Would I Benefit From A Subnasal Lip Lift or A Lip Advancement?

Q: Dr. Eppley, I wanted to reach out given your extensive experience with lip surgery and see if I would be a good candidate for a procedure that I have had in mind for a while. I have a thin upper lift with a bit of a blurry vermillion border, which makes the lift procedure a bit tricky because I would not want to necessarily have more volume in my upper lift, just to lift it a bit since I feel it is too low. I also have something that I would like to ask you regarding my lower lift, I had a chin implant put a couple years ago and I believe that because of the projection of the implant, that pushed my lower lip upwards a bit, so bringing it down a little could also be good not only from an aesthetic point of view but as a functional improvement as well since I feel that I have to force it down a bit when I open my mouth. Thank you!

A: If I understand your inquiry and goal explanations correctly….the lower lip lift (vermilion advancement) is straightforward as that is the only way to lower the vermilion border on the lower lip. For the upper lip the options are either a subnasal lip lift (under the nose) or a vermilion advancement. (at the vermilion-skin border)  By definition both lip procedures will create more vermilion show. So to determine which upper lip procedure is best for you I would need to know more specifics about your exact upper lip reshaping goals. I suspect the vermilion advancement is the better procedure. But that depends on whether you want to affect part or all of the upper lip.

Dr. Barry Eppley

Indianapolis, Indiana