Lip Reduction Surgery FAQ
Lip Reduction Surgery FAQ
Lip Reduction Surgery FAQ
AESTHETIC NEWS
Balanced facial features are generally associated with increased aesthetic appeal. If one feature – whether the nose, chin or mouth — is disproportionately large or small, it can compromise facial harmony. Overly large lips that are out of sync with the rest of the face can be distracting and a source of discomfort for some people. Whether caused by trauma, poorly executed lip augmentation, or genetics, voluminous lips can now be safely modified with lip reduction surgery.
This outpatient procedure brings the lips into proportion with the patient’s facial features, achieving balance and harmony that looks natural. Lip reduction surgery is ideal for addressing defects caused by injury, as well as reducing the size of extremely protruding lips, a condition known as macrocheilia. More common in certain ethnic groups, macrocheilia may affect one or both lips. While most patients request lip reduction for purely cosmetic reasons, large lips may negatively impact speech patterns as well.
Patients in good health who are unhappy with the size, appearance and functionality of their lips are generally excellent candidates for the procedure. The surgery is only recommended to men and women who have realistic expectations in regards to the final outcome. While it’s a quick outpatient procedure, lip reduction will leave a permanent scar on the inside of the mouth, which is not visible.
Patients who have had too much lip filler or an augmentation gone wrong will benefit greatly from this procedure. Your gender, age, ethnicity and aesthetic objectives will all be taken into consideration during the treatment.
The procedure is performed under local sedation (or IV sedation for patients who are especially anxious) and can last anywhere from 20 minutes to one hour, depending on the circumstances. A small incision is placed across the inside of the lip, allowing for excess tissue or filler to be removed. The wound is closed with dissolvable sutures. The scar, which is hidden inside the lip, may feel sensitive for up to three months following the procedure.
Swelling is the most common side effect, and can last for several weeks (though this may last several months for some patients). Putting ice on the lips can help minimize swelling in the first few days after the surgery when soft foods are recommended. Most patients are back to work and their normal daily routine within 3 days of the procedure.
When daytime soap star and TV personality Lisa Rinna was 24, she had her lips injected with silicone, a decision which she regretted over the years. Rinna opened up to the public about her lip troubles on the Today Show, claiming that her signature trout pout began to define her as a woman. A self-proclaimed “lip-injection pioneer,” Rinna went on to have reduction surgery in 2010.
“I have a doctor remove as much as they possibly can because it got to the point where they were yucky. You know, they get hard. It’s gross. So they are now whatever that was after they took out as much of the silicone as they could.” Now, at 47, Rinna is pleased with the outcome, though she was a very slow healer and suffered months of swelling.
Manhattan plastic surgeon Dr. Thomas Loeb performs lip reduction surgery in his fully accredited surgical suite on Fifth Avenue. Variables such as prior augmentation with injections or implants may affect surgical time and costs, but patients may avail themselves of flexible financing options.
To learn more about how lip reduction surgery can help restore harmony to the face, we invite you to schedule a private consultation with Dr. Loeb by calling 212-327-3700.
