Minor cosmetic procedure can create a dramatically more youthful appearance

As we age, the distance between the nostril sill and the pink border of the upper lip progressively lengthens. This leads to an appearance of agedness in the face. It’s especially evident when a person speaks or smiles and their upper lip doesn’t reveal the teeth. In a consultation for plastic surgery, this phenomenon is rarely, if ever, noted by the patient, who is often thinking about wrinkles, sagging skin or other issues.

An upper lip shortening can be a very satisfying element in the rejuvenation of the face. Performed under local anesthetic, it’s usually finished within an hour and is not very painful (about a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the most painful). When it’s finished, most patients are delighted with the difference they see.

“We have some patients who, after the procedure, have brought in pictures from 40 years ago, and their lip is as short as it was back then,” says Tal Raine, MD, FACS, of the Hinsdale Center for Plastic Surgery. “It won’t make you look completely like a teen-ager, but it will bring your lip’s appearance back to that time.”

Recently, Dr. Raine and his partner, Ric Izquierdo, MD, FACS, presented case studies on five patients who underwent upper lip shortening. The results were startling, even to the patients. “They were very pleased with it, and found it to create a rather dramatic effect,” Dr. Raine says. “It’s a change that most patients can’t put their finger on, but once a doctor suggests it, the patient usually can immediately see the benefits.”

Upper lip shortening is most frequently performed in conjunction with a number of other procedures in overall rejuvenation, but it may stand alone as a single procedure. The change to the upper lip is virtually permanent, and the procedure does not add significant cost to an overall facial rejuvenation series.

Drs. Raine and Izquierdo recently presented papers on the procedure at the Midwestern Association of Plastic Surgeons’ Annual Meeting held in Oak Brook, Illinois, on April 29-30, 2006. Dr. Raine discussed his experience with upper lip shortening to improve overall facial enhancement with his paper “Upper Lip Shortening as an Adjunctive Procedure for Aesthetic Facial Restoration.”

Drs. Raine and Izquierdo both practice comprehensive cosmetic surgery with offices in Hinsdale and Naperville. They can be reached at (630) 794-0700.

The Hinsdale Center for Plastic Surgery is a state-of-the-art private cosmetic plastic surgery facility with two fully-accredited operating room suites and recovery areas. Both Drs. Raine and Izquierdo are fully trained in all aspects of plastic surgery and are Board Certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. Together, they have more than 40 years of combined experience.