“Enhancing the shape of your lips can make a subtle to dramatic impact on your overall facial appearance.”
The key to lip enhancement isn’t always about making the lips bigger by adding volume with fillers. A Lip Lift is a unique approach to improving the lip aesthetic permanently, with a single surgical procedure that takes under an hour. That’s right – one Lip Lift instead of lip fillers that need to be maintained with touch-up injections every 3 months or so.
A Lip Lift makes your lips look fuller and more youthful by targeting the area above your upper lip, right below your nostrils. By slightly decreasing the height of this area, your upper lip rolls out a bit to show more, giving you a fuller lip. More of your upper teeth may also be revealed.
For older patients, this also dramatically rejuvenates the area. This is because aging can cause the area to elongate and the upper lip to thin. As a result, Lip Lift plastic surgery is incredibly popular with older patients who want to rejuvenate their appearance.
Designed For Both Lip Rejuvenation and Enhancement
Permanent Results That Are Only Affected by Aging
Performed By Our Facial Plastic Surgeon
Are you a Lip Lift Toronto candidate?
Because a Lip Lift procedure is
designed for facial rejuvenation and lip enhancement, it is suitable for a broader age
range.
Older patients: You dislike the way your lips have succumbed to the signs of aging and are seeking facial rejuvenation. Not only has aging caused your lips to thin out, it has also elongated the area between the bottom of your nostrils to the top of your upper lip. This area is known as the cutaneous lip (the distance between the nasal sill and the vermilion border of the red lip). A Lip Lift shortens the area above your upper lip and increases the visibility of the upper lip, rolling it out a bit to make it look fuller.
Younger patients: You want a more everted pout. While you can get this effect with fillers or Botox in a procedure known as a Lip Flip, a surgical Lip Lift can give you similar results without having to repeat treatments every 3-4 months. Just one procedure can give you beautiful results that last for years.
In addition to being generally healthy, suitable candidates for a Lip Lift should also have realistic expectations of the procedure and be knowledgeable of risk factors.
Combining Procedures
A lip lift may also be combined with other facial rejuvenation procedures, like a face lift, or other facial rebalancing procedures, like rhinoplasty. Combining procedures can give you a more dramatic improvement of your appearance, and resolve a number of aesthetic issues in one surgical experience.
Consultation
To determine whether Lip Lift surgery is right for you, you’ll meet with Dr. Priya Kesarwani for a private consultation.
Dr. Priya Kesarwani is our facial plastic surgeon who performs the lip lift surgery. She is board certified in both Canada as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada and the United States as a Diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery. Her extensive training and experience allows her to possess expertise on facial enhancement and rejuvenation that other types of surgeons do not have.
Please note that there is a consultation fee. This amount is put toward the cost of your surgery.
The Toronto Lip Lift Surgery
The facial plastic surgery procedure is performed under general anesthesia at our state-of-the-art cosmetic surgery facility. In some cases, local anesthetic may be more suitable. During your lip lift consultation, you’ll find out which will be administered, as it depends on your goals and physiology.
After anesthesia is administered, a
small incision is made within the nasal sill (the ridge of soft tissue that’s at the bottom
of your nostrils, located right at each nostril opening). A small piece of tissue is removed
at the base of the nose to allow for the desired lift of the mouth and upper lip.
Based on the experience of Dr. P Kesarwani, less than 1 cm of skin is strategically removed to achieve the most natural looking improvement. This is crucial as anything more can make an undesirable impact on your overall facial contours.
The incision is then sealed and your lip surgery is done.
You’ll be moved to the recovery room, where Dr. P Kesarwani and her team of dedicated nurses will observe you until you’re ready to go home. This may take a couple of hours, or shorter if only local anesthesia was administered.
Recovery After the Lip Lift Procedure
There may be some swelling and sensitivity in the treated area as you recover after your upper lip lift surgery, but it should disappear in a few weeks. Your skin may also be bruised.
Surgical patients should follow the post-op care instructions for lip lifts that Dr. P Kesarwani provides to experience a smoother and faster recovery after your procedure. Some patients may need to take about a week off from work and can return shortly after the first follow up appointment when bruising and swelling can usually be covered with makeup.
Swelling may make your mouth look
larger than normal, but as it dissipates, optimal results will appear. The majority of
swelling tends to disappear within a weeks.
