Lip lift

A thin-looking upper lip, a long stretch of skin between the nose and the lip, and a lip that rolls inward on smiling are different things. The decision about a lip lift is made once it is clear which feature is to be changed. This article covers surgery on the upper lip, the incision options, recovery and the limits of the procedure. Lower lip operations and cleft lip repair are outside its scope.

What is a lip lift?

A lip lift is an operation that changes the position of the upper lip. In the subnasal method, performed under the nose, skin is removed between the base of the nose and the border of the red lip, shortening that stretch of skin. The visibility of the red lip and of the upper incisors can increase.¹ No filler material is added.

The red part of the lip is called the vermilion. Its height, its visible surface and its forward projection are different measurements; they were assessed separately in a cadaver study.² For this reason a wish for the lip to "look fuller" is clarified: does it mean adding volume, or making more of the existing red lip visible?

A subnasal lift, an intranasal surgical suspension and a lift directly at the lip border are not performed through the same incision. Procedures that raise the corners of the mouth are also not the same as the operation that shortens the central part of the upper lip.³ When choosing between the options, the name of the procedure alone is not enough.

Who is it suitable for?

The length of the skin between the nose and the red lip, the appearance of the upper lip and how much the teeth show at rest are assessed together. The publication describing the endonasal technique defines the suitable candidate as an adult with a tall cutaneous upper lip, negligible dental show at rest and no abnormality of the upper jaw.⁴ Age on its own is not a reason for surgery.

A long upper lip is not found only in later life. Young adults with a congenitally long philtrum are also assessed for this feature.⁵ That does not mean the operation is more suitable in younger people; it shows only that age is not the single criterion.

A thin red lip on its own does not show that a lift is suitable. In the thin-lip category, lifting can increase the visibility of the red lip, but it carries the risk of leaving the stretch of skin between the nose and the lip shorter than it should be.⁵ What the person wants to change is established first, and then what that corresponds to within the existing anatomy. It is not assumed that every lip has to meet a particular measurement.

Previous hypertrophic scarring, previous lip operations and a history of permanent filler matter during selection; these features also shape patient selection in surgical research.⁵ Where one of them is present, no automatic decision about suitability is made. What the previous procedure was, and the current state of the tissue, are examined.

For someone who will not accept a surgical scar, or who expects the exact lip shape in a particular photograph, the decision needs to be reconsidered. Reasons for postponing or deciding against a procedure, in terms of general health, healing conditions and expectations, are covered in who is it not suitable for.

What does the examination assess?

At the examination the lip is not studied only at rest. Its appearance at rest, on smiling and while speaking is assessed. The height of the upper lip skin, the visibility of the red part, and the tooth and gum show are each recorded separately. The relationship between the base of the nose and the lip is also part of the planning.⁶

The closure of the lips, any existing left-right difference and differences that appear during movement should be noted. Where there is a problem with the teeth or the jaw structure, it may need to be assessed separately from lip surgery. Alongside the goals about appearance, the features to be preserved for speech, smiling and everyday use are also set out.

The timing and type of previous nose and lip operations, fillers, toxin and thread procedures are declared. Where known, information about the material used, earlier operation records and previous images help the assessment. Rather than guessing the name of a procedure that is not remembered, it is better to say it is not known.

By the end of the examination, not only how much will be lifted but also where the incision will lie and which change is not being aimed at should be clear. Where more tooth show is the goal, the difference between the resting position and the smile is assessed separately. A single measurement does not replace all of these decisions.

How is the operation planned?

The plan is built around which part of the upper lip is to be changed. The subnasal lift is the main subject of this article; intranasal suspension and a lift at the lip border are also assessed, with different incisions and tissue arrangements. The name of a technique does not on its own show it to be the more suitable or safer option.

Is it the skin that needs shortening, or volume that is lacking?

Reducing the height of skin between the nose and the red lip and adding volume to the lip are different goals. The subnasal operation shortens skin, whereas lip filler changes fullness by adding material.^1,7 A procedure should not be chosen on the basis of a larger-looking lip alone, without establishing which of these is wanted.

How the appearance of the upper teeth is to change alongside greater visibility of the red lip is also assessed. The existing gum show cannot be left outside the plan. No amount of shortening valid for everyone, and no single millimetre threshold determining candidate selection, is given.

Where is the incision placed?

