Can An Upper Lip Lift Improve Your Facial Balance?

Board-certified facial plastic surgeon John Hilinski, MD explains how an upper lip lift can effectively help balance facial proportions.
 
Unfortunately, the overall appearance of the face can be dramatically impacted when just one area of the face looks unbalanced. Our upper lip lift patients are generally men and women looking to achieve more harmonious and balanced facial proportions. People with a disproportionately long, or elongated, upper lip are often good candidates for an upper lip lift procedure.
 
The “upper lip” is the space between the bottom of the nose and the vermillion border of the upper lip (where the pink of the lip begins). For most patients, an upper lip that is around 12-14 mm long will look proportionate. Many patients who elect to undergo upper lip lift surgery typically have an upper lip length of 18-20 mm or even longer. Other patients have appropriate length, but very poor volume in terms of the pink portion of the upper lip (appearing almost flat) and are also considered good candidates for this procedure.
 
Since the lower third of the face plays a significant role in the balance of the face, an upper lip lift procedure that targets this zone, in particular, can have a large impact by improving overall facial harmony. For some patients, shortening the upper lip and removing the excess skin allows the pink or red portion of the lip to appear fuller and become more visible. As an additional benefit, many upper lip lift patients find that the procedure increases the visibility of their upper teeth when smiling, creating a more vibrant and healthy look.
 
Check back soon for a follow-up blog post in which Dr. Hilinski will discuss upper lip lift techniques and which treatments can be combined with the procedure.
 
To learn more about Dr. John Hilinski and how an upper lip lift may benefit you, please contact our office today.