Lip Lift vs Corner Lip Lift vs Italian Lip Lift: How the Incision Patterns Differ

She has the photo zoomed in on her phone, thumb hovering between two screenshots. One shows a thin, pale line tucked into the crease under the nose. The other shows two short marks, one beneath each nostril, with the little column of skin in the middle untouched. Both are labeled “lip lift.” Neither comes with an explanation of why a surgeon would choose one over the other, or why a third option, with tiny incisions at the mouth corners, keeps appearing in her search results.

The confusion is understandable. The different types of lip lift share a goal, shortening the stretch of skin between nose and upper lip or lifting the corners of the mouth, yet they are built on genuinely different incision patterns, each with its own trade-offs for scarring, nostril shape and what can be corrected.

This explainer walks through the subnasal, Italian and corner approaches, what actually happens in each, and how to read the differences without the marketing haze.

What a lip lift actually does to the upper lip

A lip lift is a short operation that removes a measured strip of skin and shortens the distance between the base of the nose and the upper lip. The space being shortened is the philtrum, the vertical groove that runs from the nostrils to the pink part of the lip. The pink part itself is the vermilion, and the sharp edge where skin meets vermilion is the vermilion border.

Here is the mechanism in one sentence: when skin above the lip is removed and the edges are stitched together, the upper lip is pulled upward, more vermilion rolls outward into view, and the lip looks fuller without anything being added to it. That rolling outward is called eversion. It is the reason a lip lift can show more of the upper teeth at rest, something filler usually cannot do.

Why would someone want this? The philtrum lengthens with age as the skin stretches and the underlying support thins, and some people are simply born with a long upper lip. In either case the vermilion becomes a thinner line and the teeth disappear behind it when the mouth is relaxed.

What a lip lift does not do matters just as much. It does not add volume to the lower lip, it does not change the bone or the teeth, and it does not treat fine vertical lines on its own. Think of it as rearranging what is already there rather than adding material. Every version described below, from the standard subnasal cut to the corner wedge, works on that same principle: remove skin in a particular pattern, close the gap, and let the lip follow.

The procedure is usually done under local anesthetic with or without sedation, and the choice of pattern depends on the shape of the lip, the nose above it and the corners of the mouth.

The main types of lip lift: a plain-language map

Surgeons group the types of lip lift by where the scar ends up, because the scar location drives almost every other difference. Four patterns come up most often.

• Subnasal lip lift, often nicknamed the bullhorn lift because the excised strip is shaped like a pair of horns, places a single continuous incision in the crease where the nose meets the lip.
• Italian lip lift splits that incision into two separate pieces, one beneath each nostril, and leaves the columella (the fleshy column between the nostrils) and the skin directly below it untouched.
• Corner lip lift removes a small wedge or ellipse of skin just above each corner of the mouth to raise commissures (the corners) that turn downward.
• Direct or gullwing lip lift places the incision right along the vermilion border rather than under the nose, so the scar sits on the lip itself.

Two of these, the subnasal and the Italian, are variations on the same idea and target the central lip. The corner lift targets the outer third and is often combined with one of the central approaches. The gullwing is less common because its scar is harder to hide, and it tends to be reserved for specific situations such as revision work.

You will also hear the terms central lip lift and modified bullhorn; these generally describe tweaks to the subnasal pattern rather than separate operations. A “Russian lip lift” belongs in a different category altogether, since it describes a filler technique and involves no incision; it gets its own section below.

Keeping this map in mind helps when reading surgeon websites, where the same incision pattern can be marketed under three different names. The question to ask is never “what is it called” but “where does the scar go and what does that pattern correct.”

Subnasal (bullhorn) lip lift: where the incision sits

The subnasal lift is the workhorse of the group and the pattern most people picture when they search for a lip lift. The surgeon marks a curved strip of skin along the junction between nose and upper lip. The strip is wider in the center, under the columella, and tapers toward each nostril, giving it the bullhorn silhouette.

