How Can My Face Be Vertically Shortened?

Q: Dr. Eppley, Hello there, I’m wondering if there is a way to shorten my face. I believe that my nose is too long and the space between the bottom of my nose and the top of my lip is too long also. Please advise on how this can (is possible) be fixed. Thank you in advance.

A:In vertical facial shortening there are only four procedures to effectively do so….forehead reduction by hairline advancement, rhinoplasty, subnasal lip lift and vertical chin reduction. The midface always poses the biggest challenge for vertical shortening and, while rhinoplasty and a subnasal lip lift are what can be done, their effects are limited given the large amount of midface tissues that exist. That being said you have correctly identified these two potential midface procedures. Now the question is how effective would they be. To help make that determination I would need side profile and ¾ view facial pictures to do so imaging in that regard.

Dr. Barry Eppley

World-Renowned Plastic Surgeon