A truly natural result in facial rejuvenation is rarely achieved by treating one area in isolation. It’s a puzzle with many parts. While most patients focus intensely on lifting the cheeks, sharpening the jawline, and fixing the neck, the lips (especially the upper lip) often show some of the most noticeable signs of aging.
We see this disconnect all the time. A patient gets a flawless facelift, but the mouth area still looks older. This is why a carefully planned lip lift and lip rejuvenation strategy can be the missing step that completes the results from a deep plane facelift and improves overall facial balancing.
In this breakdown, I want to explain exactly how lip aging affects facial harmony, what a lip lift procedure is actually designed to correct (hint: it’s not about volume), and how combining these techniques produces a more balanced, youthful outcome that doesn't look "operated on."
If you would rather watch the deep dive video on this topic, check it out here: Watch: Lip Lifts & Rejuvenation Explained
The upper lip changes proportion and position over time.
Think of the skin between your nose and your lip (the philtrum) like a curtain. As we age, gravity and the loss of collagen cause that curtain to stretch and drop. Multiple studies show that the upper lip lengthens significantly with facial aging. As it lengthens, it rolls the visible pink lip (vermilion) inward, making the lips look thinner.
This drop also hides your teeth. When you are young, you show a few millimeters of your upper teeth when your mouth is slightly open. As the lip lengthens, that "tooth show" disappears. This is often accompanied by reduced maxillary tooth show at rest, which contributes heavily to an older appearance.
These shifts create a structural imbalance: even if your midface and jawline are rejuvenated with a facelift or other facial rejuvenation procedures, a long, flat mouth will pull attention away from an otherwise refreshed face. That’s why modern facial rejuvenation procedures increasingly emphasize harmony and proportion—not just tightening sagging skin.
A lip lift is a surgical procedure designed to shorten the upper lip (philtrum) and restore youthful proportions.
It is distinct from fillers. By surgically elevating the upper lip, the procedure increases the amount of visible vermilion (the pink part) and improves dental display. These are key elements of a youthful perioral appearance that injections simply can't mimic.
A well-planned lip lift surgery helps:
Lip fillers (like hyaluronic acid or Restylane) can improve volume, but they do not correct a long upper lip.
This is the most common mistake I see. In patients with significant upper-lip lengthening, adding volume without addressing the vertical length creates a problem. It adds weight to an already sagging structure. This leads to heaviness, distortion, or that protruding "duck" look that scares everyone away from lip augmentation.
If the underlying issue is elongation, you need a lift, not a fill. A structural approach, often involving a lip lift, is far more effective when the goal is to shorten the distance between the nose and the mouth, rather than just inflating the lip itself.
If you only need a bit of lip volume to plump up thin lips, then fillers may be the best choice for you, but keep in mind they won't fix the shape or the position of your lips.
Lip rejuvenation is broader than a traditional lip lift, and the best plan depends entirely on your specific anatomy and aging patterns. Common approaches to lip enhancement include:
This is the gold standard technique. It is widely used for patients with an elongated upper lip and limited dental show. We remove a strip of excess skin right under the nose, in the natural shadow crease. This shortens the upper lip height and rolls the lip out to improve the "pout." When closed without tension, the scars are virtually imperceptible.
Gravity doesn't just pull the center down; it pulls the corners down, too. When the oral commissures (corners of the mouth) turn downward, it can create a permanent frown or a bitter expression. A corner lip lift removes a tiny wedge of skin at the edges to rotate the corners back up, restoring a pleasant, youthful resting expression.
In selected patients, we do need volume, but we want it to last. Fat transfer (taking fat from the body and injecting it into the lips) supports softness and contour. This is particularly effective when combined with structural repositioning techniques to treat deep vertical lines and deflation.
The best outcomes come from combining these various techniques thoughtfully to restore youthful relationships, rather than trying to force a result with just one tool.
This is where the magic happens. A deep plane facelift targets deeper facial structures beneath the SMAS layer (the muscle layer) to reposition sagging tissues. It produces natural, durable results in the midface and jawline.
However, a facelift has a limit. The deep plane facelift does not directly correct:
That’s why incorporating lip rejuvenation into a facelift plan creates a more complete result. When the midface is restored, but the lips remain elongated, patients can still look older than expected. Lip lift surgery helps align the mouth region with the refreshed contours of the cheeks and jawline. It bridges the gap between the lower face and the midface.
You don't have to be 60 to need a lip lift. I perform this surgical procedure on younger patients who simply have a genetically long philtrum and want better proportions (often aiming for the Goddess Lips aesthetic).
Generally, a lip lift is a strong option for patients who have:
The best plastic surgery does not look "operated on." It looks proportionate, rested, and natural—because it restores balance between the nose, lips, teeth, chin, and cheeks.
Research describing perioral aging consistently supports the idea that lip lengthening and vermilion reduction are hallmark aging changes. Correcting them improves perceived youthfulness just as much as fixing a sagging neck does.
When planned correctly by an experienced plastic surgeon, a lip lift and other lip rejuvenation techniques can be the powerful finishing touch—especially for patients pursuing a deep plane facelift and a full facial rejuvenation strategy.
If you're curious if your anatomy is right for this, take a look at our Before & After Gallery to see the structural difference, or schedule a consultation so we can measure your proportions and get you the beautiful, full lips you've been wanting.
Human Lip Vermilion: Physiology and Age-Related Changes. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. Wiley Online Library
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