Is a Lip Lift Painful?

Most patients tolerate the procedure very well under local anesthesia. Postoperative discomfort is mild and manageable with recommended medications.

How Long Is the Recovery After a Lip Lift?

Most patients experience mild swelling for several days and return to normal activities within one week. Many patients return to work within 5 to 7 days, depending on swelling and comfort. Makeup may be applied once the incision has healed sufficiently and your surgeon clears you. Sutures are typically removed at the first postoperative visit, and the incision continues to fade over the next several months. Advanced scar-optimization treatments available at our practice can accelerate healing and improve cosmetic results.

Will the Scar Be Noticeable After a Lip Lift?

The incision is carefully placed in the natural crease beneath the nose, making it well concealed. With precise closure, laser-assisted scar optimization, and proper healing, the scar becomes extremely subtle and often nearly invisible over time.

Is a Lip Lift Better Than Lip Fillers?

A lip lift corrects the structure of the upper lip by shortening the philtrum, increasing lip visibility, and enhancing tooth show—results that fillers cannot achieve. Fillers add volume but do not address lip length. Many patients choose a lip lift when they want a permanent, natural enhancement or when fillers have created heaviness or distortion.

How Long Do Lip Lift Results Last?

Lip lift results are long-lasting and often permanent. While the aging process continues naturally, the corrected lip shape and shortened philtrum remain structurally improved for years.

Can a Lip Lift Be Combined with Other Procedures?

Yes. Many patients combine a lip lift with laser resurfacing, PRFM or exosome therapy, chin or jawline contouring, or precision lip fillers to enhance the overall balance of the face. Combination treatment can create the most sophisticated and harmonious result.

Who is Not a Candidate For a Lip Lift?

Patients who smoke, have impaired wound healing, have certain medical conditions, or have unrealistic expectations may not be candidates. Dr. Fidai will evaluate all anatomical and medical considerations during your consultation to ensure safety and optimal results.

Lip Lift

Lip Lift in Hermosa Beach, ca

Introduction

Introduction to Lip Lift Surgery

A lip lift is capable of transforming the lower face by restoring youthful proportions, enhancing your smile, and creating a naturally fuller upper lip without the need for fillers. At The Center for Laser and Skin Surgery in Hermosa Beach, our double board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained cosmetic surgeon specializes in upper lip lift surgery, subnasal lip lift techniques, and advanced perioral rejuvenation, delivering exceptionally natural results for patients seeking world-class care in the Los Angeles area.

Experience the next level of lip rejuvenation—subtle, balanced, and beautifully tailored to your facial anatomy.

A woman with shoulder-length reddish-blonde hair and light freckles wears a black sleeveless top, a silver watch, and a stud earring, gently holding her hair back from her ear while looking at the camera against a grey background.

What is Lip Lift Surgery?

A lip lift, sometimes referred to as an upper lip lift, subnasal lip lift, or lip shortening surgery, is a surgical procedure that shortens the distance between the base of the nose and the upper lip. Over time or due to genetics, the philtrum can lengthen, making the upper lip appear thin, flat, or less visible. This elongation also reduces the natural “tooth show” when smiling, creating a more aged or tired expression.

A lip lift corrects this by gently elevating the upper lip, increasing visible pink lip tissue, improving curvature, and restoring youthful facial balance. Unlike fillers, which add volume but cannot correct structural elongation, a lip lift offers true anatomical restoration and long-lasting improvement.

Who Are the Best Candidates for Lip Lift Surgery?

Ideal candidates for a lip lift in Los Angeles include individuals who feel their upper lip is too long, lacks definition, rolls inward, appears thin even with fillers, or shows limited tooth exposure when smiling. Patients who wish to correct filler migration or seek a permanent alternative to lip filler may also benefit. Many Los Angeles patients seek our practice after years of filler use, wishing to dissolve overfilling and achieve a more sophisticated, structural elevation that aligns with their natural features. During your consultation, Dr. Chelsea Fidai will examine your facial proportions, smile dynamics, and aesthetic goals to determine whether a lip lift or a combination approach—including laser resurfacing, regenerative therapies, or precision fillers—will provide the best outcome.

What Are the Benefits of Lip Lift Surgery?

Patients pursue a lip lift when they want a lasting and naturally refined enhancement that does not rely on repeated injections. A surgical lip lift restores youthful proportions, defines the vermilion border, enhances the smile, and improves lower-face balance. Many Los Angeles patients seek our practice after years of filler use, wishing to dissolve overfilling and achieve a more sophisticated, structural elevation that aligns with their natural features.

What’s the First Step?

Your Lip Lift Journey with Dr. Fidai

The first step toward improving your upper lip shape is scheduling a consultation with Dr. Chelsea Fidai at The Center for Laser and Skin Surgery in Hermosa Beach. Dr. Fidai will examine your lips, review your medical history, and discuss your concerns and goals.

