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Can You Make Your Lips Smaller?

Home » Blog » Can You Make Your Lips Smaller?

Can You Make Your Lips Smaller?

    Guide:

    Although the popular look these days is fuller, plumper lips, it’s certainly not something everyone wants for themselves. Just as some people are unhappy with their thin lips and gummy smiles, others feel that their lips are too large in proportion to their other facial features and search for ways to make them smaller.

    Some people may even consider reducing the size of their lips for reasons other than aesthetics. Certain medical conditions cause drooling, speech impediments, and problems with eating, according to Aedit. Sometimes, reducing the size of the lips can improve these symptoms, which can be life-changing for those affected by these conditions.

    According to Healthline, lips can also change with age, and lip reduction can be a great solution to any aging-related changes such as asymmetry.

    The beauty standard for lips is highly specific. For example, there is even a “golden ratio” of beauty that defines the most attractive proportions of different facial features, the Victorian Cosmetic Institute says. Lip beauty in modern society, however fluctuates from time to time and varies from place to place.

    Is There A Surgery To Make Your Lips Smaller?

    Lip reduction surgery is the only permanent way to decrease the volume of your lips. During this procedure, there is a small incision inside the lips. The incision is closed using dissolvable stitches after removing excess skin and tissue. As the incision is inside the mouth, there is no need to worry about having any scars left behind after lip reduction surgery.

    During your lip reduction surgery consultation, you must communicate with your doctor about the volume of reduction you’d like to have in your lips so just the right amount of tissue is removed for your goals.

    Though surgery can be daunting to some people, lip reduction is a straightforward surgery performed under local anesthesia. Oral sedation is an option if you prefer additional comfort. Most of the post-op swelling fades within a week, and you will be able to see your final results approximately one month after your surgery. It’s known as one of the less intense facial plastic surgery procedures that packs a big punch, as although it’s a simple adjustment in most cases, it leaves behind dramatic results.

    Benefits of lip reduction surgery include:

    • Improves proportion between upper and lower lips
    • Removes excess lip tissues and products such as silicone injections to create a more favorable shape and size
    • Promotes harmony and dimension with other facial features
    • Improves problems with functionality caused by medical conditions
    • Increases self-esteem for those uncomfortable with their large lips
    • Corrects asymmetries if any parts of the lip have more tissue or product than others

    Are There Non-Surgical Ways To Make Lips Appear Smaller?

    If you want your lips to appear smaller to be more balanced with the rest of your face but don’t feel comfortable having surgery, there are creative ways doctors and injectors can use fillers to “even out” your features and conceal the size of your lips. Aesthetic physicians with rich injecting experience and an artistic eye can bring harmony to your facial features by adding volume to other parts of your face, such as your cheeks or chin, so they appear more proportionate to your lips.

    Can Facial Exercises Make Lips Smaller?

    Contrary to popular myths. There are no proven facial exercises to reduce the natural size of your lips. Any of these home remedies leave results that are practically impossible to see. Your lips have tissues called keratinized external epithelium and non-keratinized or parakeratinized mucous membrane epithelium, much different from fatty tissue that can reduced with exercise.

    Other temporary fixes for making the lips appear smaller that people may resort to include using specific colors of lip liner, concealer, and lipstick around the lips, massaging the lips with ice cubes or a cold spoon, and more. These home remedies leave behind short-term effects that are very short-lived and need to be touched up often. If you want to permanently and effectively make your lips smaller, we recommend seeking lip reduction surgery.

    Can You Reverse Lip Filler?

    If your concerns over your lip size are less about the natural size of your lips but more due to unfavorable lip injection results, hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers can be dissolved with hyaluronidase. Luckily, HA fillers are not permanent, so even if you don’t have them reversed with medication, your lips will gradually revert to their natural size within 6-12 months.

    If your lip filler is silicone, not HA-based, the only way to reverse your results is through lip reduction surgery. People like the idea of liquid silicone as a lip injection because its results are permanent, but the very permanence of it can lead to complications that are very complicated to treat. Complete removal of the silicone is sometimes impossible.

    Although liquid silicone facial injections have been around for over 60 years, it is no longer used by reputable physicians. Doctors and researchers have realized the dangers of it migrating and causing swelling and inflammation over time. The FDA does not approve using injectable silicone for aesthetic reasons because of the risks.  These may include long-term pain, infections, changes in the movement of facial muscles, and serious injuries such as stroke.

    How Much Does Lip Reduction Surgery Cost?

    Lip reduction surgery in New Jersey is on the lower end of plastic surgery procedure costs, with a single (either upper or lower lip) ranging from $3,000 – $5,000 and a bilateral (both upper and lower lips) ranging from $3,000 – $6,000. Lip reduction surgery to remove silicone injections is at a higher cost, ranging from $7,000 – $7,500. Subject to the amount of silicone you need to remove and the complexity of its placement.

    If cost is holding you back from achieving your facial harmony goals, it’s good to be aware of the various financing options available with flexible payment plans. Please view the financing options offered at The Kaplan Center for a better understanding of plastic surgery financing plans.

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    Lip Reduction: Upper and Lower Lip
    Before
    Before
    After
    After

    How To Find The Right Surgeon For Lip Reduction

    Lip reduction surgery may not be a buzzworthy procedure that everyone on social media is talking about. However, it is common practice and has changed the lives of many people uncomfortable with the size of their lips for cosmetic or functional reasons. Researching a procedure that’s not as popularly discussed as a facelift, for example, can be challenging. Lip reduction is a highly researched and effective procedure for bringing more balance to the face.

    Are you interested in lip reduction surgery in New Jersey or New York? Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Gordon Kaplan, renowned in both face and body procedures, has used his aesthetic eye to deliver dream lips to many patients throughout his career. Request a consultation to share your goals and concerns with Dr. Kaplan so he can sculpt your lips into the size and shape you desire.

    The Kaplan Center

    The Kaplan Center is a medical practice ran by board-certified Plastic Surgeon Dr. Gordon Kaplan in Edgewater, NJ. With over two decades of experience, The Kaplan Center specialises in plastic and reconstructive surgery for the face and body, along with a number of non-surgical treatments.