Lip lift: rejuvenate and enhance your smile

What if your smile could look young again?

Does your smile feel like it has faded a little over the years? Does your upper lip look longer and thinner, with less of your teeth showing when you smile? That is one of the first signs of facial ageing, and there is a lasting fix. The lip lift gives your mouth back its curve and youth with a few well-placed millimetres. At Body Expert, our surgeons guide you at every step, as part of a facial rejuvenation approach that can, if you wish, extend to a fuller facelift.

Lip lift: restoring radiance to the lower third of the face

Over time, the mouth changes quietly but surely. The upper lip lengthens, its pink part thins and the smile loses a little of its freshness. The lip lift is a cosmetic operation designed to correct these signs by restoring balanced proportions and a natural curve. At Body Expert, our surgeonsdesigned to correct these signs by restoring balanced proportions and a natural curve. At Body Expert, our surgeons, who specialise in facial surgery, carry out this delicate procedure in our partner clinic in Istanbul, with one simple aim: to enhance your smile without ever changing its character.

Why do lips age?

Ageing in the lower third of the face shows up through a few telltale signs:

• the lengthening of the philtrum, the strip of skin between the nose and the edge of the upper lip;
• the thinning of the vermilion, the pink, visible part of the lip, which seems to fold inwards;
• the flattening of the Cupid’s bow, that twin curve that slowly loses its definition;
• less of the teeth showing at rest, which makes the smile look less young and less lively.

A 2026 systematic review confirms that the length of the philtrum drops from 14.0-14.5 mm to 10.8-12.0 mm after surgery, while the height of the vermilion rises from 5.0-6.0 mm to 7.0-9.0 mmthe length of the philtrum drops from 14.0-14.5 mm to 10.8-12.0 mm after surgery, while the height of the vermilion rises from 5.0-6.0 mm to 7.0-9.0 mm. Those few millimetres are enough to give the face a rested, distinctly younger look..

What does the procedure involve?

The subnasal bullhorn technique

The standard technique for a lip lift is the so-called “bullhorn” incision (shaped like a bull’s horns), made under the nose, at the base of the nostrils. Our surgeons remove a thin strip of skin then close with great precision, which lifts the edge of the lip and shortens the distance between the nose and the mouth. The operation is done under local anaesthetic with light sedation, as a day case, and lasts 45 minutes to an hour on average. The scar, tucked into the natural fold under the nose, becomes almost invisible once it has faded.

Modern approaches: deep-plane and Tri-Lift

Techniques have moved on a great deal in recent years. Deep-plane approaches release the support tissue of the upper lip and suspend it at the nasal base, for longer-lasting hold, while the Tri-Lift technique uses a triple suspension suture, often anchored to the periosteum of the anterior nasal spine (a bony point at the base of the nose), to ease the tension on the scar.Deep-plane approaches release the support tissue of the upper lip and suspend it at the nasal base, for longer-lasting hold, while the Tri-Lift technique uses a triple suspension suture, often anchored to the periosteum of the anterior nasal spine (a bony point at the base of the nose), to ease the tension on the scar. These refinements aim for a result that is both steadier over time and more discreet. The choice of technique always comes down to your anatomy, carefully assessed at the pre-operative consultation.

Surgical lift or hyaluronic acid?

Surgery or injections? It is one of the first questions we get asked. The two approaches actually answer different needs:

• hyaluronic acid adds volume but does not shorten an upper lip that has grown too long with age;
• the surgical lip lift works on the very structure of the lip and gives a lasting result, with no regular upkeep or repeat injections.

Once the distance between the nose and the mouth has lengthened, only surgery truly corrects the proportion. Thread lifts can lift other areas of facial laxity, but they do not shorten the philtrum.Thread lifts can lift other areas of facial laxity, but they do not shorten the philtrum.

The benefits of a lip lift

Beyond the aesthetic gain, a lip lift brings real, measurable benefits:

• a mouth with rebalanced proportions and a shorter nose-to-lip distance;
• a more visible, nicely curved vermilion, with no need for injections;
• a brighter smile, thanks to more of the teeth showing at rest;
• a natural, long-lasting result, with no upkeep, even though ageing continues.

Who is a lip lift for?

he procedure suits anyone bothered by an upper lip that has lengthened or thinned. Good reasons to consider it include:

• a long upper lip that hides the teeth when the mouth is at rest;
• a thin vermilion that make-up can no longer show off;
• a poorly defined Cupid’s bow you would like to redraw;
• the wish for a lasting result rather than injections to repeat.