In the subnasal method the incision runs along the base of the nose. Because of the shape of the skin segment removed, the name bullhorn is also used. In a lift directly at the lip border, the incision lies at the boundary where the skin of the upper lip meets the red part; advancement from that boundary is used to increase the visibility of the red part. Different designs using more limited incisions beneath the nostrils have also been described.³

An incision being short or in a more hidden place does not show that the same change will be achieved in every lip structure. The site of the incision and the area to be reached are assessed together. With the sub-nasal and lip-border options, the fact that there will be a skin scar on the outside should be explained at the start of the decision.

A corner-of-the-mouth lift targets the position of the corners. A V-Y advancement from inside the mouth is a different operation, aimed at advancing the red lip tissue; it is not a synonym for the procedure that shortens the skin of the upper lip.³ An intraoral incision and an intranasal incision should likewise not be confused.

What procedure is meant by "scarless lip lift"?

This phrase is not the name of a single standard operation. An external incision at the base of the nose, an incision extending into the nose, and a surgical suspension performed only from inside the nose need to be distinguished. In a technique carrying the name "endonasal", skin removal beneath the nose is combined with tissue advanced into the nose; in that technique not all the incisions are inside the nose.⁴

In intranasal suspension the upper lip is raised with a suspension suture placed from inside the nose. The method has been studied in people whose upper lip is long and who do not want a scar on the outside. In the publication describing this approach the scar is defined not as absent but as hidden inside the nose.⁸ Because the tissue change is not the same as removing skin from the outside, the outcome and durability data cannot be used interchangeably either.

Suspension threads placed through needle entries do not count as the same procedure as this surgical suspension suture. Findings about thread lifts obtained from other areas of the face do not stand as evidence for the upper lip. The data examined in this article are not enough to establish that lip threads give the same result or the same durability as surgical lifting.

A skin incision heals by leaving a scar.⁹ What needs to be asked is not merely whether there is a scar, but where it will lie, how its visibility may change and whether it is acceptable. The problem with using the word "scarless" as a guarantee of outcome is covered separately in the language of certainty.

Do filler and the lip flip produce the same change?

Lip filler aims at a change in volume and in the shape of the lip border. The outcome assessed in the meta-analysis of hyaluronic acid fillers is lip fullness; this is not a measurement showing that the skin between the nose and the lip has been surgically shortened.⁷

The lip flip is the use of botulinum toxin to act on the muscle around the mouth and change the outward appearance of the upper lip. It does not add volume.¹⁰ It is not another name for a lift performed by removing skin. The effect of the toxin is temporary; no single duration of effect is given here for everyone.¹¹

Studies of the toxin lip flip have reported temporary difficulty whistling or drinking through a straw.¹⁰ These findings cannot be transferred as the functional risk of surgical lifting. That filler, toxin and surgery address different goals does not mean one of them is superior for everyone; the available sources do not provide such a ranking.

How do the nasal base and previous procedures affect the plan?

The upper lip adjoins the base of the nose. A study of subnasal lifts performed without rhinoplasty also reported changes in the nasolabial angle and in alar width.¹ The plan therefore cannot be built by looking only at the appearance of the red lip.

Previous rhinoplasty, lip surgery and injections are set out at the examination. The shape and scars remaining after an earlier procedure are assessed. Wanting a change to the nose as well does not mean the procedures will be performed together; the goal and additional burden of each are considered separately.

How is the anaesthetic decided?

The operation is planned under sedation and takes 30-60 minutes. Discharge on the same day is expected. The drugs to be used are determined by the health history and the anaesthetic assessment. Being fit for discharge and being fit to drive yourself are not the same decision; a companion is arranged for the journey home.

This duration and form of anaesthesia are the clinical plan approved for the procedure described here. If another operation is added, the same timetable is not used automatically. Where there has previously been a problem with anaesthesia or medication, the details should be declared during preparation.

How do you prepare for surgery?