Once the strip is removed, the lower edge is lifted to meet the upper edge, and the wound is closed in layers with fine stitches. Because the incision follows the natural shadow line at the base of the nose, the mature scar is designed to hide in that crease.

What this pattern does well:

• It shortens the whole central philtrum evenly, so it suits a lip that is uniformly long from corner to corner of the Cupid’s bow.
• It can be adjusted so the center is lifted more than the sides, which heightens the peaks of the Cupid’s bow.
• It produces a single scar line rather than several, which some people find easier to care for.

Its limitations are mostly about the nose. The widest part of the excision sits right under the columella, so the tension of closure can pull on the nasal base. Surgeons watch for two things: a tendency for the nostrils to widen slightly, and a risk that the scar could migrate downward out of the crease if the closure is under too much strain or the strip is cut too wide.

For those reasons the subnasal lift is usually judged by millimeters. The amount removed is planned against the person’s existing philtrum length and the way their upper teeth show at rest, not against a photograph of someone else. A lift that removes too much skin can leave the upper teeth permanently exposed and the lip unable to close comfortably, and that is not easily reversed.

Italian lip lift: two small incisions under each nostril

The Italian lip lift is the answer to the subnasal pattern’s main weakness. Instead of one continuous cut across the base of the nose, the surgeon makes two separate, shorter incisions, each tucked under a nostril sill (the floor of the nostril where it meets the lip). The skin beneath the columella is left intact.

Two small crescents or triangles of skin are removed, one on each side, and each is closed independently. The lift comes from the sides and the central lip follows, so the philtrum still shortens, but the pull is distributed rather than concentrated in the middle.

The appeal lies in three places:

• No scar crosses the midline, so there is nothing to see under the columella, which is the most visible spot on a subnasal scar if it heals poorly.
• Less tension on the nasal base, which lowers the pull on the nostrils and the risk of the scar drifting downward.
• Each side can be tailored separately, useful when the philtrum is subtly asymmetric.

The trade-off is control over the center. Because no skin is removed directly beneath the columella, an Italian lift generally produces less central lift than a subnasal lift of the same width. People who want a markedly higher Cupid’s bow or more central tooth show may find the result more modest. Two scars, even short ones, also means two sites that can heal differently, so symmetry depends on careful marking and closure.

Surgeons tend to reserve the Italian pattern for people whose philtrum is only moderately long, whose nostrils are already wide or flared, or who have had a previous subnasal lift and want extra height without widening the existing scar. None of this makes one pattern better than the other; it makes them different tools, and the choice sits with the surgeon examining the actual face rather than a search result.

Corner lip lift: raising a downturned mouth

The corner lip lift solves a different problem. Some people have a philtrum of ordinary length but a mouth whose corners sit lower than the center, which can read as a sad or stern expression even at rest. The medical term for those corners is oral commissures, and a downturned commissure can be a feature someone was born with or one that develops as the cheeks lose support with age.

In a corner lift the surgeon removes a small triangle or ellipse of skin immediately above each commissure, usually with the base of the triangle resting on the vermilion border. Closing the wound pulls the corner upward and slightly outward. The amount of skin removed is tiny, often only a few millimeters on each side, and the lift it produces is correspondingly subtle.

The pattern is used alone when the center of the lip is fine, or alongside a subnasal or Italian lift when the whole upper lip needs attention. Combining the two addresses the central third and the outer thirds separately, which is why some clinics describe a “full” lip lift as a central lift plus corner lifts.

Scarring is the main consideration. The incision sits in a visible place, at the edge of the pink lip in skin that moves every time a person talks, eats or smiles. The scar is short and the vermilion border gives it a natural line to follow, but it is not hidden under a nose. People with a history of thick or raised scars are usually counseled with particular care here.

A corner lift also cannot correct deep marionette lines (the folds running from the mouth corners toward the chin) or heaviness in the lower face; those involve different tissue and different procedures. It changes the angle of the corner, not the surrounding cheek.

