Lip Reduction
Lip Reduction surgery can be addressed as upper lip and lower lip surgery.
The operation on the upper lip can result in more contour along with decreased thickness of the lip, which is recommended for individuals with thin lips who want a more prominent-looking appearance, or those with thick lips looking to reduce the thickness.
Lower lip operation can only result in making the lip thinner, and cannot be used to reshape the lip.
Before the operation, the surgeon will assess whether the individual has enough lip tissue to perform the operation or not. Excessively removing lip tissues (or if the lip is very thin to start with) can lead to having a very thin-looking lip, lip not being able to close properly, or overly exposed gum when smiling. These issues will be very difficult to fix because part of the needed lip tissues are no longer there.
Recommended for:
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Individuals with thin lips who wish for more prominent-looking lips
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Overly-prominent lip looking to thin down
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Correcting hanging lower lip
Operation details:
After applying anesthesia, the surgeon will cut open the lip skin along the highlighted outline, stop the bleeding, and close the wound.
Post-operational treatments:
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Apply some cold packs to the area during the first 3 days.
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Clean the area daily, avoid contact with water.
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Remove the suture on Day 7. Patient can wash his/her face and apply makeup.
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Swelling will typically be less noticeable after 3-6 months.
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Avoid having hot, strong-tasting, or preserved food for 1 month.
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After suture removal, massage the wound consistently for 3 months to reduce the chance of lip tightness from the internal scar.
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The patient may not be able to fully open his/her mouth shortly after the operation, but will recover within 3-6 months.
Possible side-effects:
There is a possibility of lip tightness from the internal scar in the first phase, which can be avoided by consistently massaging the wound as instructed by the surgeon. For individuals with thin lips, the operation may result in even thinner-looking lips. Since the lips become thinner, it may result in the gum being more exposed when smiling.
How long will the change last?
The change will last forever. One must also note that the person’s lip will naturally become thinner with age.