Smoking and nicotine: Stopping smoking, vaping and other nicotine-containing products at least 1 month before the operation, and not using them after surgery until healing is complete, is advised. Smoking is a risk factor for wound healing problems after surgery.¹²

Direct surgical data on nicotine products other than cigarettes are scarcer. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons notes a lack of clinical data on e-cigarette use and surgical risk, but states that because nicotine is known to reduce blood flow, e-cigarettes and other nicotine products are regarded as a potential risk factor.¹²

The benefit grows as the interval lengthens. A review pooling randomised and observational studies showed that every week of abstinence added benefit, and that studies with at least 4 weeks of abstinence produced markedly better results than shorter ones.¹³ A study appraising systematic reviews together also reported that cessation interventions beginning at least 4 weeks before surgery, and combining behavioural support sessions with pharmacotherapy, reduced complications.¹⁴

Being late does not make stopping pointless. In a meta-analysis covering adults undergoing a range of operations, the risk of pulmonary complications was lower among those who stopped at least 2 weeks before surgery than among those who continued smoking.¹⁵ These studies concern smoking cessation; their results do not establish the same reduction in risk for every nicotine product. The interval applied and the nicotine policy can vary from surgeon to surgeon.

Coexisting illness: Diabetes and blood pressure are expected to be under control before surgery. Where there is an active infection in the body, surgery is postponed.

Medication: Blood thinners and some herbal products can increase bleeding. Every medicine and supplement you take needs to be declared. Prescribed medication should not be stopped on your own decision.

Tests and anaesthetic assessment: The tests required are determined by general health and by the anaesthetic assessment. Any previous problem with anaesthesia or drug allergy should be declared. The instructions given about fasting and about how to take medication on the day of surgery are followed.

Home and transport: Someone is arranged to accompany you home on discharge. The timing of check-ups, the help you may need in the first days and the plan for time off work are organised beforehand. Follow the surgical team's guidance on preparing the operation area; do not shave or prepare the incision area at home on your own initiative.

The lip and the area around the nose: Existing sores around the lip, complaints inside the nose and information about previous procedures are declared during preparation. Do not start a new cream, mouthwash or intranasal product at home on your own initiative. It should be clear which incision each care product has been given for; it is not assumed that skin care will be applied inside the nose.

What is recovery like?

The intervals below are the clinical timetable approved by the surgeon. Healing of the wound, the return to daily life, the settling of swelling and the maturing of the scar are not counted as completed at the same moment. At check-ups the state of the incision and the course of any complaints are assessed alongside the timetable.

The first check-up is within the first week. 1 week is planned for suture removal. Which sutures are to be removed is assessed at the check-up; the suspension suture inside the nose and the sutures closing the incision are not confused. Sutures are not pulled out by the person themselves.

7-10 days is expected for bruising to settle and 1 week for marked swelling to subside. Residual mild swelling can last 2-3 months. The shape becomes assessable within 1-2 months; this does not mean that all the swelling must have gone by that same date.

1 week is allowed for returning to work. 2-4 weeks is expected for a full return to daily life. The physical load of the work, whether it requires prolonged talking, and the findings at check-up are taken into account in the plan for return. A new or increasing complaint is not explained simply by these intervals not yet having passed.

What to pay attention to after surgery

Care is organised according to where the incision lies. Cleaning and scar care are not the same for a skin incision and an incision inside the nose. Where the instructions given to you differ, your surgeon's instructions apply. A product whose use is not understood should not be applied on guesswork.

Sleeping: Rest with the head elevated. Your surgeon decides how long that position and the avoidance of physical strain are continued. A sleeping position that puts no pressure on the incision is preferred. Returning to sleeping on the side or front is assessed according to the state of the incision and the swelling.

Cold application: Cold is applied to the operated area without pressing on it. The form and duration of the application are determined by your surgeon's instructions.

Showering, wound and dressings: When you may shower depends on the dressing used. If there is a skin incision, once allowed you can shower without rubbing the wound and pat the area dry gently. Baths, swimming pools and the sea wait until the wound has closed completely.

Washing the face: Washing the face is allowed within 3-7 days, after the incision and dressing have been checked. Which day and how it begins are determined by the surgeon's assessment. This interval is not an instruction for rinsing inside the nose.

Eating: Cleveland Clinic advises eating soft foods that do not require much chewing after a lip lift.¹¹ The consistency of food and the return to normal eating are determined by the surgeon's instructions. No fixed number of days is given for this advice.

Talking: Cleveland Clinic also advises avoiding talking a lot in the early period.¹¹ Here too there is no fixed number of days; the daily speaking load is assessed together with the care plan.

Make-up: A return to make-up is after 2 weeks, at the surgeon's decision. The assessment is made according to the healing of the incision; sutures having been removed does not on its own mean make-up is permitted. A care routine that can be applied and removed without rubbing the incision line is explained.

