As lip augmentation has gained in popularity, the demand for lip reduction has also risen. In spite of the fact that making the lips thinner usually requires more surgical intervention than making them fuller, a procedure carried out properly may dramatically improve the overall appearance of the face.
Reasons for lip reduction
Lip reduction surgery can help several functional and aesthetic problems or disorders. Excessive protrusion of the lips may interfere not only with facial harmony but also normal functioning of the muscles surrounding the lips. Most of our patients ask for the revision of a condition that has been present since birth but in some cases we need to correct the effects of a previous lip augmentation procedure.
Ethnic lip reduction
The majority of our patients opting for lip reduction are members of a certain ethnic group that has a higher probability of having large or overly fat lips. People of mainly south-east Asian, Middle Eastern, African-Caribbean or African-American origin tend to have fuller, more prominent lips. This heritable characteristic, if too protuberant, might be a source of shame or lack of self-confidence, especially in the case of women whose lips are likely to grow larger than those of men’s.
Our surgeons have several years of experience in performing cosmetic surgery procedures on patients with various skin colours. When it comes to facial cosmetic surgery, one of our guiding principles is to carry out the desired procedure in such a fashion as to carefully maintain the patients’ ethnicity and basic facial structures.
Eliminating the effects of previous permanent lip augmentation
Non-absorbable agents used for permanent lip enhancement, once injected into the lips, are impossible to be removed from among the living cells, that is why we prefer to first use absorbable material which allows you to see the probable outcome of the permanent augmentation. Lip reduction surgery, however, may be the solution for you if you have had non-absorbable filler injected to your lips but you would like to get the original size of your lips back. You should also consider lip reduction if you feel your lips are asymmetrical or out of balance with your facial structure.
Correcting congenital deformity of the lips
In some cases lip reduction is necessary not for aesthetic reasons but for functional ones. The procedure is efficient as a corrective surgery, as well. Patients born with misshapen lips often experience discomfort as their lips affect the process of chewing, speaking or even salivary control and making expressions. Most of these problems are easily dealt with by lip reduction surgery.
Interested in lip reduction surgery?
Preparing for surgery
As lip reduction surgery can treat various problems, we attach the utmost importance to patient education. If you are interested in undergoing lip reduction and want to make the first steps towards it or you need more information on the procedure and your options, please let us know and fill out our free online consultation form. Attach some pictures of your lips and face and explain us what changes you would like to make. We make use of modern morphing and photo editing softwares with the help of which your surgeon is able to show you what results are obtainable.
During the personal consultation you may further discuss your concerns and expectations with your plastic surgeon who now will be able to develop an individualised surgical plan that is in line with your desires.
The procedure of lip reduction
After the administration of local anaesthetics, the surgeon makes an incision along the line where the outer (dry) portion of the lip meets the inner (wet) portion. Then he or she cuts away a wedge-shaped strip of skin and fat to reduce the volume of the lip. The inner skin is thus trimmed and when the incision is sutured, the prominence of the lip is moderated. The scar is placed on a non-visible location but in order to make it even less noticeable, our surgeons use W-plasty or Z-plasty technique when closing the incision. You can find their description at scar revision surgery.
The whole procedure takes 15 to 30 minutes to perform. If the reduction of both lips is desired, they are generally treated during one procedure but sometimes the whole revision may require to be carried out in two surgical sessions, to accomplish the exact results you seek.
What will you experience after lip reduction surgery?
At first your lips will be swollen and may feel hard and numb and because of the swelling they will appear the same size as or a bit larger than your original lip size. Pain medications will help you through this period. About two weeks following the surgery the extent of swelling decreases and the lips start to soften. You will see the final outcome of lip reduction surgery when the swelling has completely subsided. This will happen anywhere from three weeks to six months.
