Dr. Esin Özlem Atmış
Lip Lift
Shortening a long upper lip to restore balance between the nose, lips and teeth, with the scar placed in the shadow of the nostrils.
Facial surgery · Upper lip
Shortening the distance between nose and lip.
A lip lift shortens the distance between the base of the nose and the upper lip. This shows more of the red part of the lip and of the upper teeth, and improves the balance between the upper and lower lips.1
The most widely used technique removes a strip of skin directly under the nose in the shape of a bull’s horn, so that the scar sits in the natural shadow of the nostrils.2 This page, part of our facial surgery section, explains who it suits, how it compares with fillers, preparation, recovery and risks.
In short
- Suits a long upper lip with little visible upper teeth at rest.1,2
- Usually about one hour under local anaesthesia, sometimes with light sedation; you go home the same day.1
- Stitches out at five to seven days; swelling peaks at three to five days; most people return to work within a week.1
- The main trade-off is a scar under the nose; full healing takes up to twelve weeks.1
- Results are long-lasting, but the lips continue to lengthen slowly with age.1
Who a lip lift can help
- an upper lip that has become long, so the upper teeth hardly show at rest;1,2
- a thin-looking upper lip in which the problem is length rather than volume;
- imbalance between a long upper lip and the lower lip.1
Good candidates are in good general health and have realistic expectations about the scar.1 The base of the nose, the nostril shape and the columella are examined first, because the incision follows them.
Lip lift or filler?
| Lip lift | Filler | |
|---|---|---|
| Changes | Length and shape of the upper lip; tooth show1 | Volume |
| Duration | Long-lasting1 | Temporary |
| Trade-off | A scar under the nose1 | Adding volume to a long lip can make it look heavier |
A lip lift and volume can be combined; in the original bull’s horn description, fat was often injected into the lips at the same time.2
Before surgery: blood thinners, supplements and smoking
Bring a written list of every medicine, injection and supplement you take, including doses. The table shows what usually happens; it is not an instruction to stop anything yourself. Blood thinners protect against stroke and clots, so any pause is agreed with the doctor who prescribed them.3
| Medicine | What usually happens before planned surgery |
|---|---|
| Warfarin | Usually stopped about five days before surgery; some patients need a temporary heparin injection plan.3 |
| Apixaban, rivaroxaban, edoxaban, dabigatran | Usually paused one to two days before, depending on bleeding risk; dabigatran needs longer when kidney function is reduced.3 |
| Clopidogrel, ticagrelor, prasugrel | If the cardiologist agrees, usually stopped about 5, 3 to 5, and 7 to 10 days before respectively. After a recent coronary stent, planned surgery is often postponed.3 |
| Aspirin | Often continued when it is taken to protect the heart; the decision is individual and made with your prescribing doctor.3 |
| Ibuprofen, naproxen and similar painkillers | Increase bleeding and are usually avoided before surgery; paracetamol is the usual alternative.4 |
| Vitamin E, ginkgo, garlic, ginseng and other supplements | Can increase bleeding; usually stopped at least two weeks before, sometimes three.5,6 |
| Weight-loss or diabetes injections (GLP-1 medicines such as semaglutide or tirzepatide) | Most people can continue them, but the anaesthesia team must know. Surgery may be postponed during dose increases or if you have nausea or vomiting; some patients need a liquid diet for 24 hours before.7 |
Bleeding disorders. Tell us at the first contact if you have a diagnosed bleeding disorder (for example von Willebrand disease or haemophilia), a low platelet count, liver disease, or a history of unusual bleeding after tooth extractions, operations or with periods. Blood tests and a haematology opinion come before any surgical plan. Some people are better served by not having elective cosmetic surgery at all.
Blood pressure and diabetes. Poorly controlled blood pressure or diabetes increases the risk of a collection of blood under the skin (haematoma) and of poor healing; both should be well controlled before surgery.6
Smoking and nicotine. Stop all nicotine, including vapes, patches, gum and snus, at least three to six weeks before surgery and for three to six weeks afterwards. Nicotine narrows small blood vessels and raises the risk of wound problems and skin loss; if you relapse, tell us, because postponing is safer.8
The operation
The amount of skin to remove is marked carefully for symmetry, then a strip shaped like a bull’s horn is removed just below the nose and the lip is advanced upwards.2 The procedure takes about an hour under local anaesthesia, with or without light sedation.1 If a rhinoplasty is also planned, the order of the operations is decided at the consultation, because changes to the nasal base affect the lip incision.
