Looking to rejuvenate your lips and enhance your smile? Lip procedures can bring balance and harmony to the whole face — and they don’t all involve filler. Here we explore the main options for the lips and the skin around the mouth, from the lip lift to fillers and resurfacing.
1. Bullhorn Lip Lift: Elegance and Balance
For a subtle but effective enhancement, the bullhorn lip lift focuses on the central upper lip. A small incision is hidden just beneath the nose, and gently lifting the lip brings symmetry and shows a little more of the pink lip — a refined, natural result. The amount of skin removed is customized from conservative to more aggressive. Because the technique separates skin from muscle, it can even partially soften the vertical “smoker’s lines” of the upper lip.
2. Corner of the Mouth Lift
The corners of the mouth convey emotion, and with age they can droop into an unintentional frown. A corner-of-the-mouth lift repositions the corners upward, restoring a more youthful, cheerful expression. Sometimes a small amount of filler is added to help stabilize the corner.
3. Lip Fillers: Plump and Perfect
Lip fillers are a non-surgical way to enhance fullness and shape, with full control over how subtle or noticeable the result is. Results are immediate with little to no downtime. Each filler we use contains local anesthetic, so the lips numb as we work; alternatively, a dental block up front makes the rest of the treatment essentially painless.
4. Resurfacing the Skin Around the Mouth
Fine wrinkles (rhytids) around the mouth can be improved with chemical peels, lasers, microneedling, RF microneedling, or dermabrasion. The right technique depends on the degree of damage, your skin type, and the downtime you can tolerate. Improving skin quality, texture, and color is the “icing on the cake” once position and volume are addressed.
Choosing the Right Procedure
Lip rejuvenation is as much artistry as science. The choice between a surgical lip lift and non-surgical filler or resurfacing depends on your specific anatomy and goals. Your provider should have a keen eye for facial harmony — the goal isn’t just fuller lips, but enhancing your overall beauty in a way that’s balanced and uniquely you. Schedule a consultation to find the right combination for your smile.