The upper lip lift is an incredibly elegant and subtle procedure. Most of our patients visit our practice to discuss this procedure to learn about it after having been filled improperly for years. It is a fantastic solution for so many issues related to the upper lip, yet so few people know to look for it.
There are many forms of lip lifting procedures for the upper lip. Most surgeons rarely perform these procedures, so they hesitate to perform them in order to avoid unsightly scarring in their patients. Older forms of lip lifts focused on lifting the lip at the vermillion lip border. This would leave them with a poorly defined lip border with blunted definition and a never-ending need for makeup.
Newer techniques have emerged recently, which are better able to improve the appearance of the upper lip and mouth. Procedures like corner lip lifts are used judiciously in older patients to lift the corners of the mouth. Although the gull wing and bull’s horn upper lip lifts were utilized sparingly in the past, newer modifications have made this a truly stunning procedure.
The modified upper lip lift is a newer procedure pioneered by Dr. Varkarakis in order to address all the issues patients were having with the classic bull’s horn or gull wing lip lift. Dr. Varkarakis is one of the only lip lift revision specialists in the country. As a revision specialist, he has had to deal with dozens of issues classically associated with the way most surgeons perform this procedure. This has led to several subtle modifications, which, when combined, make this a virtually scar-free and painless procedure.
The procedure can be performed awake or under twilight anesthesia. Nearly all patients have the procedure performed awake, as the numbing process hurts about as much as a mosquito bite. Incisions are hidden under the base of the nose in a natural crease. The modifications in flap elevation and tension-free skin closure allow fast healing, rapid disappearance of incision sites and avoidance of nostril widening typically seen with other lifts.
This procedure may benefit younger and older patients alike. In younger patients, the procedure is typically used to avoid obtaining a plastic appearance with fillers. It is important to understand that not all lips will benefit from fillers. The lift gives the upper lip a lighter and more defined appearance with greater volume and tooth show. As you age, the upper lip loses volume and increases in length. When performed in older patients, the lift helps restore a more youthful facial balance and sensuality around the mouth. It also works wonders for improving lost lip volume as well as lipstick bleed lines and wrinkles.
The end result of a lip lift is subtle, but the benefits are substantial. Several changes are noted almost immediately:
Because of the expertise of Dr. Varkarakis, patients travel from all over South Florida, as well as from all over the country and world the Lip Lift procedure.