Types of lip lift compared side by side

Reading the three main incision patterns in one place makes the trade-offs easier to weigh. The table below summarizes what each is built to correct and where its limits sit; it is a map, not a recommendation, and none of these is a universal best choice.

Feature	Subnasal (bullhorn)	Italian	Corner
Incision location	One continuous curve in the crease under the nose	Two short cuts, one under each nostril sill	Small wedge above each mouth corner
Skin crossing the midline	Yes, under the columella	No, columella base untouched	No
Primary target	Central philtrum length, Cupid’s bow height	Philtrum length with less central pull	Downturned oral commissures
Amount of central lift	Greatest	More modest	Minimal to none
Effect on nostrils	Can widen slightly under tension	Lower nostril pull	None
Scar visibility once mature	Hidden in nasal crease if well placed	Two short lines under nostrils	Short line at the lip edge, in mobile skin
Often combined with	Corner lift	Corner lift	Subnasal or Italian lift

A few patterns emerge from the comparison. The subnasal lift gives the most movement at the center and carries the most risk at the nasal base. The Italian lift trades some central height for a quieter effect on the nose. The corner lift does something the other two cannot, and does nothing they can.

Notice what the table leaves out: no column promises an outcome, a satisfaction figure or a recovery guarantee. Published series on lip lift techniques are mostly single-surgeon case reports, and no major guideline body ranks one pattern above another. What the evidence does support is the anatomical logic: incision placement determines where tension goes, and tension determines scar behavior and nostril shape. That is the part worth understanding before any consultation.

What is a Russian lip lift, and is it surgery at all?

The Russian lip lift is the name that causes the most confusion, because it contains the word “lift” and involves no lifting in the surgical sense. It is a dermal filler technique. Dermal fillers are injectable gels, most commonly made from hyaluronic acid, a sugar molecule found naturally in skin, that add volume where they are placed.

In a conventional filler treatment the gel is placed along the lip to add fullness front to back, which makes the lip project forward. In the Russian technique the injector places small vertical threads of filler from the inside of the lip toward the border, aiming to lift and flatten the lip so it looks taller rather than puffier. The goal is a shape sometimes described as doll-like or heart-shaped, with the vermilion appearing to sit higher.

Several things follow from that description:

• It does not shorten the philtrum. The skin between nose and lip is exactly as long afterward as before. Any “lift” is an illusion created by reshaping the vermilion.
• It is temporary. Hyaluronic acid fillers are gradually broken down by the body, and the NHS notes that results typically last several months before the treatment needs repeating.
• It carries filler-specific risks, including lumps, asymmetry, and, rarely, injection into a blood vessel that can damage the tissue it supplies.

So a Russian lip lift and a surgical lip lift are not two versions of the same thing. One moves skin; the other adds volume beneath it. A person with a genuinely long philtrum will not get the same effect from the filler technique, and a person who mainly wants fuller lips may not need surgery at all.

The NHS also points out that dermal fillers are not regulated as strictly as medicines in some settings, so the training and setting of the person doing the injection matter. None of this is a recommendation for or against either approach; it is a reminder to make sure the word “lift” in a quote means what you think it means.

Is there a scarless lip lift?

The honest answer is no, not if the word “lift” means skin is removed. Every incision through the full thickness of skin produces a scar. What changes between techniques is how well the scar is hidden, how fine it heals and how much tension it is placed under, not whether it exists.

The phrase “scarless lip lift” is used online for three different things, and it helps to separate them.

