If the distance between your nose and your upper lip has grown and filler is starting to look heavy rather than youthful, more filler is the wrong answer. A lip lift shortens that distance and rolls the upper lip outward — permanently, with a scar hidden at the base of the nose.
These figures are typical ranges, not a promise. Anesthesia, operating time, recovery and how results settle vary with your anatomy, your health history and the plan you and Dr. Swenson agree on. Your individual details are confirmed at consultation.
A precisely measured strip of skin is removed just beneath the nose and closed so the incision hides in the shadow where the nose meets the lip. The upper lip rises, more pink shows, and the teeth show slightly when the mouth is at rest — which is what reads as a youthful mouth.
Filler adds volume; it doesn't change proportion. As the upper lip lengthens with age, adding volume to a long lip pushes it forward rather than up — the heavy, projected look that people recognize instantly as "done." A lip lift changes the underlying measurement, which is why it succeeds exactly where filler plateaus. Many patients use less filler afterward, or none.
It sits at the base of the nose, it's real, and it takes months to fade. In most patients it becomes very difficult to see, but anyone promising you an invisible scar is overselling.
Where is the scar and will it show?
At the base of the nose, in the natural shadow. It's pink at first and fades over three to six months; in most patients it's hard to find afterward.
Lip lift or filler?
Filler adds volume; a lip lift changes proportion. If your lip is long, proportion is the problem.
Is it permanent?
Yes.
Can I still get filler afterward?
Yes — and many patients need less of it.
Does smoking affect healing?
Yes — significantly, as with any facial surgery.
A surgical consultation with Dr. Swenson is $75. That's an hour of a surgeon's attention, not a sales appointment with a coordinator. To be straightforward with you: the fee does not apply toward the cost of a procedure. Some practices credit it — we don't, and we'd rather you know that now than find out at checkout. Vue does not bill insurance, so all procedures, including those done for functional reasons, are self-pay. You'll get an exact quote before you commit to anything.