Modified Subnasal Upper Lip Lift in Women: A Personal Technique to Consider

The ageing process can alter the aesthetic proportions of the upper lip. Such changes may also appear in youth as a result of genetic factors, leading to aesthetic disharmony. Although numerous surgical techniques have been described to address this concern, none has completely achieved the ideal aesthetic standards. To evaluate the aesthetic outcome of a modified indirect subnasal upper lip lift approach. Twenty-five women with elongated upper lips were included in this study. The procedure involved a modified subnasal upper lip lift by suspending the labial superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) to the pyriform ligament. Both objective and subjective parameters were employed to assess postoperative results. On a visual analogue scale, the mean patient satisfaction score was 7.7. Objectively, postoperative evaluation revealed that 92% of patients achieved the ideal upper lip proportions for skin and vermilion height, while 8% reported under-correction. No major complications were noted, except for transient postoperative dysesthesia in two patients. Suspension of the labial SMAS to the pyriform ligament, as an adjunct to subnasal upper lip lift, is a simple, safe, and essential step in achieving ideal aesthetic outcomes.