• Nonsurgical alternatives that are not lifts. The Russian filler technique already described, and the so-called lip flip, which uses a small amount of botulinum toxin (a neuromodulator that temporarily relaxes muscle) injected into the muscle around the mouth so the upper lip rolls slightly outward. The lip flip changes muscle tone, not skin length, and wears off as the toxin effect fades over weeks to months. Neither leaves a scar because neither cuts the skin.
• Thread lifts. Dissolvable barbed sutures are passed under the skin to tug it upward. The entry points are tiny, but threads around the mouth are not a well-established way to shorten the philtrum, and the evidence base is thin and mostly short-term.
• Marketing for a well-hidden scar. Some surgeons describe a carefully placed subnasal or Italian lift as “virtually scarless.” That phrase is aspirational, not anatomical.

Scar maturation is also slow. The NHS notes that scars can continue to change and fade for up to two years after an injury or operation, so a line that looks pink and raised at six weeks is not the final result, and a line that looks faint in a surgeon’s photo may have taken a year or more to get there.

If the idea of any scar under the nose is unacceptable, that is a legitimate reason to discuss nonsurgical options or to leave the lip alone. It is not a reason to believe that a scar-free version of the operation exists.

Who is usually a candidate, and who is usually asked to wait

Surgeons look at the lip in three ways before suggesting any of the types of lip lift. They measure the philtrum, they look at how much upper tooth shows when the mouth is relaxed, and they examine the nose and mouth corners for the features that steer the choice of pattern.

A lip lift is usually discussed when:

• The philtrum is long enough that the upper lip hides the teeth at rest, whether from birth or from age-related stretching.
• The vermilion is thin and rolled inward rather than simply lacking volume.
• Filler has been tried and has produced projection without the taller, more everted shape the person wanted, or has stopped looking natural because repeated volume stretched the lip.
• The mouth corners turn down in a way that bothers the person at rest, which points toward a corner lift.

People commonly asked to wait or to consider something else include:

• Those with a naturally short philtrum, because removing more skin risks a permanently exposed upper gum line and a lip that will not close comfortably.
• Smokers and people who vape nicotine, since nicotine constricts blood vessels and slows wound healing; most surgeons ask for a period of abstinence before and after any skin surgery.
• Anyone with a history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring, raised scars that grow beyond or above the original wound, because the lip and nasal base are visible sites where such a scar would be hard to conceal.
• People with an active skin infection, cold sore outbreak or uncontrolled medical condition that affects healing.
• Those planning a rhinoplasty, since nose surgery can change the nasal base and the lip lift is often sequenced around it.

Mental health and expectation matter as much as anatomy. The NHS advises anyone considering cosmetic surgery to take time, avoid deciding under pressure, and be clear that an operation changes a feature, not a life. A surgeon who asks about motivation and is willing to say no is doing part of the job properly.

Lip lift recovery time: what the following days and weeks usually look like

Lip lift recovery is shorter than for most facial operations, but the lip is a busy structure. It moves with every word and every mouthful, and the wound sits where everyone looks. Typical patterns are described here as ranges, drawn from general guidance on surgical wound healing, and the treating team’s instructions always override them.

The first few days. Swelling and bruising peak in the first 48 to 72 hours. The upper lip feels tight and may look overcorrected, which is expected because swelling exaggerates the lift. Speaking and eating are possible but soft foods and small bites are usual advice, and most people are asked to avoid wide mouth opening. MedlinePlus guidance on surgical wound care emphasizes keeping the incision clean, following the specific cleansing instructions given, and watching for signs of infection.

Around one week. Fine skin stitches at the nasal base are commonly removed in the first week; deeper dissolving stitches look after themselves. The scar line is pink and slightly firm.

Two to six weeks. Most visible swelling settles, numbness in the upper lip gradually fades, and many people feel comfortable in ordinary social settings. Strenuous exercise, which raises blood pressure and swelling, is usually restricted for the first couple of weeks, and sun protection on the scar matters because ultraviolet exposure can darken an immature scar.

Months. The scar continues to soften and fade. The NHS notes that scars can take up to two years to reach their final appearance, and silicone sheets or gels are among the measures commonly discussed to help flatten and lighten them.

