Contents
- Can you get a lip reduction?
- Why is lip reduction surgery the best option for reducing the size of my lips?
- Who might be suitable for lip reduction?
- The recovery period following lip reduction surgery
Plump lips are, generally, considered an attractive facial feature, and are usually desired by people regardless of gender. In fact, many patients visit our practice to add volume and increase the size of their lips, through lip injections or lip lift surgery.
These patients often have thin lips, and would like extra lip volume to balance out with their other facial features.
Sometimes, however, the tables are turned, and patients visit Dr. Kaplan hoping to reduce lip volume and size. At a certain point, overly large lips can distract from other facial features, such as the eyes, nose, or general structure. They can lead people to feel self-conscious, and they may even affect functionality.
Large lips can be beautiful when in proportion with the rest of the face, but if you feel that your lips are too big for your face, you might want to consider a lip reduction procedure.
Can you get a lip reduction?
In short, yes, you can have lip reduction procedures to alter the size and shape of your upper and lower lip.
There are several highly effective surgical and non-surgical options for reducing the size of the lips. At our practice, plastic surgeon Dr. Kaplan has a deep understanding of ‘the art’ of lip reduction and complex anatomy.
Non-surgical lip reduction
Dr. Kaplan can use dermal fillers such as Dysport to reduce the appearance of your lips by injecting them into your cheeks to add volume to the upper part of your face. Doing so creates symmetry if you have naturally large lips and can draw attention away from them. Fillers are not a lifelong solution. Maintaining the volume would mean returning to The Kaplan Center each year or so for a new injection session.
The cost of dermal fillers depends entirely on the amount Dr. Kaplan uses to balance out your facial features and the type of dermal filler used. The average price of Dysport, for example, is between $300 to $425 per treatment.
Lip reduction surgery
Lip reduction surgery is an effective, permanent method of decreasing volume if you feel you have too much lip tissue.
During lip reduction plastic surgery (also known as cheiloplasty), excess fat and skin tissue is removed from the lower or upper lip, helping to reduce the overall volume.
Surgery takes about an hour under local anesthesia and sometimes oral sedation for extra comfort and support. A horizontal incision is made inside your mouth to minimize scarring. The incisions are closed with small, dissolvable sutures that disappear naturally in the days and weeks following surgery.
Lip reduction surgery may be an option if you want your natural lips to appear smaller or regret a previous lip augmentation procedure. The corrective procedures to target cleft lip and palate may include lip reduction techniques.
Lip reduction surgery can be life-changing for people looking for lips that balance with the rest of their faces or to balance their upper and lower lips with each other.
According to Aedit, lip reduction surgery can be a solution for not only enlarged lips, but also for lip ptosis, in which the upper lip appears droopy. Lip ptosis commonly occurs in more mature people.
We offer lip reduction surgery focusing on either one of the lower or upper lips, or both at the same time. Some people are born with a bottom lip bigger than their top lip or vice versa and think there is no solution besides using makeup to balance them out. A single lip reduction can correct concerns of one lip overpowering the other.
How much does a lip reduction cost?
Single upper or lower lip: $2,000-$5,000
Bilateral (both lips): $3,000-$6,000
Learn more about lip reduction surgery at the Kaplan Center.
Why is cosmetic surgery the best option for reducing the size of my lips?
Certain lipstick colors and injectable fillers in specific spots may help temporarily reduce your lip appearance. However, if the size of your lips is a feature that stops you from feeling confident about yourself, you may need a more permanent option for correction.
Lip reduction is on the simpler side of facial surgeries and is a permanent solution to large lips that interrupt the harmony of your face. Wouldn’t you rather permanently fix the problem than have to reapply your lipstick a ‘special’ way each day or continue returning to an injector to get fillers that suppress the appearance of your lips?
Investing in yourself and your confidence is worth it in the long run.
Trying less invasive options such as makeup or injectable fillers also gives you less accurate results that don’t match your exact goals. Lip reduction surgery targets your concerns head-on and can exceed your expectations, giving you results that show noticeable improvements.
Furthermore, although it can be more costly upfront, a single surgical procedure is often far more cost-effective long-term compared to ongoing treatments.
Benefits of getting lip reduction surgery:
- Boosts your confidence in one simple surgical procedure
- Targets life-altering insecurities, whether your lips are naturally overly plump or a previous augmentation procedure gave you results more dramatic than you were hoping for
- Targets the problem head-on and promotes more accurate results
- Provides results that can last a lifetime
Candidates for lip reduction surgery
Lip reduction can dramatically improve your self-confidence if you have naturally large lips or are unhappy with the size of your lips after an augmentation surgery. Whether your insecurity regarding your lip size is the result of genetics or previous lip augmentation procedures, lip reduction surgery is the most beneficial corrective procedure.
Like many of our features, our lips change over time. Aging factors may cause parts of your lips to become asymmetric, drooping on the bottom or top lip, or inconsistencies between the left and right sides. A common sign of aging in the lips is widening, as our lips may follow our lower face and chins as they droop and start to jowl. As skin weakens, it’s difficult for the lips to maintain a youthful shape, so lip reduction surgery can remove some of the excess tissue.
Characteristics of good lip reduction candidates include:
- You want to redefine your lip lines and target abnormalities with the shape of your lip
- Wanting the volume of your upper and lower lips to appear more balanced
- Changing the size of your lips to match the proportions of your other facial features
- Your lips have changed with age, and you believe lip reduction techniques may improve the structure and symmetry of them
- Have realistic expectations
- Are prepared for the recovery process
If you are not sure whether you are a suitable candidate for lip reduction surgery, schedule a consultation with a board-certified plastic surgeon, like our Dr. Kaplan. During the consultation, he will assess your concerns and confirm whether lip reduction surgery is the best option to attain your goals or recommend other options.
Recovery from lip reduction surgery
It’s normal to have some swelling and redness for a few days following your lip reduction surgery. It may be slightly uncomfortable to talk during this time, but you should be able to move your lips more as your sutures dissolve and your scar tissue heals.
Your lips should completely heal within one to two weeks, and you should be aware that you may need to take the first week of recovery off from work. The recovery period after lip reduction is much shorter and less taxing than for more advanced cosmetic surgeries, but you should still rest and support your body in its healing state.
We may recommend applying pressure with ice packs to your lips during recovery to help ease the swelling. You may also want to consider over-the-counter pain relief. We advise eating soft foods and being extra cautious while brushing your teeth after lip reduction surgery, as the targeted area will be extra sensitive during healing.
You should be able to see your final results once all the swelling dissipates, which is usually three to six months post-op, according to RealSelf.
