Lip Lift Turkey

The line under our heading sums up the whole operation. A lip lift in Turkey (subnasal or bullhorn are other names for it) removes a sliver of skin from under the nose, and the upper lip comes up with it. More of the pink shows at rest. Nothing is added to the lip itself.

That's why the first conversation is about measuring, not about how full you'd like your lips to be. "I want fuller lips" can mean two quite different things, and only one of them is a lip lift.

Long philtrum or thin lip?

The philtrum is the bit between nose and lip. A long one lets the lip curl in and droop, which makes it look thin when it isn't. Shortening that distance is exactly what a lip lift does.

If the philtrum is a normal length and the lip itself is simply thin, a lift won't help much. That's a volume problem, and fat grafting to the lip is the better answer, at €2,000 on our list. If you have both a long philtrum and a thin lip, we do both.

Lip lift vs filler

Filler makes the lip bigger for a while. A lift moves it, for good. People often come to us after years of filler that made the lip bigger without making it look right, because the real issue was length all along.

If you've had lip filler, it changes both of the measurements we need. We'd want it mostly gone before planning, which commonly means three to six months after your last treatment, longer for firmer products. Bring the product name if you know it. We don't inject hyaluronic acid filler ourselves, so we've nothing to gain by steering you one way or the other.

Lip lift cost in Turkey

A lip lift in Turkey costs €2,300 with us. That includes the surgeon, anaesthesia, the theatre and dressings, plus airport transfers and an interpreter, with video follow-up through the first year. Fat grafting to the lip is €2,000 if volume turns out to be the answer, and a combination discount applies with rhinoplasty.

For comparison, the table above shows a lip lift at €4,200 to €5,250 in the UK, €3,500 to €5,900 in Germany and €4,900 to €7,100 in the US. Price matters less here than the measurement, so whatever lip lift price you're quoted, check that someone has measured your philtrum first.

What about a lip flip?

Botox placed just above the lip, known as a lip flip, lets the lip roll outward slightly for a few months. For a slight change it can be a reasonable test, and some people try it before deciding on surgery. It can't shorten a long philtrum, though, and it won't give the lasting lift that surgery does.

How the bullhorn lip lift works

A fine strip is marked under the nose, curving beneath each nostril, which is where the bullhorn name comes from. Once it's removed, the lip is drawn up and the edges stitched. It usually takes less than an hour, and you're back at the hotel the same day.

How many millimetres come off

Three to six, in most cases. We work it out from the philtrum's length and how much of your top teeth shows at rest, and we're more careful if your smile already shows a lot of gum.

A difference of a millimetre or two is visible on a lip. That's why we put the number in writing before you travel.

The lip lift scar

The scar lies in the fold under your nose, which is already in shadow. Expect it to be pinkish for a few months and paler by about six, before it finishes maturing at around a year. In most people it becomes a fine line that's hard to find.

It is permanent, though. Before booking anywhere, it's reasonable to ask to see a photo of a twelve-month lip lift scar from that surgeon. Anyone who does this regularly will have several to show you.

Lip lift before and after: reading the results

The gallery above shows lip lift before and after results. Look at the photos taken at rest rather than smiling, since that's where the change is meant to show. You should see more of the upper lip and a little more tooth, with the scar tucked under the nose. The straight-on view matters more than the profile here.

Check the timing too. Photos from the first weeks still show swelling. At three months the lip has settled. Lip lift patients often mention in reviews how long the tightness took to ease. A relaxed before and after of your own, shot under identical lighting, will tell you most.

Will my smile change?

Your smile may look a bit stiff in photos for a few weeks. Nothing but skin is removed, so once the swelling's down your smile is your own again.

Looking after the scar

Don't pick at the crusts. Once the stitches are gone, use sunscreen on the upper lip every day, plus silicone gel if we suggest it. Patients who have a lip lift in Turkey in summer should be particularly careful with sun on the upper lip.

Questions worth asking any surgeon

Start by asking whether your philtrum has actually been measured, and what the figure was. A good surgeon will also tell you what they'd suggest if it came back normal, and how many millimetres they plan to remove and why. It's fair to ask for a twelve-month scar photo and before and after pictures taken at rest, and to have the price in writing, including fat grafting should it be needed.

A good lip lift in Istanbul or anywhere else starts with those answers. Done for the right reason, it's a small, permanent operation with nothing to top up afterwards.

Lip lift and your teeth

Tell us early about any plans for veneers, front crowns or braces. They change how much tooth shows, which is part of the lift plan, so it's usually best to finish the dental work first.

Gummy smiles

A lip lift won't fix one. Lifting the lip at rest can actually show a little more gum when you smile, if you already show plenty. That's one of the reasons we ask for a smiling photo as well as a relaxed one. Sometimes the answer is to take less, and sometimes it's to leave the lip alone.

Central and corner lip lifts

A central lip lift places the cut down the philtrum itself rather than under the nose. It's kept for particular situations and isn't the standard choice. A corner lip lift is a different operation altogether. It raises mouth corners that turn down, and it does nothing about philtrum length. If downturned corners are what bother you, say so, since that changes the plan. Some people need a corner lift alongside the main one, and we'll explain if that's you.

Lip lift for men

Men usually have a longer philtrum, and their upper lip looks right with less tooth showing, so less skin comes out. A moustache or stubble also covers the scar line nicely. Some men come to us because, over the years, the top lip has almost disappeared from view.

When the lip has lengthened with age

With age, the upper lip slowly lengthens and thins. Many people notice their top teeth have quietly disappeared when their mouth is relaxed, often in photos first. A lip lift in Turkey can bring some of that back, and it's one of the more natural-looking ways to freshen the lower face. Plenty of patients in their fifties and sixties have it on its own and simply look less tired. Older skin is often a little looser, which softens the change slightly, and that usually suits a mature face. It's sometimes planned alongside a facelift.

Recovery after a lip lift

This is the shortest trip on our face surgery list: no hospital night and about three nights in Istanbul. It's sore and tight rather than painful. Expect the most swelling between days two and four, and avoid opening wide for a week or two.

You're usually fine to fly at about four days. Stitches are taken out somewhere between day five and day seven. Most people are happy to be seen at one to two weeks, and by three months the lip has settled where it'll stay.

Combining a lip lift with rhinoplasty

Rhinoplasty and a lip lift are often booked together, since they meet at the same spot under the nose. Planning both at once means the nose and lip are balanced as one area, and a combination discount applies. The chin matters too, since lip and chin are read against each other in profile; our chin surgery page covers that side.

Who is a good candidate?

A good candidate has a philtrum that measures long, enough lip tissue for it to show once lifted, and little or no upper tooth showing at rest. The goal should be a modest change in proportion rather than a dramatic one. If your measurements come back normal, we'll tell you, and suggest what would actually help. We'd rather lose a booking than charge a lip lift price for the wrong operation. If you smoke, stopping for a few weeks beforehand helps the scar heal finer.

The risk to understand: overcorrection

Taking too much skin is the specific risk with this operation. The lip ends up higher than your face supports, showing too much tooth and looking stiff or surprised. It isn't something that happens by accident on the day. It's a planning decision, made beforehand, and it's very hard to undo afterwards.

So we'd rather take a little less. When we can't decide between two figures, we choose the smaller one. A lip lift that's slightly conservative still looks natural; one that's gone too far can't simply be put back. A cautious first lift is easier to add to later than a big one is to reverse.