Lip reduction surgery is carried out to make your lips less full. While it’s not as common as lip augmentation surgery, it can help if you would like smaller lips because you feel that yours are naturally too large or protruding, if you would like to reduce their size following a previous enlargement procedure, or if you have lips that are noticeably different in size (asymmetrical). It can also help if your lips don’t seal properly, causing issues with speech or drooling. 

Surgery can be performed on either the upper or lower lip, or both lips. During the lip reduction procedure, excess fat and tissue are removed from the lips to reduce their overall volume. 

For those who are unhappy with how large their lips are, a lip reduction could provide the following benefits: 

– Can change the appearance of lips which are overly large 

– Can correct asymmetry in the lips 

– Can reduce the volume of lips which have previously been enlarged 

All surgical procedures carry some degree of risk and potential side effects. As the lips are one of the most sensitive areas of the body, you should expect that there will be redness and discomfort in the first few days following your lip reduction procedure. Other risks and side effects can include: 

– Infection 

– Bleeding 

– Scarring 

– Bruising 

Lip reduction is typically performed under local anaesthetic, so the area which is being treated will be numbed so that you won’t feel any pain as the surgery is carried out. 

Initially, your surgeon will make a horizontal incision in the pink inner section of your lip to minimise scarring. In order to reshape the lip area, excess fat and tissue are removed from the lip/lips to reduce the overall volume. Once the required amount is removed, the incision is closed with stitches. 

If you feel that your lips are too large in relation to the other features of your face, if you’ve had an injury or been born with lips that you feel are too big, if you have problems with speaking or drooling because of your lips, or if you have lips which are asymmetrical, this type of procedure could help. 

It can enhance the look of the face by balancing the lips with other features, requires very little downtime afterwards compared to other cosmetic surgery procedures, and leaves no visible scarring. 

Swelling and discomfort can be reduced by sitting with your head elevated for several hours after the surgery. Although you can expect some swelling and redness after your procedure, which can last for a few days, you should be able to move around more comfortably after this. Any mild pain or discomfort can be relieved by over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen or paracetamol. 

You should plan to take a week off work to help with healing. The sutures used to close the incision will come out after a week or two and your lips should be completely healed after about 14 days.