Naturally fuller lips that are here to stay
Our Newport Beach lip lift is a great way to enhance your lips. Your lips will be fuller and plumper without the need for constant lip fillers. Instead of the dreaded duck lips, your lips will be bigger naturally, and the results are long-lasting. Dr. Hendricks is a triple board-certified plastic surgeon and is regarded as the best lip lift surgeon in the area. Instead of recurrent lip filler appointments, this procedure is going to boost your lips for a long time, naturally.
What is a lip lift?
Instead of injecting anything into your body, a lip lift will use your already existing lips and make them appear bigger.
During the procedure, Dr. Hendricks will remove a small strip of skin from underneath your nose, shortening the area between the nose and the top lip. That will help expose more of the red of your lips, making them look fuller and more youthful. An upper lip lift will also make your Cupid’s bow more defined, revealing more of your upper teeth.
Lip Lift Approaches
- Gull Wing Lift: This approach involves the removal of a larger section of tissue, resulting in a more dramatic lifting effect, which in turn promotes a more voluminous appearance of the upper lip.
- Bullhorn Lift: This approach entails the removal of a smaller section of tissue, specifically targeting the cupid’s bow in order to lend a more pronounced, refined appearance.
- Corner Lift: As the name implies, this kind of lip lift procedure targets the corners of the lips, promoting a brighter and more refreshed appearance by resolving sagging or thin lip corners.
- V-Y Enhancement: This approach recontours the upper lip through the use of a V-shaped incision, which is then lifted and closed in a Y-shape, lending a more robust appearance to the lips with discretely hidden incisions (inside the mouth).
What are the benefits of a lip lift?
This surgical lip enhancement procedure is a permanent solution to give your fuller lips. Injectable fillers are only temporary and require constant costly maintenance appointments. Here are some other advantages of getting a lip lift:
- It’s a quick and relatively easy plastic surgery performed under local anesthesia.
- You won’t get the dreaded “duck lips” because there is no bulk added.
- Achieve a more proportional look by targeting specific areas.
- Scars fade and become virtually invisible over time
- Enhance your smile and reveal more of your upper teeth when smiling
- Lift your mouth corners permanently and with natural-looking results
- Potentially reduce lip lines
- Enjoy a very simple and short recovery
Finally, the hardest-to-quantify benefit is that of renewed confidence. This is what makes Dr. Hendricks and the rest of our team so passionate about procedures like the lip lift: they’re simple and convenient, yet potentially life-changing.
Am I a good candidate for a lip lift?
If you’re looking for a way to naturally and permanently enhance your lips and make them appear fuller, giving you a more youthful look, then a lip lift might be the perfect procedure for you. Since a small strip of skin from underneath your nose will be removed, you need at least 8 mm of distance between your nose and your upper lip.
These are some of the most common motivations:
- You want to achieve the appearance of fuller lips permanently.
- You want to appear more youthful.
- You’d like a more prominent and defined lip line.
- You want to show off more of your beautiful teeth when you smile.
- You want a boost of self-confide
Your Lip Lift Procedure
A lip lift is a simple procedure that does not require general anesthesia. Instead, lidocaine will be injected to numb the area so you won’t feel a thing. Dr. Hendricks will discuss your personalized plan with you to achieve full lips that look natural.
The first step in the overall process is to consult with Dr. Hendricks. During this phase, you will be carefully evaluated to ensure that you are a safe fit for the procedure, as well as to verify that your particular presentation warrants a lip lift. It’s also important to establish early on that you understand the effects of this procedure so that you can maintain healthy expectations and be pleased with the results. During this phase, Dr. Hendricks will visually assess the area and take any necessary measurements. When everything is in order and you are both fully informed and confident in the treatment and what it will entail, it’s time to schedule treatment.
Depending on how much you want to change your current lip shape, Dr. Hendricks is going to cut a small piece of skin between the base of your nose and your upper nose. The more skin he’s removing, the more dramatic the change will be. While the procedure is relatively simple, you want to choose a surgeon you can trust to keep scarring to a minimum. Newport Beach plastic surgeon, Dr. Hendricks has 20 years of experience, and with his meticulous technique and use of fine sutures means you’re going to be in the best hands.
