Lip Lift in Dallas, TX
A lip lift in Dallas is a surgical procedure designed to rejuvenate aging lips by shortening the white lip (lip skin between the bottom of the nose and the top of the red lip border), increasing fullness and creating a more youthful appearance. Board-certified facial plastic surgeon Dr. Sam Lam specializes in natural-looking lip enhancements using advanced techniques, including lip lifts, lower lip advancements, and corner-of-the-lip lifts, which can be performed as standalone procedures or combined with other facial rejuvenation surgeries.
Dr. Lam refuses to perform any procedure that is not completely natural in appearance. He will guide you on whether these treatments would help you achieve your aesthetic goals or risk an unnatural result.
Your Lip Lift Options
There are three different versions of lip lift surgery, sometimes performed simultaneously:
Lip Lift
A lip lift addresses the aging white lip by removing skin just beneath the nose, which shortens the distance between the nose and the red lip border. This procedure increases the fullness of the upper red lip and typically reveals more of the upper teeth, creating a more youthful appearance. The incision is hidden at the base of the nose, making it nearly imperceptible after healing.
Lower Lip Advancement
Lower lip advancement enhances the fullness of the lower lip through incisions placed inside the wet portion of the mouth. This procedure helps balance the upper and lower lips, as a youthful mouth shows more upper teeth and less lower teeth (the opposite of what occurs with aging). The internal incisions remain hidden and typically heal with dissolvable sutures.
Corner-of-the-Lip Lift
A corner-of-the-lip lift elevates the corners of the mouth that tend to turn downward with age. This procedure completes the total rejuvenation of the lips by creating a more pleasant and youthful mouth shape.
Achieving Balanced Results
In most cases, Dr. Lam prefers to perform a lip lift with a lower lip advancement to ensure the top and bottom lips are rejuvenated in a balanced manner. When only the upper lip is enhanced, the result may appear unbalanced.
Good Candidates for Lip Lift Procedures
Good candidates are those with a lengthened white lip due to aging, thin or disappearing red lips, or downturned corners of the mouth. Patients should have realistic expectations and understand that Dr. Lam will only perform procedures that create natural-looking results. During your consultation, Dr. Lam will measure your lips to determine how much tissue can be safely removed — generally between 6 and 12 mm for optimal results.
The Procedure
Dr. Lam performs lip lift procedures at Lam Facial Plastics‘ state-of-the-art, Joint Commission-accredited surgical facility in Dallas, or as a virtually painless office procedure. He has mastered the art of using a non-burning anesthetic combined with a hand vibration technique, so most patients do not even feel the needle entry. The procedure can be performed entirely awake without sedation or additional anesthesia.
Benefits of Lip Lift Procedures
- Shortened white lip for a more youthful appearance
- Increased fullness of the red lips without fillers
- More visible upper teeth and less visible lower teeth
- Elevated corners of the mouth
- Well-hidden incisions
- Natural-looking enhancement that preserves your identity
- Can be combined with other facial rejuvenation procedures
- Performed entirely awake without sedation
Recovery: What to Expect
Recovery from lip lift procedures typically involves minimal pain, bruising, and swelling. Sutures for the lip lift and corner-of-the-lip lift are visible during the first week and removed after seven days. Lower lip advancement sutures dissolve on their own within two weeks.
You may shower within 24 hours and resume full workouts in a week. Dr. Lam recommends avoiding swimming for four weeks, as well as activities that risk blows to the lips (like jujitsu, downhill skiing, etc). Regular makeup can be applied after 10 days, or healing makeup like Oxygenetix (sold in our office) can be used as soon as sutures are removed.
How Much Does a Lip Lift Cost?
The cost of lip lift surgery varies depending on whether you’re having a lip lift, lower lip advancement, corner-of-the-lip lift, or a combination of the three. Dr. Lam charges a surgical fee only without additional anesthesia or facility fees, since the procedure can be performed awake. We do not publish prices online, but we would be happy to answer questions via phone at 972-312-8188 or in person.
FAQs
Do lip lifts look natural?
Yes, when performed by Dr. Lam with conservative, precise techniques. He will guide you on whether the procedure is right for you or risks looking unnatural based on your anatomy and goals.
Does Dr. Lam perform an upper lip advancement in the central lip?
No. This older procedure involves an incision along the border of the central lip, which is very unforgiving and leads to distortion of the cupid's bow and visible scarring. Dr. Lam does not perform this technique because the aesthetic improvements are not worth the negative outcomes.
Dr. Lam talks about the white lip. I am of an ethnic background. Is a lip lift safe for me?
Yes, Dr. Lam performs lip lifts on patients of all races and ethnicities. The term "white lip" refers to the anatomical area, regardless of actual skin color. The procedure is safe for all skin types.
What if I keloid? Is this procedure safe for me?
Generally, yes, because even people who keloid on other areas rarely keloid on the central face. Dr. Lam can evaluate your keloid history during your consultation to determine if you're a safe candidate.
Will I show more teeth after a lip lift?
In most cases, yes, but there is no guarantee. Dr. Lam uses a precise mathematical formula blended with artistic judgment to ensure you can still close your mouth normally while achieving a more youthful appearance.
Is there a risk of a gummy smile?
This is rare, since most lip lift patients have too little teeth showing. Dr. Lam always evaluates for this possibility during the consultation and provides guidance.
Will the lip lift result that I see immediately after the procedure be close to the final result?
Not exactly; you will lose about 1-2 mm of elevation after 2 to 3 weeks. The more pronounced result in the first few days to a week is temporary and will settle into your final appearance.
How long will my lip procedure results last?
The results are essentially permanent, since the removed skin is gone forever. Only further aging over the years or decades will create subtle changes that may eventually benefit from additional procedures.
Will my lip lift scars be visible?
The goal is for scars to be imperceptible from a social distance after healing. Dr. Lam also uses injectable dilute Botox to permanently correct any scar tissue at no additional charge, if needed.
Can I just do fillers instead of a lip lift?
Fillers add fullness but don't shorten the white lip or increase teeth show. When a red lip is nearly invisible, fillers push it outward unnaturally rather than rotating it upward like a lip lift does.
Can I still do fillers or fat grafting after a lip lift?
Yes, you can do fat grafting or fillers before or after. However, if you have excessive lip filler or fat already, Dr. Lam may recommend dissolving or surgically correcting it before the lip lift to avoid an unnatural result.
What if I'm not happy with my result? Can Dr. Lam remove more tissue?
Generally, no, as Dr. Lam optimally removes tissue the first time. Office-based fillers can easily augment the result further if desired and after another consultation.
Contact Us to Learn More
If you’re interested in more information about a potential lip lift in Dallas-Fort Worth, contact Lam Facial Plastics today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Sam Lam. He will evaluate your specific concerns and determine the best approach for achieving natural, youthful results!
View our lip Lift photo gallery (Lip Lift before and after photos).
All lip lift procedures are performed by Dr Lam himself, at his Cosmetic Surgery center in Dallas Texas. To schedule a lip lift consultation call 972.312.8105 or email us. The details of your lip lift procedure (both the limitations and the benefits in your particular situation) will be explained to you during your lip lift consultation with Dr. Lam and his team.