Common sense habits matter more than any product: no smoking, no picking at crusts, no makeup over the incision until cleared, and a follow-up visit if anything looks or feels different from what was described.

What are the downsides of a lip lift?

Every type of lip lift is permanent, and that is both its advantage and its main downside. Skin that has been removed cannot be put back. The risks worth understanding in plain language are these.

• A visible scar. Even a well-placed scar can heal wider, thicker or lighter than the surrounding skin. The midline under the columella, in the subnasal pattern, and the lip edge, in the corner pattern, are the spots most likely to show.
• Overcorrection. Too much skin removed leaves the upper teeth and sometimes gum permanently on display, a lip that struggles to close over the teeth and a mouth that looks surprised at rest. Revision options are limited.
• Nostril changes. Tension at the nasal base can flare or widen the nostrils, more so with the subnasal pattern than the Italian.
• Asymmetry. Two sides healing differently, or uneven marking, can leave one half of the lip higher than the other.
• Numbness. Small sensory nerves in the upper lip are disturbed; altered sensation is common early on and usually improves over weeks to months, though it can occasionally persist.
• Infection, bleeding and poor healing. As with any skin surgery, these are uncommon but real, and smoking, poor wound care and certain medical conditions raise the chance.
• A result that looks operated. A lifted lip on a face with a very short lower face or prominent teeth can look out of proportion.

There is also a downside that rarely appears in marketing: the lip lift does not stop the clock. The philtrum will continue to lengthen with age, and the result will age with the rest of the face.

None of these risks is a reason to avoid the operation; they are the reasons the decision belongs in a careful consultation with a qualified surgeon who examines the face, explains which pattern they would use and why, and documents the plan in writing.

Lip lift vs filler: which approach matches which problem

The most common question in consultations is not which lip lift, but whether surgery is needed at all. The answer depends on which of two different problems is bothering the person, because lip lift and filler fix different things.

Filler adds volume. If the lips are simply thin, flat or deflated, and the philtrum is a normal length, hyaluronic acid filler can restore fullness without an incision. The trade-offs are that it is temporary, needs repeating, and repeated volume can over time stretch the vermilion and make the lip look heavy or push it forward rather than up.

A lip lift changes shape and proportion. If the upper lip is long, hides the teeth and curls inward, no amount of filler will shorten it; adding gel to a long lip tends to make it longer and heavier. Surgery everts the vermilion and shows more of it without adding any material.

The two can also be combined. Some people have a lip lifted surgically for proportion and later use a small amount of filler for softness. Others find that the lift alone gives them the fullness they were chasing with injections.

Where the evidence sits: the NHS describes dermal fillers as a nonsurgical cosmetic procedure with temporary results and lists lumps, infection, movement of the filler and blocked blood vessels among the risks. Cleveland Clinic’s overview of dermal fillers similarly frames them as volume-restoring treatments rather than lifting procedures. Neither source, and no clinical guideline, ranks filler against surgery for lip appearance; the choice is anatomical and personal.

A useful self-test before any appointment is to look at the mouth relaxed in a mirror. If the upper teeth are hidden and the upper lip looks long, the conversation is probably about a lift. If the lips are visible but thin, the conversation is probably about volume, and surgery may be the wrong tool.

What people often get wrong about the types of lip lift

Some of the most repeated claims online do not survive contact with anatomy. These are the ones worth correcting.

“The Italian lip lift is the scarless version.” It removes skin in two places instead of one. The scars are shorter and avoid the midline, which is a real advantage, but there are still two of them.

“A Russian lip lift is a lighter form of lip lift surgery.” It is a filler technique with a confusing name. It does not shorten the philtrum and it wears off.

“More skin removed means a better result.” The opposite is closer to the truth. The commonest cause of an unhappy result is overcorrection, which is far harder to fix than a conservative lift that can be revisited.

