Lip Lift

Lip Lift Surgery

Lip lift surgery in Salisbury, MD, is one of the more elegant facial procedures offered at Peninsula Plastic Surgery, drawing patients from across the Delmarva Peninsula who want a refined, natural-looking correction that injectables simply cannot provide. This minor outpatient operation restores youthful proportion to the mouth and lower face by addressing the root cause of an elongated upper lip.
Whether you spend your days along the Chesapeake shoreline or navigating the sun-soaked summers of the Eastern Shore, years of natural aging gradually reshape the face in ways that cosmetic injectables alone may not fully correct.

What is a Lip Lift?

A lip lift is a minor surgical procedure that shortens the upper lip and restores a more balanced relationship between the lips, teeth, nose, and chin.
As we age, the upper lip gradually lengthens. Over time, this reduces the amount of the upper front teeth (incisors) visible when the mouth is slightly open. In some individuals, the upper lip eventually conceals the incisors almost entirely. A youthful mouth typically displays approximately 2 to 3 mm of the upper incisors at rest or with the jaw slightly relaxed.
Aging also causes the vermilion (the red portion of the lip) to rotate inward, making the upper lip appear thinner and leaving less visible lip surface.
Additionally, as the upper lip lengthens, the chin may appear smaller or weaker in proportion. Correcting the lip length can improve this balance, creating the appearance of a stronger, more proportionate chin without altering the chin itself.

Why Fillers Are Not Always the Right Solution

Dermal fillers and neurotoxins can address many aspects of the lips, but they cannot correct a significantly lengthened upper lip.
Adding filler increases volume but does not reduce the distance between the nose and the vermilion border. In a patient with an already long upper lip, adding volume may make the lip appear heavier and further reduce tooth show.
Neurotoxin injections can produce a subtle outward rotation of the upper lip, the so-called “lip flip,” but the effect is limited and does not actually shorten the lip.
For patients whose primary concern is an elongated upper lip, upper lip surgery addresses the underlying anatomy directly in a way that no injectable treatment can replicate.

How a Lip Lift Works

During the procedure, your plastic surgeon removes a carefully measured strip of skin from the uppermost portion of the lip, immediately beneath the nose.
The incision is designed to follow the contours of the nostrils and base of the nose, helping to camouflage the eventual scar as it matures.
Removing this small amount of skin shortens the upper lip and gently rotates the vermilion outward. This produces three important changes:

The improvement can be striking while still appearing entirely refined.

Goals of a Lip Lift

The goal of this procedure is to restore more balanced proportions to the mouth and lower face. Depending upon the patient’s anatomy, this may include:

Who is a Candidate?

This may be appropriate for individuals who have:

For some patients, upper lip reduction through a surgical lift is the only approach that produces lasting, structurally correct improvement. If you are unsure whether lip shortening is right for you, a personal consultation is the best place to start.

What to Expect at Your Consultation

Dr. Perrotta or Dr. Kerestes will listen carefully to your concerns and evaluate your facial and lip anatomy in detail. Particular attention is given to upper lip length, tooth show, vermilion exposure, and the overall relationship between the nose, lips, teeth, and chin.
Together, you and your surgeon will determine whether this approach is the right fit for your goals. Our practice has served patients across Salisbury and the wider Delmarva region for more than two decades, and our surgeons bring that depth of experience to every facial consultation.

The Procedure

This procedure is generally performed in the office under local anesthesia and takes approximately 30 minutes.
Your surgeon will carefully measure and mark the amount of skin to be removed. Local anesthetic, such as lidocaine, is then administered to numb the treatment area.
The predetermined segment of skin is removed from just beneath the nose, and the incision is closed meticulously with sutures. Because the incision follows the base-of-nose contours, the resulting scar is placed where it can become inconspicuous as healing progresses.
This form of upper lip surgery requires no general anesthesia and no hospital stay, making it a practical option for patients with busy schedules.

Preoperative Visit

Because a lip lift is a minor office procedure, a separate preoperative appointment is often unnecessary. In many cases, the surgery can be scheduled following the initial consultation once you and your surgeon have agreed upon the treatment plan.

Recovery

Recovery is generally straightforward. Patients should expect some temporary swelling and possible bruising around the upper lip area.
We ask that patients keep the incision clean and dry for approximately 24 to 48 hours and follow the wound-care instructions provided by our office.
Sutures are typically removed approximately 7 to 8 days after surgery. The incision will initially be visible but tends to become less noticeable as the scar matures over the following months.
Most patients find that the results of this lip shortening procedure are apparent soon after healing, with continued refinement as the scar fades.

Summary

A lip lift provides a lasting improvement in upper lip and facial proportions by restoring youthful tooth show, increasing visible vermilion, and creating the appearance of a stronger, more balanced chin, all while maintaining a completely natural result.
For patients in Salisbury, MD who have tried injectables without achieving the results they need, upper lip surgery or surgical upper lip reduction may be the most direct and effective path forward.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a lip lift different from lip fillers?

Fillers add volume to the lips but cannot reduce the length of the upper lip. It directly removes a small amount of skin beneath the nose, producing structural changes that injectables cannot replicate.

Is lip lift surgery painful?

The procedure is performed under local anesthesia, so most patients experience little to no discomfort during surgery. Some tenderness and swelling are expected in the first few days of recovery, both of which are manageable with standard post-operative care.

How long do the results last?

Unlike fillers, which require periodic touch-ups, the results of lip lift surgery are long-lasting. While the natural aging process continues over time, the structural correction achieved through the procedure is designed to endure.

Will the scar be visible?

The incision is placed along the base of the nose, where it tends to become less noticeable as it heals. Most patients find the scar becomes inconspicuous over the months following surgery.

Who performs lip lift procedures at Peninsula Plastic Surgery?

Dr. Vincent Perrotta and Dr. Thomas Kerestes perform all lip lift procedures at our Salisbury, MD practice; both are board-certified plastic surgeons with extensive experience in facial procedures.

Am I a good candidate for upper lip reduction?

The best way to determine candidacy is through a personal consultation. Ideal candidates typically have a noticeably elongated upper lip, reduced tooth show, and lip concerns that have not responded adequately to injectable treatments.

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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.

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