The resulting scar from this facial cosmetic procedure is well hidden because of the raised texture of the nasal sill. The scar usually starts off as a thin red line, and then gradually fades over the next few months until it becomes virtually invisible. CytoDerma™ silicone scar gel can be used to help speed up this process.
Upper Lip Lift vs Lip Flip: Which one is right for you?
The first thing to consider is whether you’d like to undergo surgery. A Lip Lift is a surgical procedure, which means there is lengthier downtime and associated surgical risks to consider. However, the pro is that the results are permanent, so you won’t have to get injections done every few months to maintain your look.
The next thing to consider is your goals. A Lip Flip is a non-surgical procedure that involves Botox injections made just above the vermilion border of the upper lip. This everts the red lip to simulate the look of fillers. Generally, this is an option for younger patients whose lip volume is usually intact but the position of the lip isn’t as favourable (Botox turns what they already have outward). Unfortunately, this may not work as well for older patients.
The reason it doesn’t work as well in older patients is because they have lost volume in their lips and the area above the upper lip is elongated. They would require a lot of Botox to flip the lip outward, such that they will have functional difficulties articulating words and even eating normally. And it doesn’t address the volume loss issue either.
For these reasons, a surgical Lip Lift would be a more suitable option if you are older and want to enhance and rejuvenate your lips at the same time with facial cosmetic surgery.
If you’re still confused about which one is right for you, don’t fret. Just contact us to book your personal consultation with Dr. P Kesarwani for a Lip Lift!
Frequently Asked Questions About a Lip Lift
How much does a lip lift cost in Toronto?
The cost of a lip lift normally ranges from $2500 – $3000. This includes all plastic surgeons fees, excluding pain medication if necessary.
What is a lip lift?
A surgical lip lift procedure is suitable for men and women who want to shorten the distance of skin and tissue between the bottom of the nostrils and the upper lip, as well as make their upper lip appear fuller and more youthful. The overall appearance of your facial features is also improved with this outpatient procedure.
Why would I want a lip lift?
This facial cosmetic surgery procedure is popular amongst older patients who are unhappy with the elongation of the area right below their nose, and the thinning of their top lip. They may have also found Botox to be ineffective for their lip flip, and so prefer to choose lip surgery for its effectiveness and permanence in creating a more youthful appearance. The long upper lip is shortened and a natural pout is formed.
Who performs the lip lift surgery?
Our facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Priya Kesarwani, performs the upper lip lift surgery at our surgical facility located in North York, assisted by a team of dedicated and experienced medical staff. Dr. P Kesarwani is a board certified Otolaryngologist (Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon). Our Toronto lip lift patients appreciate her specialized training in facial aesthetics and function.
How is the lip lift surgery performed?
After general anaesthetic is administered, a tiny incision is made within the nasal sill (the ridge of soft tissue that’s at the bottom edge of your nose, located right at each nostril opening). Excess tissue is removed, and then the incision is sutured closed. The facial surgery doesn’t take a long time and is a relatively simple procedure.
How is the lip lift recovery?
Immediately after your lip lift, you’ll remain in observation until you’re cleared to head home. There may be some swelling and sensitivity in the area as you recover following your surgical lip lift, but it should disappear in a few weeks. Follow the post-surgery care instructions that Dr. P Kesarwani gives you to experience a smoother and faster recovery. These include minimizing strenuous activity and eating a soft food diet. Some patients may need to take about a week off from work and can return shortly after the first post-op appointment when bruising and swelling can usually be covered with makeup.
When can I wax or shave after a lip lift?
Typically, you should avoid shaving or waxing the upper lip for at least a month. This allows the incision to heal properly. You should also avoid removing hair from the nostrils during this time. If you’re concerned about unwanted hair growth, please wax or shave prior to surgery.
Where is the lip lift scar?
The resulting scar following a surgical lip lift is well hidden within the ridge of the bottom of the nostrils (nasal sill). Silicone scar gel can be applied to make the scar even less noticeable.
How is lip lift surgery different from lip augmentation?
Lip lift surgery involves removing excess tissue to shorten the distance between the nose and upper lip, with the resulting scar in the skin at the base of the nose. By doing this, the upper lip gently rolls out as well, giving you a fuller upper lip appearance and revealing more of your upper teeth. It is a permanent solution for a more youthful mouth shape. Lip augmentation, on the other hand, only adds volume to the lips with dermal fillers, a non surgical procedure. This can be done with hyaluronic acid, fat or other substance for a temporary or permanent change. It does not resolve the elongation of the area above the upper lip and only targets the size of the lips.