Movement: Strain such as bending the head down, straining and heavy lifting is limited in the early period. Movements that stretch or rub the incision area are avoided. Even if you feel well, do not return to strenuous activity suddenly. Activity and rest through the day are organised according to the plan given on discharge.

Pain: There may be swelling, soreness and a feeling of tightness in the lip.¹¹ The painkillers provided are used as instructed. Pain that increases rather than settling, becomes markedly one-sided, or worsens despite the treatment given is reported. The surgical team is told if a new painkiller or additional medicine is to be used.

Returning to work and sport: 1 week is allowed for returning to desk work; for work with a heavy physical load, suitability is assessed separately. 2 weeks is expected for returning to sport and 2-4 weeks for a full return to daily life. Assessment by the surgeon is awaited separately for activities that could cause a blow or pressure around the lip. A return is not increased suddenly simply because the timetable has run its course.

Driving: A return to driving can be assessed within 1-3 days. The effects of the sedation on attention and reflexes must have passed, and there must be no dizziness or use of painkillers that cause drowsiness. You should be able to turn your head, follow the traffic comfortably and make sudden manoeuvres without pain. Where these conditions are not met, driving is not resumed even if the timetable has run its course. A companion is arranged for the journey home on discharge.

Sexual activity: A return can be assessed once everyday movements no longer cause marked pain and you feel comfortable. Pressure on the head and the area around the lip, movements that stretch the incision line, and marked straining are avoided. Rather than a fixed day, the course of healing and the surgeon's advice are taken as the guide.

Smoking: Smoking impairs wound healing after surgery as well; cigarettes and nicotine products should be avoided until healing is complete.

Findings that are normal: Swelling, soreness and tightness around the lip and the base of the nose can occur.¹¹ What matters is less the presence of a mild finding than how it changes. Swelling that increases rather than settling, pain that progresses, new discharge or separation of the wound is not waited out as ordinary healing.

How do the scars change?

A skin incision beneath the nose or at the lip border heals by leaving a scar. As vascularity decreases during healing the colour of the scar can fade; that change is not the disappearance of the scar tissue.⁹ Placing the incision along a natural boundary does not guarantee invisibility either.

4-6 months is expected for a skin scar to mature. That is the clinical timetable used for assessing the early appearance; it does not mean the scar will be entirely gone on that day. Assessment of the shape and assessment of the scar are followed separately.

Where there is a skin incision, silicone gel and massage are advised. When to start and how to apply them are determined by the surgeon according to the healing of the incision. For an incision inside the nose, silicone gel and massage are not advised. In a plan with both an external skin incision and an intranasal incision, this distinction is likewise maintained according to the area being cared for.

The site of the scar, its visibility and its acceptability should be addressed before surgery. Where the scar is a source of discomfort after healing, it needs to be assessed at an examination. Doing more massage at home or using the products more often does not replace a new treatment plan for the scar.

Risks and complications

The groups below are not in order of frequency. Because of the incision used, how the tissues are arranged and differences in follow-up between studies, no single complication percentage can be given for all lip lift techniques.⁶ The absence of an external incision does not make surgical suspension a risk-free procedure either.⁸

Problems with the scar, shape and symmetry

Permanent scarring, a difference in shape between the two sides and failure to achieve the expected lift are reported problems.^4,11 The difference present at the start and the difference remaining after surgery are assessed separately. Whether further correction or repeat surgery is needed is determined by healing and examination findings; no fixed date for revision is given here.

There is also research reporting favourable scar outcomes. In a retrospective series of 600 women examining deep-tissue modifications of the subnasal lift, no surgical revision was reported over a mean follow-up of 14.6 months. Nonetheless, 11 people received additional treatment for scar elevation.¹⁶ This result does not mean that no further intervention is ever needed, or that the risk is the same with every technique.

Gum show should also be addressed as a separate heading in planning and in assessing the outcome. No verified figure is given in this article for the frequency or course of excessive gum show; the absence of a figure does not mean this problem does not occur.

Changes at the base of the nose

Changes can occur in alar shape, at the base of the nostril and in the relationship between the nose and the lip.^1,4 These are not all the same problem. A change being detected on measurement, and a person experiencing a shape problem that needs correction, are assessed separately. No guarantee is given that "only the lip changes and the nose is unaffected".

