty and a chin implant are the most combined procedures. You can read more about upper lip lifts in this article.
Information for Kirwan Plastic Surgery Patients
The best decisions are informed decisions. Dr. Kirwan can help you learn more about a lip lift, explore other treatment options, and provide more personalized answers based on your individual needs. You can schedule a consultation and services for various types of plastic and cosmetic srgery in Norwalk, with Dr. Kirwan.
Preparing for the Procedure
After making your decision and choosing a surgeon, the next step is a consultation. Be prepared to discuss:
- Your reasons, goals, and expectations for surgery
- Your medical history – including illnesses, conditions, allergies, treatments, previous procedures, and other risk factors that could affect the outcome of your procedure
- Use of any medications, vitamins, supplements, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs
- Any questions or concerns about the procedure – come prepared with a written list
- Plastic surgery risks and potential complications
During your consultation, Dr. Kirwan will examine your face, as well as take photos to show simulated results before and after surgery. Dr. Kirwan will also show you examples of surgical results performed by him personally.
What Happens During Lip Lift Surgery
Surgery is normally performed under conscious sedation with local infiltration anesthesia or local anesthesia alone. It is important to overcorrect the amount of lip shortening since the lip will lengthen after surgery, over time. Dr Kirwan will perform the lip lift surgery as discussed in your consultation.
Lip Lift Procedure Options
Your plastic surgeon may perform one of several lip lift methods, such as:
Lip Lift only
- Ideal for patients with long upper lip
- Outcome: shorter lip and elevated margin to vermilion of upper lip
- Length: 45 minutes
- Ideal for patients who have thin upper and lower lips
- Incision is made at the base of the nose
- Fat is suctioned out of areas such as your tummy
- Fat is filtered in the Puregraft50 system (Suneva Medical) to maximize viability and uptake. This is the only system clinically validated to improve long term graft retention. More than 97% of contaminants are removed. Fat is further filtered so that it can be injected through small (19 Gauge) cannulas
- Outcome: shorter lip and fuller lips
- Length: 1 to 1.5 hours
Lip Lift with nasal tip plasty
- Best method for patients with droopy nasal tip and/or a bulbous tip of nose
- For patients who have thin upper and lower lips
- Incision is made at the base of the nose
- Best method when tip droops on smiling. DSNM detached from the anterior nasal spine (ANS). This may be done from the same incision or separate incision inside upper lip
- Additional inciisons are made inside the tip of the nose
- The nasal tip is elevated by trimming the lower edge of the cartilaginous nasal septum
- The nasal tip cartilages are trimmed to make the nasal tip less bulbous and more refined
- Outcome: shorter lip and elevated refined tip of nose
- Length: 2 hours
Lip Lift with chin implant
- Recommended for patients who need a stronger chin projection
- Great option for patients who want to target the chin area as well as the upper lip
- Incision is made under the chin
- May be combined with fat injection of lips
- Outcome: shorter lip and improved chin profile
- Length: approximately 2 hours.
Lip Lift with other procedures
- Recommended for patients who need other procedures as well.
- Most common combined additional procedures are:
– Facelift and Necklift
– Chemical Peel
– Eyelift
– Browlift - Length: depends on the number of procedures. Surgeries may be done together or separately.
Lip Lift Results and Recovery
It may take some time to fully recover and see your results after a lip lift. Although you will see an immediate result it will take 6-12 months to see the final result. However, many patients can return to work or Zoom videoconferencing in about one week and resume other activities (like playing sports and working out) in approximately two to four weeks. Wearing a mask during the Covid19 pandemic will speed return to being able to get outside without attracting unwanted stares.
Following surgery, you may experience swelling and bruising. To help reduce swelling, Dr. Kirwan might suggest wearing applying ice packs for 48 hours and then in the morning for about a week or up to 14 days, depending on which type of surgical procedure you had.
Be sure to follow any instructions provided by Dr. Kirwan and his staff, before and after plastic surgery to ensure a smooth procedure and recovery.
The Lip Flip
The Lip Flip is a series of Botox injections into the superficial part of the orbicularis oris muscle. This muscle compresses and puckers the lips. The injections are usually placed in the upper lip at the margin, although they can also be injected along the lower lip margin. Like all Botox injections, they take 3-5 days to take effect. The Lip Flip is often performed at the same time as a Fat or Filler injections to the lips. Commonly used Fillers are Vollure, Juvéderm Ultra-Plus, Juvéderm Ultra and Volbella. The Filler is injected along the vermilion white roll margin to evert the edge of the lip and can also be injected into the red body of the lip or vermilion to increase the volume of the upper and lower lips.
SEE THE TRANSFORMATIONS & BEAUTIFUL RESULTS
Before & After Photos
29-year-old upper lip shortening with chin implant, 3 months after surgery front view
52 year old upper lip shortening with fat injection 8 months after surgery front with markings
83 year old upper lip shortening with fat injection to lips and peri oral chemical peel. 29 days after surgery side face
ULS front
23 year-old, lip flip, Juvederm Ultra-Plus upper and lower lips, 5 days, front mouth closed
Surgical planning upper lip shortening, fat injection, peri-oral peel, liposuction of jowls
64 year old 3 months after upper lip lift with fat injection of upper and lower lips front view
61 year old black female 7 weeks after upper lip shortening front side by side
78 year old upper lift lift perioral peel facelift and submental platysmaplasty 5 weeks after surgery front