A cosmetic procedure called a lip lift is used to lift the upper lip toward the nose. The skin between the nose and the top lip, known as the philtrum, can extend with age, causing the upper lip to droop over the teeth.
To give the lips a more youthful, proportionate form, a lip lift involves surgically raising the upper lip back up toward the nose.
The location and method of the lip lift incision are determined by various surgical techniques. Raising the top lip to a more attractive and natural position on the patient’s face is the aim of lip lifting surgery.
What Is the Outcome of a Lip Lift?
Following lip lift surgery, you will remain under observation until your doctor gives the all-clear to return home. On the day of your treatment, you can return home. Because the anesthetic can leave you exhausted and, in a stupor, you should ask someone to drive you home.
Following surgery, it is typical to feel tight, uncomfortable, and swollen. A few days following the procedure, either your stitches will disintegrate naturally or your surgeon will make an appointment to remove them.
How To Care for Your Incisions After Treatment for The Lip Lift
- When eating, refrain from extending your mouth wider than an inch for a week in order to avoid the incision site opening.
- Scar gel: Although everyone heals differently, these changes and the greatest possible appearance of the scars take around a year. You can start using silicone-based gel to your scars to promote healing once your incisions have fully healed and your doctor has given the all-clear.
- Sutures: Your doctor will take out all of your sutures during your initial post-operative appointment. The last of the sutures will dissolve. After the treatment, the sutures are often taken out five to seven days later.
- Sun Exposure: Steer clear of the sun as much as possible. When you’re outside, wear an SPF of 30 or higher. Even a minor sunburn can exacerbate swelling, aggravate a healing incision, and result in permanent discoloration of the scar.
- Cleaning your wounds: Use a damp cotton swab soaked in diluted hydrogen peroxide (¼ hydrogen peroxide, ¾ water) to clean your incisions if there is crusting surrounding the site. Apply the antibiotic ointment again after that.
How Long Does It Take to Recover from A Lip Lift?
It will take six to eight weeks for the surgery site to recover. After the lip lifting treatment, some swelling and bruising should start to go away in a week and go away entirely in a month. For a few months, your lips might feel constricted. It could take up to six months for your lips to feel fully normal in some situations.
Medications After Treatment for Lip Lift
- Pain: To manage your pain following surgery, a prescription for a painkiller will be given to you. You are free to substitute Tylenol for the recommended prescription if your post-operative pain is not severe. Tylenol is frequently included in the medication you are prescribed, so avoid taking it with your painkillers. Tylenol dosages should not exceed 4,000 mg in a 24-hour period. To reduce the chance of nausea, take your prescription with food.
- Antibiotic: Take all of your prescribed antibiotics as directed, starting the night before surgery.
- Substances to Avoid: Steer clear of caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine since they will significantly impede the healing process.
- Constipation: Using narcotic painkillers will cause constipation. It is advised to use MiraLAX or other over-the-counter laxatives. Don’t wait until you’re constipated before taking. Use of drugs is the first step in treatment.
- Nausea: A frequent adverse reaction to powerful drugs and general anesthesia. We recommend that you take your nausea medication if you are feeling queasy.
- Drugs to Avoid: Only use drugs that your surgeon has authorized or recommended. Avoid using aspirin or ibuprofen-containing drugs for two weeks prior to and following surgery (Advil, Motrin, Naproxen, etc.). These drugs may make bleeding worse.
Bonus Tips
For Scar Care
Scar care is a crucial component of attaining desired results, even though wound care is essential for gorgeous results. After the wound’s crusting and inflammation go away, which usually takes 1–14 days, scar care can begin.
As mentioned earlier, to lessen scarring, a topical scar gel could be used. Additionally, silicone sheeting might help control scarring. Furthermore, scarring can be managed with a variety of aesthetic procedures, including laser or microneedling, if needed.
It’s crucial to disclose to your surgeon any history of hypertrophic scars or keloids during your consultation for a lip lift. This enables your surgeon to take any further actions that may be required.
For example, the treatment strategy might need to be modified if the patient has a tendency to have aberrant scarring.
For Swelling and Bruising
Swelling and bruises are normal for the first week or so. After a week, the visible sutures will be taken out, and scarring will momentarily show through. The scar will eventually disappear as a result of the body’s natural healing process.
As scarring heals over the course of the next weeks to months, it can be concealed with special cosmetics or tinted sunscreen.
Possible Problems and How to Handle Them
Following your surgeon’s post-operative instructions is essential to preventing complications from a lip lift, which contains risks such as infection, hemorrhage, uneven swelling, and scarring.
For the proper therapy, get in touch with your surgeon right away if you observe any indications of infection or severe scarring. By selecting a skilled, board-certified plastic surgeon and adhering to aftercare guidelines, you can reduce risks and maximize the results of your treatment.