Recovery and risks
| Time | What is typical |
|---|---|
| 3–5 days | Swelling peaks, then settles quickly1 |
| 5–7 days | Stitches removed; most people return to work within a week1 |
| 2–3 weeks | Avoid pressure on the lip and strenuous activity1 |
| Up to 12 weeks | Full healing; the scar continues to soften for months1 |
Risks include infection, over- or under-correction, a visible or thick scar, an unnatural lip appearance and the need for revision.1
Travelling to Istanbul for a lip lift
Many patients travel from other cities or countries. A clear plan makes the trip calmer and safer:
- Online consultation first: most international patients start with an online consultation. Send your concern, your medical history, your medicines and a few clear photos through the channel the practice arranges, before you book flights.
- Arrive at least one day before surgery: the anaesthesia assessment and the final examination take place before the day of the operation.
- Hospital stay: usually a same-day procedure under local anaesthesia; an overnight stay is planned only when it is combined with other surgery.
- Time in Istanbul: plan to stay until the stitches are removed at five to seven days.1
- Follow-up: reviews are planned at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. They can be done online if you live abroad; you will know whom to contact for urgent questions after you return home.
Dr. Atmış and the nose–lip relationship
Op. Dr. Esin Özlem Atmış is an ENT and facial surgeon in Istanbul. She completed her specialist training in otorhinolaryngology at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine in 2014 and is a member of the Turkish Facial Plastic Surgery Association. She is one of the congress presidents of Face Bosphorus 3 (Istanbul, April 2026), a meeting on facial anatomy and medical practice. At Face Bosphorus 2025 she gave an opening talk and chaired sessions on the upper face and periorbital region, biostimulators and whole-face assessment; she was a listed speaker at Face Minima 2025, and at the 4th Congress of European ORL-HNS in Barcelona (2017) she chaired sessions that included facial anatomy. Details are on her scientific activities page.
As an ENT surgeon who also performs rhinoplasty, she pays particular attention to the nasal base, because the scar of a lip lift sits there and because the nose and lip are judged together in profile.
Her approach starts with understanding the concern before discussing an operation: what has changed, how it affects you, and which structures are actually responsible. The aim is a proportionate plan that keeps your expression and character, which sometimes means a smaller procedure, a different order of treatment, or no surgery. Besides Turkish, she speaks English and Italian.
Frequently asked questions
Will the scar be visible?
It is placed in the natural shadow beneath the nose and usually fades, but a scar is the main trade-off, and in some people it can thicken.2,1
How long does a lip lift last?
The change is long-lasting, although the lips continue to lengthen slowly with age.1
Lip lift or filler: which do I need?
If the upper lip is long, a lift changes its length; filler only adds volume. The examination decides which problem you have.
Can it be combined with rhinoplasty?
Sometimes. Because both involve the base of the nose, the plan and order are decided carefully at the consultation.
When can I eat normally?
Soft food is easiest at first; pressure on the lip is avoided for two to three weeks.1
How long is the operation?
About an hour under local anaesthesia.1
Clinical references
- ISAPS (International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery). Lip lift, patient information.
- The upper lip lift using the ‘bull’s horn’ approach. J Drugs Dermatol. 2003;2(3):303-306.
- Perioperative management of antithrombotic medications: guidelines from the American College of Chest Physicians (summary in Am Fam Physician, 2023).
- Mayo Clinic. Blepharoplasty.
- American Society of Anesthesiologists. Herbal and dietary supplements and anesthesia (patient leaflet).
- Mayo Clinic. Face-lift.
- American Society of Anesthesiologists. Multi-society guidance on GLP-1 receptor agonists before elective surgery (2024).
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons. How nicotine sabotages plastic surgery.
This page is general information, not a personal diagnosis or treatment recommendation. Medicines must never be stopped without the advice of the doctor who prescribed them. Seek urgent medical care for heavy bleeding, rapidly increasing swelling, breathing difficulty, chest pain or sudden vision changes after surgery.
Start with a careful, honest consultation.
A consultation is not a commitment to surgery. It is where your concern, your anatomy and your health are looked at together.