Lip Lift Recovery
Your lips will look fuller immediately following the procedure. Plan on resting for at least 24 hours following the surgery and avoid strenuous activity in the weeks after. As for the amount of downtime you can expect, this can vary somewhat based on several circumstantial factors, including age, your body’s response to the procedure (scarring, swelling, etc.), and so on. That said, while the healing process takes several months to fully run its course, most people are able to return to work within a week.
You should also avoid sleeping on your face for a while. Swelling following the surgery is normal and typically lasts several days. Cold compression and over-the-counter pain medication will be helpful. To avoid a noticeable lip lift scar, Dr. Hendricks uses a meticulous closure technique, ensuring there will be just a very fine line scar that forms. The post-op guidelines issued to each patient can vary slightly depending on unique circumstances, so it’s important to closely follow them in order to ensure both optimal results and a healthy recovery.
Lip Lift Results
One of the advantages of this lip enhancement is that the procedure is highly customizable to achieve the best look for your face’s proportions. It is not only meant to provide a significant volume boost (or, at least the appearance of one), but can target subtle asymmetries and other more nuanced aesthetic concerns with effortlessly natural-looking results. The result is a harmonious aesthetic that naturally brings out your facial contours without harming their proportionality.
On upper lip lift leaves a discreet scar right below your nose that typically heals in a few months. Your lips will naturally look more voluminous, giving you a youthful appearance. The results are permanent, so you can say goodbye to constant repeat lip filler appointments. If you’re trying to raise the corners of your mouth, you might want to opt for a corner lip lift. A lower lip lift can be performed for patients with an especially thin lower lip and an oversized upper lip. Whichever solution you choose, it will give you the full lips you’ve been dreaming of.
Finally, while full-on revisions are rarely required for lip lifts, which produce very long-lasting results, it is important that you plan and attend some follow-up sessions to ensure the area is healing well and with an improved aesthetic. Keep in mind that it often takes as much as two months for your results to settle. During this time, tissue surrounding the area may still feel tight, but this will resolve as the lip settles into its new position.
Pairing Lip Lift With Other Procedures
First of all, to address the primary question: is it even safe (and practical) to pair lip lift with other procedures? The answer to both is a resounding yes, but as always, determining which treatment(s) are best for you to add requires further evaluation and collaboration with Dr. Hendricks.
When properly paired, implemented, and maintained, lip lifts combined with other aesthetic procedures can significantly increase the overall aesthetic boost, allowing for a more comprehensive recontouring and balancing of your facial features.
Since the lip lift is both a fairly simple and minimally invasive procedure, it is easily combined with a number of other options in most cases, including the following:
- Facelift: Addressing sagging skin in other areas (cheeks, jawline, neck, etc.) with a facelift while simultaneously lifting the lip creates a more comprehensively rejuvenated, yet balanced appearance that will leave you looking naturally youthful.
- Blepharoplasty: The technical term for an eyelid lift, blepharoplasty combined with a lip lift can create a more alert and friendly appearance without giving the appearance of having work done.
- Rhinoplasty: Enhancing both the upper lip and the nose at the same time allows for greater control over the total aesthetic while conveniently cutting down on recovery time, cost, and other factors.
- Neck Lift: Finally, a neck lift alongside a lip lift can dramatically enhance the middle and lower face, neck, and jawline, allowing for a more toned and vibrant appearance.
Schedule Your Lip Lift Consultation With Dr. Hendricks Today
Are you tired of getting repeat lip fillers? Or are you simply ready to have fuller lips that give you a more youthful appearance?
If you’re considering a lip lift Newport Beach board-certified plastic surgeon, Dr. Douglas Hendricks can answer any of your questions or address any concerns you may have. Schedule your consultation today.
Lip Lift Frequently Asked Questions
While this lip surgery does not require full anesthesia, you will be given lidocaine to numb the area during the procedure to make sure you’re comfortable. Afterward, over-the-counter pain medication is usually enough to alleviate any uncomfortableness.
A lip lift does make your lips appear more voluminous and fuller, but it does not make your lips bigger since no fillers are added. It is a technique to make your lips look naturally fuller.
