Lip Reduction

Although thin lips represent the great majority of lip problems addressed by plastic surgeons, overly large lips are still seen occasionally, mostly among black and Asian patients. Large fuller lips have been trendy for the past few years mostly among young people, however, not everyone likes their lips to be a prominent facial feature. Lip reduction is ideal for those who feel their lips do not fit right with their overall facial features.

The procedure is desired by those who naturally have overly ethnic appearing lips including demographics such as African-American, Polynesian, etc. and feel that the lips do not match their overall facial appearance. People who may have experienced mishap after using fillers may also wish to opt for lip reduction.

All our surgeons are on the GMC specialist register. Our London clinic at 106 Crawford Street was recently inspected and rated as good across all 5 domains.

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What is included in my treatment package?

• As many preoperative consultations with your surgeon as you like to make sure the procedure is right for you
• Treatment at a specialist day surgery facility recently rated ‘Good’ by the CQC
• Enhanced same day discharge with the added benefits of recovering in your own home
• 24/7 clinical support from your surgeon for first 48 hours and our expert postoperative support team
• Your very own dedicated patient coordinator
• In-depth preoperative medical assessment to make sure you are fully fit for the rhinoplasty procedure
• Exceptionally high standards of postoperative care described as ‘outstanding’ by the CQC with regular telephone and face to face checks by our expert postoperative support team

RealSelf Top Doctors

RealSelf top doctor status is awarded to less than 10% of the RealSelf doctor community.  This status is earned by achieving consistently high patient satisfaction (from RealSelf reviews), getting excellent feedback on expert answers to patient questions, and after investing significant time in Q&A and other doctor activity. RealSelf top doctors are rated among the very best surgeons in the United Kingdom and USA.

There are numerous benefits to undergoing a lip reduction. This includes:

• Size and appearance can be reduced as desired
• Could change your smile
• Asymmetric lips can also be fixed

Potential side effects, which can include:

• Allergic reaction to the anaesthesia
• Swelling is very common
• Numbness of the lips

The risk of side effects occurring may increase if you choose to travel abroad for surgery.

All patients should be in good health and have realistic expectations about what can be achieved with the procedure

We do not treat patients below the age of 18 years of age.

Healing is better if patients refrain from or quit smoking.

The procedure is ideal for people who are unhappy with the size or shape of their lips, both upper and lower. The ethnicity, gender and age of the individual will also be taken into account as some people may feel that their lips are overly ethnic. Individuals whose lip augmentation may have gone wrong may also benefit from lip reduction.

Before a lip reduction procedure, you will be required to have a consultation with one of the surgeons. The consultation begins by having an opportunity to discuss your ideas, concerns and expectations about the lip reduction procedure with your surgeon, and ask any relevant questions you may have.

The surgeon will:

• Take a focused history and examine you
• Explain the lip enhancement procedure
• Take your needs and preferences into account when deciding on the most appropriate treatment option for you

Types of lip reduction

• Upper lip reduction
• Lower lip reduction
• Combined upper and lower lip reduction

All our facial plastic surgeons are highly experienced in performing lip reduction surgery on patients with a wide range of ethnicities.

Lip reduction can be performed on a ‘see and treat’ basis on the same day as the consultation provided our patient coordinators are informed of your preference at the consultation booking stage. The procedure is performed most commonly under local anaesthetic +/- oral sedation as an outpatient. After lip reduction surgery, you will be required to follow all the necessary postoperative instructions to ensure a smooth recovery.

The lip reduction surgery may carried out under local anaesthesia or general anaesthesia. With a local anaesthetic, you also have the option of oral sedation to make you more relaxed during the procedure. With general anaesthetic, you will be asleep throughout the procedure for your comfort. Lip reduction is a day case procedure meaning you can go home the same day as your procedure to recover in the comfort of your own home.

With either form of anaesthesia, the surgeon will inject the lips with local anaesthetic for pain relief and to minimise blood loss. The procedure takes anywhere from 1 hour for a small upper lip correction to 3 hours for a large upper and lower lip correction.

Once the area to be treated is numb, the incisions are made inside the lips which are used to remove underlying tissues and skin. The incisions are then sutured with dissolvable stitches to minimise the risk of visible scarring. 

It is recommended to be on a soft diet for the first few days to allow the incision lines to heal properly.

During the recovery period, you can expect some swelling that may last for a few weeks, but the result will be immediately visible after the swelling has subsided. This could take up to three to four months. Cold compression can be applied to the sore area in the early postoperative period to ease any discomfort and pain medication can also be taken such as paracetamol.

It is normal to feel the sutures for up to 4 weeks after your procedure. The absorbable sutures may be more easily felt with the lips as the wound heals. This is quite normal.

Lip reduction surgery is recognised to be a low-risk procedure with minimal risk of complications. Your surgeon will fully assess you to ensure your suitability for the procedure. During your consultation, the surgeon will outline the risks and potential complications associated with the procedure.