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Lip Lift Surgery in Berlin, MD
Lip Lift
Lip lift surgery in Berlin, MD, is one of the more precise facial procedures performed at Peninsula Plastic Surgery, addressing a structural concern that many patients do not initially realize has a surgical solution. Patients from Berlin, West Ocean City, and across Maryland’s Eastern Shore travel to our practice seeking correction for an elongated upper lip that fillers and other non-surgical treatments have been unable to fully resolve.
The upper lip changes in predictable ways as we age. For some patients, those changes reach a point where restoring proportion requires more than an injectable approach.
What is a Lip Lift?
This surgical procedure reduces the length of the upper lip to restore more youthful proportions to the mouth and lower face.
In a younger face, the distance between the base of the nose and the top of the upper lip is relatively short, and a small amount of the upper incisors, typically 2 to 3 mm, is visible when the mouth is at rest. With age, the upper lip gradually elongates. Teeth show decreases, and in some patients the upper lip descends far enough to conceal the incisors almost entirely.
Aging also affects the vermilion, the colored border of the lip. As the lip lengthens, the vermilion tends to rotate inward, making the lip appear thinner and reducing the visible red surface of the lip.
The proportional effect extends to the chin as well. A longer upper lip draws the eye downward and can make the chin appear smaller relative to the rest of the face. Correcting the lip length without touching the chin can meaningfully improve this balance.
Why Fillers Are Not Always the Right Solution
There are many concerns that fillers and neurotoxins address well, but an anatomically long upper lip is not reliably among them.
Filler increases lip volume. It does not shorten the distance between the nose and the vermilion border. In a patient with an already elongated upper lip, adding volume below the nose may actually worsen the visual proportion by making the lip appear heavier while reducing tooth show further.
A neurotoxin lip flip creates a subtle outward eversion of the upper lip border, which can be effective for a mild concern. But the degree of change it produces is limited, and it does not alter the underlying anatomy.
For patients whose core concern is the length of the upper lip, upper lip surgery provides a correction that is both direct and durable. It addresses the anatomy, not just the surface.
How a Lip Lift Works
The procedure involves removing a carefully measured segment of skin from just beneath the nose. Your surgeon designs the incision to follow the natural curves at the base of the nostrils, a placement that allows the scar to settle into the nasal base contour as healing progresses.
Removing that strip of tissue produces a shorter upper lip and a gentle outward rotation of the vermilion. The functional changes include:
- Increased visibility of the upper incisors.
- A wider, more defined vermilion surface.
- Improved lower facial balance between the lips and chin.
The result is a more proportionate lower face without an operated appearance.
Goals of a Lip Lift
The objectives of lip lift surgery are specific to each patient, but generally include one or more of the following:
- Shortening the upper lip through targeted lip shortening.
- Restoring upper incisor visibility that has diminished with age.
- Increasing the apparent fullness of the lip through outward vermilion rotation.
- Improving lower facial proportion between the lips, teeth, nose, and chin.
Who is a Candidate?
This procedure is most appropriate for patients who have:
- An upper lip that has lengthened with age, reducing or eliminating incisor show.
- A vermilion that has rotated inward, leaving the lip looking thin at rest.
- Lower facial proportions that have been altered by lip elongation.
- Goals that non-surgical treatments have not been able to meet.
Upper lip reduction through surgery is not the right solution for every patient, which is why each candidacy decision is made individually. Dr. Perrotta and Dr. Kerestes evaluate each patient’s anatomy carefully before recommending any course of action.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
Your consultation with Dr. Perrotta or Dr. Kerestes will focus on the specific measurements and proportions of your lips, teeth, and lower face. They will assess lip length, tooth show, vermilion position, and the relationship of the mouth to the nose and chin.
Together, you and your surgeon will determine whether lip shortening is the appropriate approach and what results are realistic for your anatomy. Peninsula Plastic Surgery has served Berlin, West Ocean City, and patients across Maryland’s Eastern Shore for more than two decades. Our surgeons approach every facial consultation with the same emphasis on honest evaluation and individualized recommendations.
