What Is Lip Shortening Surgery And How Can It Change Your Face?
If you want fuller lips, you have a few options. Among them are lip fillers or overlining your lips to create a more prominent pout. Of course, neither of those solutions is permanent. With overlining, you're stuck doing it every time you wear lipstick, but the only cost is for the lip liner and the time you spend (via Cosmopolitan). When you don't wear lipstick, your lips will look their normal size, which means this solution might not be suitable for you. While lip fillers typically last six to 12 months depending on the type you get (via Healthline), if you want to keep the results, you'll have to continue getting injections, which can be pricey and time-consuming.
According to The Healthy, there is another option, and this one is permanent. Lip shortening surgery, aka a lip lift, might be the solution to fuller lips that you've been looking for.
Here's who should get a lip lift
A lip lift, or lip shortening surgery, reduces the distance between your lips and nose, producing a fuller looking lip (via The Healthy). Ricardo L. Rodriguez, MD, a plastic surgeon in Baltimore, Maryland explained how lip shortening surgery works. "The main problem is that the elongated space makes the top lip sag and look thinner. Once the length of the space is shortened a tiny bit, it gives the entire face a more youthful appearance," he said. Removing some of the skin, increases the height of your lips, revealing more of the pink, making them look larger.
According to Healthline, you're a good candidate for the procedure if you're younger and haven't achieved the results you want from fillers or if you're older and experiencing a growing space between your lips and nose. However, if you smoke and can't quit or you don't have much space between your lips and nose, then this procedure likely isn't a good fit for you.
It costs between $2,000 and $5,000 depending on the type of lip shortening you want. Dr. Rodriguez revealed that he enjoyed doing this type of surgery. "I love doing this procedure because it makes such a big difference," he told The Healthy. If you're interested in taking the plunge, be sure to find a reputable plastic surgeon and discuss all the potential risks and benefits of a lip lift.