“The scar will be invisible.” A good scar at the nasal base is hard to see from conversational distance after it matures, and the NHS is clear that maturation can take up to two years. Invisible is a word for photographs taken in flattering light.

“A lip lift also fixes smoker’s lines.” Vertical lines on the upper lip are a skin-texture problem. A lift may stretch them slightly but does not remove them; resurfacing treatments are the usual conversation for that.

“Filler can be dissolved, so it is risk-free.” Hyaluronic acid fillers can be dissolved with an enzyme, which is reassuring, but the NHS lists serious though rare complications including blood-vessel blockage, and the dissolving step is itself a medical procedure.

“Any surgeon who offers it is equally qualified.” Cosmetic surgery regulation varies by country and setting. The NHS advises checking a surgeon’s registration, training in the specific procedure and where the operation will be done. That advice applies to a short operation under local anesthetic as much as to a long one under general.

Questions to ask your care team

A good consultation about a lip lift should feel like a measured conversation about a few millimeters of skin, because that is what it is. These questions help keep it there.

• Which incision pattern are you recommending for me, and what about my nose, philtrum or mouth corners led you to it over the others?
• How many millimeters of skin do you plan to remove, and how did you decide on that number for my face?
• How much upper tooth show do you expect at rest afterward, and what happens if it is more than I want?
• Where exactly will the scar sit, and can I see healed examples of this specific pattern at six months and at a year or more, not only at six weeks?
• What is your approach if the scar heals thick or drifts out of the crease?
• Do you expect any change to my nostril shape, and how do you limit it?
• Is a corner lift appropriate for me, and if so, would you do it at the same time or separately?
• What are your training and registration in this procedure, and where will the operation take place?
• What is your plan for anesthesia, and what medicines will I need to tell you about beforehand, including supplements and blood-thinning agents?
• What does recovery look like for someone with my job and daily routine, and when are the follow-up visits?
• What would make you advise against surgery for me, or advise waiting?
• If I am unhappy with the result, what revision options exist and who performs them?

Write the answers down. The NHS suggests taking time between a consultation and a decision, and a surgeon who welcomes a second visit, or a second opinion elsewhere, is giving you useful information about how they practice.

Bring a relaxed, unfiltered photograph of your own face rather than someone else’s. The right type of lip lift is the one chosen for your anatomy, and that choice rests with the treating team after an examination, not with an article, a feed or a friend.

When to call your doctor after a lip lift

Most lip lift recoveries are uneventful, with swelling and tightness that fade day by day. A short list of signs should prompt a same-day call to the surgical team rather than waiting for the next scheduled visit. MedlinePlus guidance on surgical wound care and general NHS advice on cosmetic surgery aftercare point to the same red flags.

• Bleeding that soaks a dressing or does not stop with gentle, steady pressure after several minutes.
• Spreading redness, warmth or swelling around the incision, especially if it is getting worse after the third day rather than better.
• Pus, cloudy fluid or a foul smell from the wound.
• Fever or chills.
• Pain that is increasing rather than settling, or that is not controlled by what the team advised.
• The wound edges separating, or stitches coming loose before the planned removal.
• A patch of lip or nasal-base skin turning pale, dusky, purple or black, which can signal a problem with blood supply and needs urgent assessment.
• Difficulty breathing, swelling of the tongue or throat, or a rash after any medicine or anesthetic, which are emergency signs and warrant calling emergency services.

For anyone who had filler rather than surgery, the same urgency applies to sudden severe pain, skin that blanches white or turns mottled, or any change in vision, because these can indicate filler in a blood vessel and need immediate care.

Later in recovery, a scar that becomes raised, itchy and keeps growing beyond the original line, or one that sits visibly below the nasal crease, is not an emergency but is worth an appointment; early treatment of hypertrophic or keloid scars gives more options than late treatment, as Mayo Clinic’s guidance on keloids explains.

Whatever the symptom, the people who did the procedure are the right first call. They know what was done, what is expected and what is not, and every decision about treatment belongs with them.