The Lip Lift Procedure
This is an in-office procedure performed under local anesthesia. Most patients are in and out of our facility within approximately 30 minutes.
After measuring and marking the tissue to be removed, your surgeon administers a local anesthetic such as lidocaine to ensure comfort throughout. The marked strip of skin is then excised from directly beneath the nose, and the incision is closed carefully with sutures. Scar placement at the nasal base allows it to blend into the natural anatomy as healing advances.
This form of upper lip surgery does not require general anesthesia, hospital admission, or an extended recovery period, making it a practical option for patients in Berlin and the West Ocean City area with busy schedules.
Pre-Op Visit
Because this is an in-office procedure rather than a hospital surgery, a formal preoperative appointment is not always necessary. Scheduling can often proceed immediately following the consultation once the surgical plan is established and agreed upon.
Post-Op Recovery
Patients generally find recovery from this procedure to be manageable. Swelling and mild bruising around the upper lip are normal in the first several days and typically resolve within one to two weeks.
Keep the incision clean and dry for about 24 to 48 hours after the procedure, and follow the specific wound-care instructions our office provides during that time.
Sutures are removed approximately 7 to 8 days after surgery. The incision will be visible during early healing, but it tends to soften and fade progressively over the months that follow.
The results of this lip shortening procedure become visible as the initial swelling subsides, with continued improvement as the scar fully matures.
Summary
For patients in Berlin, MD, and the surrounding West Ocean City area, this procedure offers a precise and lasting solution for an upper lip that has lost its youthful proportion. The procedure restores incisor visibility, increases visible vermilion, and improves the balance of the lower face, all without altering the surrounding structures.
Patients who are considering upper lip surgery or surgical upper lip reduction are encouraged to schedule a consultation. Our surgeons will provide an honest assessment of whether this procedure is appropriate for their specific anatomy and goals.
FAQs
How is a lip lift different from lip fillers?
Fillers add volume to the lip but cannot reduce its length. The procedure removes a small amount of skin from beneath the nose, creating a structural change in upper lip length that injectables are not capable of replicating.
Is lip lift surgery painful?
The procedure is performed entirely under local anesthesia. Patients report minimal discomfort during surgery. Post-operative soreness and swelling are expected but are typically mild and managed with standard wound care.
How long do results last?
The results of this surgery are long-lasting because the change is structural rather than volumetric. Aging continues after the procedure, but the lip length correction achieved through surgery does not reverse the way filler would.
Will the scar be visible?
Scar placement at the base of the nose is deliberate. Most patients find that with proper wound care, the incision line becomes inconspicuous within several months of healing.
Who performs lip lift procedures at Peninsula Plastic Surgery?
Dr. Vincent Perrotta and Dr. Thomas Kerestes perform lip lift surgery at our practice. Both are board-certified plastic surgeons with decades of facial surgery experience serving the Eastern Shore and broader Delmarva region.
Am I a good candidate for upper lip reduction?
A consultation is necessary to determine candidacy accurately. Patients who tend to benefit most have a measurably elongated upper lip, noticeably reduced tooth show at rest, and have not achieved satisfactory results through non-surgical options.
In downtown Salisbury, Maryland, conveniently located 2 hours outside of Baltimore & Philadelphia, is the main office of Peninsula Plastic Surgery, a truly comprehensive plastic surgery center.
This form should not be used in the event of an emergency, please call 410-546-0464 for the physician on call or dial 911.
- 314 W. Carroll St. Ste #1
Salisbury, MD 21801 - Phone: 410-546-0464
- Fax: 410-546-8529
- 30265 Commerce Dr. Ste #208
Millsboro, DE 19966 - Phone: 302-663-0119
- Fax: 302-663-0120
- 124 N. Main St. Ste B
Berlin, MD 21811 - Phone: 410-449-3993
- Fax: 410-449-3992