Once she understands your needs, she will create a treatment plan and inform you of what to expect before, during, and after your treatment, as well as details on how to prepare.

What to Expect on the Day of Lip Lift Surgery

A lip lift is performed in our state-of-the-art Hermosa Beach surgical suite under local anesthesia for maximum comfort. Dr. Fidai designs a detailed incision concealed along the natural curvature beneath the nose, ensuring exceptional discretion and an almost imperceptible scar once healed. The procedure involves the removal of a precise amount of skin to lift the upper lip to its ideal position, followed by meticulous closure that preserves natural contours and symmetry.

The surgery typically takes less than an hour, yet the improvement in facial balance and lip aesthetics is immediate and long-lasting.

Recovery After a Lip Lift

Your Guide to Post-Lip Lift Care

Recovery is generally smooth and predictable. Mild swelling, tightness, and tenderness are normal during the initial days. Sutures are typically removed within one week, and swelling gradually resolves, revealing the refined shape of the upper lip. Dr. Fidai’s dual expertise in cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery gives patients access to advanced scar-optimization techniques, including laser therapy and regenerative treatments, ensuring the incision fades beautifully over time.

Most patients resume social interactions shortly after their postoperative visit, and results continue to mature over several months as the tissues settle naturally into place.

How Much Does Lip Lift Surgery Cost in Los Angeles, CA?

The cost of lip lift surgery in Los Angeles varies depending on individual anatomy, degree of correction, and whether complementary treatments are recommended. During your consultation, a comprehensive surgical plan and a personalized cost estimate will be provided. Patients choose our center not only for surgical excellence but also for the unparalleled postoperative care and aesthetic outcomes achieved under Dr. Fidai’s expertise.

Why Choose Us?

Our practice is distinguished by its combination of surgical precision, cosmetic artistry, and advanced laser expertise. Dr. Chelsea Fidai, a double board-certified dermatologist and fellowship-trained Mohs and cosmetic surgeon, brings an unparalleled understanding of facial anatomy, skin healing, and perioral aesthetics. Her approach emphasizes natural enhancement, delicate refinement, and inconspicuous healing.

Patients throughout Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Manhattan Beach, and the South Bay choose our center because we provide a discreet, world-class environment where every detail—from surgical planning to postoperative scar care—is executed with exceptional skill and mastery.

Lip Lift FAQ’S

Most patients experience mild swelling for several days and return to normal activities within one week. Many patients return to work within 5 to 7 days, depending on swelling and comfort. Makeup may be applied once the incision has healed sufficiently and your surgeon clears you. Sutures are typically removed at the first postoperative visit, and the incision continues to fade over the next several months. Advanced scar-optimization treatments available at our practice can accelerate healing and improve cosmetic results.
A lip lift corrects the structure of the upper lip by shortening the philtrum, increasing lip visibility, and enhancing tooth show—results that fillers cannot achieve. Fillers add volume but do not address lip length. Many patients choose a lip lift when they want a permanent, natural enhancement or when fillers have created heaviness or distortion.

Chelsea has been an amazing Dermatologist with amazing focus and care to ensure skin cancer is eradicated. She has has the empathy and compassion to keep her patients calm and comfortable.

– Rory O.
Dr. Chelsea Fidai did MOHS surgery on me one year ago for skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma) and I healed very well thanks to her! The two photos below were taken less than a year apart. She’s so kind and did a great job on keeping the scaring on my face down with lots of in-house after care. She’s the best!

– Alexandra O.
Dr. Fidai is amazing!! Super attentive and has a great eye! Really knows how to make the best use of the latest technology! I’ve gotten fraxel with her before and I feel like I have a new lease on life (or my skin!). I am now an everyday sunscreen wearer for the first time in my life. Would recommend Dr. Fidai you my closest friends and family for any of their dermatology needs!

– Heather G.
Dr. Fidai is truly the best dermatologist from whom I have received care and treatment. She listens to my concerns and addresses each of them with an understanding and interested manner which I feel makes communication with her very easy. After decades of sun exposure, I now need treatment for skin cancer and aging skin, and Dr. Fidai is walking me through it all. She has now performed 3 MOHS surgeries to remove skin cancer that she found, and 2 were on my face. Much to my relief, her work is so good that I can’t see the scarring! Dr. Fidai also did my fraxel laser treatment to address my aging skin, I was thrilled with those results as well and will schedule another soon.

– Darcy S.

Schedule Your Consultation

Our practice is recognized for its precision, aesthetic expertise, and mastery of facial anatomy. Patients seeking a lip lift in Los Angeles, upper lip shortening, or correction of filler-related imbalance trust our center for results that are elegant, subtle, and beautifully harmonious.

Schedule a private consultation with Dr. Chelsea Fidai at The Center for Laser and Skin Surgery in Hermosa Beach, serving the greater Los Angeles area, to explore personalized lip rejuvenation and discover whether a lip lift or alternative treatment is right for you.

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