Lip Lift in Bangkok, Thailand
Dr. Rushapol Sdawat, M.D. — Thai Board-Certified Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon
Subnasal (bullhorn), corner and direct lip lift | Usually under local anaesthetic | Intrarat Hospital, Bangkok
A lip lift addresses length, not volume: the skin between the base of the nose and the red of the lip lengthens with age, the vermilion rolls inward, and the upper teeth disappear from view at rest. Filler cannot fix that and often makes it worse. This is the treatment page for lip lift surgery with Dr. Rushapol Sdawat in Bangkok; for his full guide, read Lip lift: bullhorn, corner and direct techniques compared.
Why the upper lip looks thinner with age
Three things happen at once. The cutaneous upper lip, the philtrum, lengthens as skin loses elasticity and the support of the maxilla and orbicularis oris changes, and drapes downward over the red of the lip. The vermilion rolls inward and the vermilion border flattens, so less red is presented at the same actual volume. And the corners of the mouth descend, so a mouth at rest reads as downturned. Adding volume to a lip in that state pushes it further forward and downward.
What is measured
Philtral length, from subnasale to the peak of the cupid's bow, judged as a proportion of the lower face rather than against a single "correct" number. Tooth show at rest, the measurement Dr. Rushapol trusts most: a 2016 study of maxillary incisal display found a mean of 3.33 mm at ages 20 to 40, 2.83 mm at 41 to 60 and 1.21 to 1.95 mm over 61. Vermilion height and the shape of the cupid's bow, which decide how much benefit a lift gives. And gum show on smiling, because shortening the lip makes existing gum show markedly worse.
Bullhorn, corner and direct lip lifts compared
| Subnasal (bullhorn) lift | Corner lift | Direct (vermilion border) lift | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the scar sits | In the crease under the nose, following the nostril sills and columella | A small ellipse just above and lateral to each corner of the mouth | Along the vermilion border itself |
| What it does | Shortens philtral length, increases tooth show at rest, everts and raises the vermilion | Elevates a downturned oral commissure | Increases vermilion height without changing philtral length |
| Best suited to | Long philtrum with reduced tooth show at rest | Downturned corners, often after a facelift | Short philtrum where the problem is purely a thin red lip |
| Scar visibility | Hidden in the nasal base shadow when well placed and healed | Small, in a natural crease | Most exposed of the three |
| Socially presentable | 10 to 14 days | 7 to 10 days | 14 days, longer for redness to fade |
| Reversible | No | No | No |
The bullhorn is by far the most commonly performed and is what people mean by "lip lift". The corner lift solves a different problem and is often done alongside it. The direct lift is rarely performed because the scar sits on the most looked-at line on the face.
How a subnasal bullhorn lift is performed
A wing-shaped strip of skin is marked immediately beneath the nose, hugging the nostril sills and the base of the columella so the scar sits in the natural crease. The width of the strip at its centre is the amount of shortening. The skin is removed and the deeper closure does the work: the dermis is anchored to the periosteum or deep tissue at the nasal base so tension sits on the deep layer, not the skin edge. The operation takes under an hour, is usually performed under local anaesthetic with or without light sedation, and sutures come out around day five to seven. Swelling in the first week looks alarming, settles substantially by two weeks, and continues refining for two to three months.
The scar is permanent
A bullhorn lip lift trades a soft-tissue problem for a scar under the nose. In most patients it is difficult to see at conversational distance after six to twelve months; in some it is not. Scars go through a red, firm, raised phase from roughly week three to month three. Hypertrophic or keloid scarring elsewhere, a family history of either, and darker skin types raise the risk. There is no version of this operation without a permanent scar.
Over-resection cannot be undone
If too much skin is removed, the lip becomes permanently too short: excessive tooth or gum show at rest, pulled and flattened nostrils, a lip that cannot close comfortably, and an expression that reads as startled. Skin cannot be replaced under the nose with anything that looks like the skin that was there. Dr. Rushapol takes a conservative measurement and then slightly less than that, and would rather do a small revision at six months on an under-corrected lip than deliver an over-corrected one.
Risks and things nobody mentions
Shortening the lip changes how the smile starts and can reveal or worsen a gummy smile. Closure exerts pull on the nostril sills, so nostril shape can alter, which needs particular care after rhinoplasty. Temporary numbness and tightness of the upper lip and philtrum lasts weeks to a couple of months. Early asymmetry of the cupid's bow is common; persistent asymmetry at six months may need revision. Ordinary surgical risks include bleeding, haematoma, infection, wound breakdown, delayed healing and stitch marks. Rapidly spreading redness and swelling across the lip or cheeks with fever is an emergency: go to a hospital immediately.
Who is declined
Dr. Rushapol does not perform a lip lift on a short philtrum; where there is significant gum show on smiling unless the patient fully accepts it will increase; with a history of keloid scarring; where filler was placed recently; where a nasal operation is planned but not yet done; where the expectation is a specific celebrity's mouth on a different face; and where the patient cannot stay long enough for suture removal and a proper review. He is cautious in active smokers because nasal base wounds heal badly with impaired perfusion. Read: smoking, nicotine, vaping and surgery.
Cost
Lip lift pricing is indicative in Australian dollars and Thai baht and is confirmed at booking. Your itemised quotation follows consultation.
Before and after
Photographs on this site are of consenting patients and are not retouched. Individual results vary. View before and after results.
Frequently asked questions
Is a lip lift better than filler?
They solve different problems. A lip lift shortens a long philtrum and restores tooth show at rest; filler adds volume. In a short philtrum with a thin vermilion, filler is often the better answer.
Will the scar be visible?
The bullhorn scar sits in the crease under the nose and in most patients is difficult to see at conversational distance after six to twelve months, but it is permanent, and it goes through a red, raised phase between about week three and month three.
Is a lip lift done under local anaesthetic?
Usually, with or without light sedation. It takes under an hour and sutures come out around day five to seven.
Can a lip lift be reversed?
No. Over-resection cannot be undone, which is why a conservative amount is removed and a small revision is preferred to over-correction.
What should I bring to the consultation?
A relaxed, non-smiling front-on photograph of yourself between the ages of twenty and thirty, a record of any filler and when it was placed, and a straight answer about smoking.
Request a consultation
Come prepared to be told that your philtrum is not long and that the honest answer is no; that happens in this consultation more often than in almost any other. Consultations are in person in Bangkok or by video; you receive a written treatment plan and an itemised quotation.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Rushapol Sdawat, M.D., Medical Council of Thailand licence No. 17689. Last reviewed: 7 September 2026. This page is general information, not medical advice. All surgery carries risk; individual results vary and are not guaranteed. Suitability can only be determined after consultation and examination.