Problems with sensation and lip movement

Nerve damage is among the reported risks of a lip lift.¹¹ Altered feeling around the incision and a change in moving the lip should not be treated as the same finding. Sensation and movement are assessed separately at check-ups. No reliable general percentage is given in this article for permanent loss of sensation or functional problems; studies measuring appearance alone do not answer that question.

Bleeding, wound and infection

Bleeding and infection are among the reported risks.¹¹ Wound separation is also among the complications monitored in lip lift series.⁵ Problems relating to the suture have been reported with intranasal suspension.⁸ For that reason, no incision being visible from the outside does not mean the wound inside or the suspension suture can be left unmonitored. A new complaint is not dealt with by changing the medication or care products to hand on your own initiative.

Anaesthetic and general surgical risks

An allergic reaction to the drugs used in anaesthesia is among the risks listed for the procedure.¹¹ Sedation having been chosen does not make assessment of the health and medication history unnecessary. Previous problems are set out during preparation; risk assessment is not made on the length of the operation alone.

Blood clots: A clot forming in the leg veins and travelling to the lungs is serious. One-sided leg pain and swelling, sudden shortness of breath or chest pain need urgent assessment.

The approach to preventing clots is decided according to the person's risk and the operation planned. The measures to be used are explained in the discharge and care plan. No blood thinner is started without being prescribed, and existing treatment is not altered on the person's own decision.

How lasting is the result?

The change achieved with a subnasal lift has been reported to be maintained over the years. In a retrospective study of 52 people examining the long term, the change in lip measurements was reported to be maintained with a slow decline over time.¹⁷ This finding does not mean the initial appearance will remain unchanged.

In assessing durability it should be remembered that the height of the skin and the visibility of the red lip are not the same measurement. A particular measurement being maintained in one study does not prove that every detail of the appearance stays fixed. No definite number of years, and no promise of an unchanging lip shape, is given to an individual for the changes that come with age.

Follow-up data for subnasal skin removal are not transferred to intranasal suspension, lip threads or toxin. The data from the study used here for intranasal suspension are not enough to show that the same long-term durability exists across all the methods.⁸ Whether a repeat procedure will be needed cannot be determined by looking at the name of the technique either.

Are smiling and speech affected?

The appearance of the lip while smiling and the function of speech are different outcomes. Greater visibility of the upper teeth or of the red lip gives no information on its own about producing sounds or about how the lips close. The measurements of appearance reported in the sections above should not be read as a guarantee that these functions will not change.

No verified research reporting long-term measurements of speech, lip closure and the dynamic smile after isolated lip lifting has been used in this article. That gap does not mean these functions will be unaffected; with the sources used in this article, no numerical assessment of long-term functional outcome can be made.

Advice to reduce the speaking load in the early period is not evidence about long-term functional outcome. If your work requires prolonged talking, it is useful to say so during preparation and to assess the plan for return accordingly. Pre-existing differences in speech, closure or smiling should also be recorded at the examination.

What can be expected from the result?

The expected change is an alteration in the position and visibility of the upper lip within the starting anatomy. The goal should not be described only as a shorter distance of skin. How much of the red lip is to be visible, the tooth show, the relationship with the nose and the site of the scar are assessed together.

No promise is given of complete symmetry, of the exact result in a particular photograph, or of a scar that will not be noticed from the outside. What the chosen technique can change, and equally which wish it will not meet, should be understood. Where the scope of the operation and the person's expectation do not match, the option of not proceeding is preserved.

Taking time over the decision and asking again about points that are unclear is ordinary. The general limits of expectation are covered in realistic expectations. The procedure-specific part of the decision here is clarity about which change is wanted in return for the incision and scar that will be accepted.

When should you contact a doctor?

Cleveland Clinic advises contacting a doctor after a lip lift in the following situations:¹¹

• Signs of allergy or infection
• Excessive bleeding
• Swelling that increases or does not go away
• Fever

Where these signs are present, the scheduled check-up date is not waited for. They do not all have to appear at once for you to make contact. The timetable given for mild residual swelling should not be used as a reason to wait, without assessment, on swelling that is increasing or not settling.

One-sided leg pain and swelling, sudden shortness of breath or chest pain need urgent assessment, as set out in the note on clots above. Emergency help should not be delayed while trying to reach a doctor.

