Lip Lift Before & After Results
The lips occupy a relatively small part of the face, but changing them can affect much more than the lips themselves.
When I consider a lip lift, I don't look at the mouth in isolation. I look at how the lips relate to the nose, chin and surrounding face. I also consider whether the change we're seeing is limited to the lips or is part of a larger pattern of facial aging.
That's important when looking through the photographs below. In some patients, the lip is the primary concern. In others, I'm addressing the lip as part of a broader facial rejuvenation. The surgery has to make sense in the context of the entire face.
The Lip Should Fit the Face
A lip lift isn't about creating the same lip shape on every patient.
What matters to me is proportion. A change that looks appropriate on one face may be too much or too little on another. That's why I evaluate the lips as part of the facial structure around them rather than working toward a predetermined appearance.
There is also an important distinction between lifting the lip and adding volume to it. They solve different problems. In some patients, I may address the position and proportion of the lip without adding volume. In others, restoring volume may also be appropriate.
Look at the Relationship, Not Just the Lip
Lip lift before and after photographs deserve to be viewed a little differently from photographs of a facelift or neck lift.
First, look at the lips themselves. Then move outward.
Compare how the mouth relates to the nose and lower face. Look at the overall proportion of the lips rather than simply asking whether they appear larger. If other procedures were performed at the same time, take those into account before attributing every difference between the photographs to the lip lift.
A Lip Lift and Lip Augmentation Solve Different Problems
Patients sometimes group every procedure that changes the lips into the same category. I don't think that's particularly helpful.
A lip lift changes the relationship of the lip to the surrounding anatomy. Lip augmentation is intended to add volume. Depending on the face, one may be appropriate without the other, or both may have a role.
You can see how these approaches differ in my own patients. Some cases in this gallery involve lip lifting as part of facial rejuvenation, while others combine a lip lift with lower lip augmentation using stem cell nanofat. Other patients have undergone natural lip augmentation with autologous fat without a lip lift.
So when you compare the photographs, don't assume that every change in lip fullness came from lifting alone. Look at the procedures listed for each patient and consider how those treatments worked together to create the final result.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Lip Lift Before and After FAQs
Understand lip proportions, surgical techniques, natural-looking results, and what to look for when comparing photographs.
What should I look for in lip lift before and after photos?
Look at the relationship between the upper lip and the base of the nose, how much of the pink lip is visible, and whether the upper and lower lips appear balanced. I also pay attention to the Cupid's bow and how naturally the mouth fits the surrounding facial features. A 2026 systematic review of lip lift techniques documented improvements in upper lip length, visible vermilion and upper tooth show following subnasal lip lifting. Those measurements can help evaluate results, but I place greater importance on whether the changes complement the individual patient's face.
What is the difference between an internal and external lip lift?
An external subnasal lip lift uses an incision beneath the nose to shorten the upper lip and increase the amount of visible pink lip. An internal lip lift uses incisions inside the mouth and can improve lip shape or visible fullness without an external skin incision. These approaches address different anatomical concerns and should not be considered interchangeable. A comprehensive review of surgical upper lip enhancement describes the variety of techniques available. Most published outcome studies focus on external upper lip lifting, so their findings cannot automatically be applied to internal approaches.
Can a lip lift make the upper lip look fuller without adding filler?
Yes. An upper lip lift can increase the amount of visible pink lip, creating the appearance of greater fullness without necessarily adding volume. With an external subnasal lift, shortening the upper lip can also change its projection and the relationship between the lip and teeth. A three-dimensional anatomical study of subnasal lip lifting documented increases in visible lip surface area and projection. However, those findings do not mean every patient will achieve the same change. If the primary concern is insufficient volume rather than lip position, augmentation may be more appropriate.
Will a lip lift make more of my upper teeth visible?
It can, particularly when an external upper lip lift is used to shorten an elongated upper lip. Some patients show very little of their upper teeth when their mouth is slightly open, and correcting the lip's position may improve that relationship. A clinical study of subnasal lip lift results documented increased upper tooth show along with greater visible lip height. But showing more teeth is not automatically better. I evaluate the lip at rest, during speech and while smiling to determine whether additional tooth visibility would look natural.
How is an internal lower lip lift different from an upper lip lift?
The upper and lower lips have different anatomy and require different surgical planning. An external upper lip lift primarily changes the distance between the nose and upper lip, while an internal lower lip lift may be used to improve the visible height, contour or projection of the lower lip. In selected patients, I use an internal V-to-Y advancement technique. A quantitative study of V-to-Y lip advancement documented changes in visible lip area and projection. Several patients in this gallery underwent internal lifting of both lips, but I evaluate each lip separately rather than applying the same correction to both.
How do I know whether I need a lip lift or lip augmentation?
I begin by identifying whether the concern involves lip position, visible lip height or actual volume loss. A lip lift changes the position or shape of the lip, while lip augmentation adds volume through treatments such as filler or fat transfer. A patient with an elongated upper lip may benefit from lifting, while someone with appropriate lip length but insufficient fullness may benefit from augmentation instead. Some patients have both concerns. A clinical review of lip lift planning emphasizes evaluating natural proportions and selecting the amount of correction according to individual anatomy. I don't recommend lifting when adding volume would better address the problem.
Will lip lift scars be visible in before and after photographs?
That depends on the technique. An external subnasal lip lift leaves an incision beneath the nose, where the scar's visibility depends on placement, closure and healing. Internal lip lifting places incisions inside the mouth, avoiding an external skin scar but not eliminating scarring entirely. A literature review of surgical lip enhancement identified unfavorable scarring among reported complications of upper lip surgery. Standard frontal photographs may not clearly show an incision, so I discuss scar placement and healing separately rather than relying on gallery photographs to demonstrate every aspect of recovery.
How long after lip lift surgery should before and after photos be taken?
Early photographs can show the initial change in lip position or shape, but swelling may temporarily exaggerate fullness or affect symmetry. The tissues continue to settle, and external scars mature over time. Recovery also varies according to whether an internal or external technique was performed and whether other facial surgery was completed at the same time. A systematic review of subnasal lip lift outcomes evaluated results over follow-up periods extending from approximately one year to several years. I encourage patients to consider the timing of each photograph rather than assuming an early appearance represents the final result.
How long do lip lift results last?
A lip lift is intended to create a lasting change in lip position or shape, but the lips and surrounding facial tissues continue to age. A long-term study of subnasal lip lifting found that improvements in upper lip length and visible pink lip remained measurable over time, although some gradual decline occurred. A separate systematic review also found maintained improvement during the follow-up periods studied. These findings primarily concern external upper lip lifting and do not establish a guaranteed duration for internal techniques. I discuss realistic longevity according to the surgery being considered.
Why do some lip lift before and after results look more dramatic than others?
Every patient begins with different lip proportions, and not every patient undergoes the same surgery. Some patients in this gallery had an isolated internal or external lip lift, while others underwent upper and lower lip lifting together. Several also had my 4D Facelift™, fat transfer, brow lifting or skin resurfacing. Those additional procedures contribute to the overall appearance and should not be attributed to the lip lift alone. Published research reviewing lip lift outcomes also supports selecting techniques according to anatomy rather than applying identical corrections to every patient. I want the result to look appropriate for the individual face, not simply produce the greatest visible change.