Frequently asked questions

What are the downsides of a lip lift?

The main downsides are a permanent scar, the risk of removing too much skin, possible nostril widening, asymmetry and temporary numbness. Overcorrection leaves the upper teeth permanently exposed and is difficult to revise because skin cannot be put back. Scars under the nose usually hide well once mature, but the NHS notes they can take up to two years to fade fully. Infection and poor healing are uncommon but more likely in smokers.

How much does a lip lift typically cost?

This article does not give prices, because cost varies widely with the surgeon, the setting, the anesthesia used and whether a corner lift is combined with a central lift. Cosmetic procedures are usually self-funded. A written quote from the treating surgeon should itemize what is included, such as follow-up visits and any revision policy, and the NHS advises never choosing a provider on price alone.

What is a Russian lip lift?

A Russian lip lift is a dermal filler technique, not an operation. The injector places small vertical threads of hyaluronic acid filler from the inside of the lip toward the border so the lip looks taller and flatter rather than puffier. It does not shorten the skin between nose and lip, and because the body breaks the gel down, the effect is temporary and needs repeating.

Is there a scarless lip lift?

No. Any procedure that removes skin leaves a scar; the techniques differ in how well the scar is hidden, not whether it exists. The phrase usually refers to nonsurgical options such as filler techniques or a botulinum toxin lip flip, which do not cut the skin and do not shorten the philtrum. A well-placed subnasal or Italian scar can be hard to see once matured, but that takes many months.

What is the difference between an Italian lip lift and a bullhorn lip lift?

The bullhorn, or subnasal, lift removes one continuous strip of skin along the base of the nose, including the area under the columella. The Italian lift removes two smaller pieces, one under each nostril, and leaves the midline alone. The bullhorn gives more central lift and a higher Cupid’s bow; the Italian puts less tension on the nostrils and avoids a midline scar.

How long is lip lift recovery time?

Swelling and bruising usually peak in the first two to three days and settle over the following two to six weeks, with skin stitches typically removed in the first week. Numbness in the upper lip improves gradually over weeks to months. The scar keeps softening and fading for much longer; NHS guidance notes scars can take up to two years to reach their final appearance. The surgical team’s instructions take precedence.

Lip lift vs filler: which is better for a thin upper lip?

It depends on why the lip looks thin. If the philtrum is long and hides the teeth, filler adds weight without lifting, and a surgical lift addresses the proportion problem. If the philtrum is a normal length and the lips simply lack volume, hyaluronic acid filler can add fullness without an incision but is temporary. Neither is better in general; the choice follows the anatomy and belongs with the treating clinician.

Can a corner lip lift be done with a regular lip lift?

Yes, surgeons often combine a corner lift with a subnasal or Italian lift when both the central philtrum and the mouth corners need attention. The corner lift raises downturned commissures with small wedges above each corner, while the central lift shortens the skin under the nose. Doing them together is common, but it means scars in two different locations, so the decision depends on the individual face.

Does a lip lift change the shape of the nose?

It can subtly. The subnasal pattern removes skin directly beneath the columella, and tension from closing that wound may flare or widen the nostrils slightly. The Italian pattern leaves the midline alone and places less pull on the nasal base, which is one reason surgeons choose it for people with already wide nostrils. Anyone planning rhinoplasty should mention it, as the two are usually sequenced together.

Who should not have a lip lift?

People with a naturally short philtrum, those who already show a lot of upper gum, smokers who cannot pause nicotine, and anyone with a history of keloid or hypertrophic scarring are usually counseled against it or asked to wait. Active skin infection or a cold sore outbreak also delays surgery. A surgeon will also want to discuss expectations, and the NHS advises taking time before any cosmetic decision.

References

• NHS: Cosmetic procedures
• NHS: Dermal fillers
• NHS: Scars
• MedlinePlus: Surgical wound care – open

This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a qualified doctor about your individual situation.