About the numbers in this article

The intervals given for the length of the operation, discharge, check-ups, suture removal, return to work and sport, driving, swelling and the scar are the clinical timetable approved by the surgeon. Washing the face, make-up and scar care according to the site of the incision are also part of this plan. These values are not taken from another centre's research, and they are not outcomes that will occur in the same way for everyone.

The number of people and the follow-up period in the studies are given in order to show which group a finding comes from. The results of different techniques are not placed side by side as if they were a direct comparison group. In particular, additional treatment for a scar and repeat surgery should not be counted as the same outcome.¹⁶

Smoking cessation research covers a range of operations; its findings are not a complication percentage specific to lip lifting.^13-15 The institutional source for the advice on eating and early speech is stated separately in the relevant care paragraph.

References

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2. Patel AA, Schreiber JE, Gordon AR, Mehta K, Mikolasko BD, Levine JB, Tepper OM. Three-Dimensional Perioral Assessment Following Subnasal Lip Lift. Aesthet Surg J. 2022;42(7):733-739. doi:10.1093/asj/sjac070 ↩

3. Moragas JS, Vercruysse HJ, Mommaerts MY. "Non-filling" procedures for lip augmentation: a systematic review of contemporary techniques and their outcomes. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2014;42(6):943-952. doi:10.1016/j.jcms.2014.01.015 ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Raphael P, Harris R, Harris SW. The endonasal lip lift: personal technique. Aesthet Surg J. 2014;34(3):457-468. doi:10.1177/1090820X14524769 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

5. Mahmood BJ. The Tri-Lift suspension technique: a modified deep-plane lip lift for enhanced aesthetic outcomes-my personal approach. Maxillofac Plast Reconstr Surg. 2025;47(1):3. doi:10.1186/s40902-025-00459-8 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

6. Komisarek O, Banasiak Ł, Olichwer V, Burduk P. The Bullhorn and Beyond: Evidence-Based Review and Clinical Recommendations for Lip Lift Techniques. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2026;25(3):e70703. doi:10.1111/jocd.70703 ↩ ↩²

7. Czumbel LM, Farkasdi S, Gede N, et al. Hyaluronic Acid Is an Effective Dermal Filler for Lip Augmentation: A Meta-Analysis. Front Surg. 2021;8:681028. doi:10.3389/fsurg.2021.681028 ↩ ↩²

8. Echo A, Momoh AO, Yuksel E. The no-scar lip-lift: upper lip suspension technique. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2011;35(4):617-623. doi:10.1007/s00266-011-9655-6 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

9. DermNet. Normal wound healing. 2009. dermnetnz.org ↩ ↩²

10. Pitchford CA, Desrosiers AS, Tolkachjov SN. The lip flip: a systematic review of botulinum toxin lip augmentation. Arch Dermatol Res. 2025;317(1):765. doi:10.1007/s00403-025-04265-0 ↩ ↩²

11. Cleveland Clinic. Lip Lift. Last updated 17 November 2023. Institutional text ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

12. American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Managing the risks of smoking in plastic surgery patients. Practice reference, 9 October 2024. plasticsurgery.org ↩ ↩²

13. Mills E, Eyawo O, Lockhart I, Kelly S, Wu P, Ebbert JO. Smoking cessation reduces postoperative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Med. 2011;124(2):144-154.e8. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2010.09.013 ↩ ↩²

14. Fiddes RA, McCaffrey N. Preoperative smoking-cessation interventions to prevent postoperative complications: a quality assessment and overview of systematic review evidence. Anesth Analg. 2025;140(6):1377-1387. doi:10.1213/ANE.0000000000007187 ↩ ↩²

15. Tang E, Rodriguez RM, Srivastava A, et al. Impact of short duration smoking cessation on post-operative complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Anesth. 2025;106:111967. doi:10.1016/j.jclinane.2025.111967 ↩ ↩²

16. Ceran F, Askeroglu U, Pilanci O. SMAS Modifications in Subnasal Lip Lifting: Evaluation of 600 Patients. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 8 September 2026, online first. doi:10.1007/s00266-026-06227-x ↩ ↩²

17. Nagy C, Bamba R, Perkins SW. Rejuvenating the Aging Upper Lip: The Longevity of the Subnasal Lip Lift Procedure. Facial Plast Surg Aesthet Med. 2022;24(2):95-101. doi:10.1089/fpsam.2021.0077 ↩