Age is never a contraindication in itself. That said, certain medical situations, such as clotting disorders, need to be flagged and assessed at consultation. This targeted facial rejuvenation often sits within a wider plan, alongside procedures such as blepharoplasty, a temporal lift or a neck lift.

A lip lift in Turkey: a choice of excellence

Choosing Turkey for your lip lift means drawing on the expertise of highly qualified surgeons while making up to 70% savings compared with UK prices, without lowering the standard of care. Body Expert, with surgeons who specialise in facial surgery and a partner clinic selected to meet our quality criteria, can combine this procedure with blepharoplasty if the eyes need treating as well.without lowering the standard of care. Body Expert, with surgeons who specialise in facial surgery and a partner clinic selected to meet our quality criteria, can combine this procedure with blepharoplasty if the eyes need treating as well.

Everything is organised for you: a 5-star hotel, transfers between the airport, the hotel and the clinic, English-speaking support and 12-month post-operative follow-up. Your personal English-speaking assistant is with you at every step, including remotely once you are back home.Everything is organised for you: a 5-star hotel, transfers between the airport, the hotel and the clinic, English-speaking support and 12-month post-operative follow-up. Your personal English-speaking assistant is with you at every step, including remotely once you are back home. For patients who want to combine several procedures, a lip lift pairs easily with a rhinoplasty in Turkey, a buccal fat removal or a fox eyes technique.

What results can you expect?

The first effects show as soon as the swelling goes down, then the final result sets in over 2 to 3 months, as the tissues soften. Patients report high satisfaction, with a mean GAIS score of 4.4 out of 5 in the 2026 systematic review, and reported complications stay mostly short-liveda mean GAIS score of 4.4 out of 5 in the 2026 systematic review, and reported complications stay mostly short-lived. The result itself holds for years without distorting. Other areas of the face can then be brought into harmony, whether a genioplasty, an otoplasty or ear surgery in Turkey, as well as buccal fat removal in Turkey to slim the oval of the face.

In summary

A lip lift corrects a subtle but very real sign of ageing: that widening gap between the nose and the mouth, that upper lip growing thinner, and those teeth you show less and less when you smile. By removing a thin strip of skin under the nose, the surgeon shortens the philtrum, restores curve to the vermilion and redraws the Cupid’s bow. The operation is done under local anaesthetic, in 45 minutes to 1 hour, with a return to social life in 5 to 7 daysunder local anaesthetic, in 45 minutes to 1 hour, with a return to social life in 5 to 7 days and a final result after 2 to 3 months.

Its big strength is how long it lasts. Where hyaluronic acid fades and has to be topped up, a lip lift works on the structure of the lip itself and stays with you over time, with no upkeep. That is what explains the high patient satisfaction, and a result that holds for years without distorting.

Choosing Body Expert in Istanbul means trusting your smile to experienced surgeons, in partner clinics selected to meet our own quality standards, with English-speaking support from the first chat through to follow-up once you are home, and up to 70% savings compared with UK prices. A question about your anatomy, or the right time to go ahead? Send us your photos: you will get a free, tailored quote within 24 hours, with no obligation.

Sources and references

Komisarek, O., Banasiak, Ł., Olichwer, V., & Burduk, P. (2026). The Bullhorn and Beyond: Evidence-Based Review and Clinical Recommendations for Lip Lift Techniques. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 25(3), e70703. Lien: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41731334/

Mahmood, B. J. (2025). The Tri-Lift suspension technique: a modified deep-plane lip lift for enhanced aesthetic outcomes. Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 47(1), 3. Lien: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40902-025-00459-8

Marechek, A., Perenack, J., & Christensen, B. J. (2021). Subnasal lip lift and its effect on nasal esthetics. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 79(4), 895-901. Lien: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33421416/

Gordon, A. R., Schreiber, J. E., Tortora, S. C., Ferreira, S., Dorfman, R. G., Sadaat, S., Roostaeian, J., Levine, J. B., & Tepper, O. M. (2024). Turning Back the Clock with Lip Lift: Quantifying Perceived Age Reduction Using Artificial Intelligence. Facial Plastic Surgery & Aesthetic Medicine, 26(3), 347-349. Lien: https://doi.org/10.1089/fpsam.2020.0560

Alnami, R., Ahmed, S., Alashrah, A. S., et al. (2024). Aesthetic and Functional Outcomes of Simultaneous Rhinoplasty and Lip Lift Surgery: A Systematic Review. Cureus, 16(11), e73369. Lien: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.73369