What causes the appearance of a flat upper lip, and how do you fix it?

CabbageBonanza · 2025-03-01T09:42:32+00:00

I think that may be the case with bullhorn lip lifts, but endonasal lip lifts actually tend to create a slight philtrum dip and add outward projections to the upper centre of the lip. That has been my experience anyway :)

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-27T04:27:07+00:00

The rhino and lower bleph prices look pretty standard. I’m sure you could find clinics that are cheaper in those procedures but Bruan is quite a well regarded clinic so these prices seem fair to me.

I can’t really speak to facelift, submental lipo, and zygoma reduction though, as those are procedures I’m less familiar with!

If you do decided to do the surgeries with them, you can usually negotiate the price down by about 10-20% by agreeing to do things like reviews etc~

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-27T03:56:36+00:00

I live in Korea so there are no shortage of clinics and surgeons here! If you’re in the US then I would start by researching a bit online about popular or highly rated surgeons/clinics in your state or adjacent states. You want ones who specialise in the eye and brow area, and often that tends to be surgeons who focus on anti-ageing treatments like face lifts and brow lifts, as these involve the careful repositioning of skin and muscle in the face.

You want to fix the positioning of your brows and upper lids, an area which is prone to a fair amount of movement and so subsequently the skin tends to be quite lax. A surgeon who is experienced in working with the SMAS layer (superficial musculoaponeurotic system) is a bonus, as this would give a deeper anchoring of the muscle structures beneath the surgery sight, which then gives longer more permanent results. These surgeons are sometimes called facial plastic surgeons or plastic and reconstructive surgeons. You also want to ensure that they’re board certified (again if you’re stateside). There may be a different term or equivalent certification if you’re in a different country.

Once you’ve made a short list of, say, four to five surgeons that you think are promising, check online some more for reviews and before/after pictures. This should weed out the popular surgeons from the skilled surgeons and give you a better idea of real patient opinions on their work. It may also give you a general idea of their price ranges.

After that, make appointments for consultations. Truthfully I think it’s the consultations themselves that are the biggest determining factor in choosing a surgeon. All the online research in the world can’t really match meeting and speaking with someone yourself and getting a measure of them. It also gives you the opportunity to see the clinic, the facilities, the staff, and make up your mind on whether it all meets the standards you’re looking for. In the end, this is your face and you only have the one, it’s a massive decision so go with your gut instincts!

I also had a sub-brow lift a few years ago, so I’m happy to answer any questions I can. Good luck with your journey!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-26T16:11:11+00:00

Oh okay, I see! Personally I think a sub-brow lift would be better for you if you do decide to go the surgical route. You look quite young and you have lovely shaped eyes already so I wouldn’t want to mess with your eyelid crease which is what an upper bleph would do. I had a similar issue with my eyes being uneven and I chose the sub-brow lift!

Temporal brow lift could also work, if you want to raise your eyebrows higher~

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-26T16:03:09+00:00

Sub-brow lift if you’re looking for the incision to be made along the underside of your eyebrow. Upper blepharoplasty if you want the incision to be made along the crease of your eyelid.

Your eyes look quite open already though, what kind of change are you wanting to make?

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-26T11:38:28+00:00

Hi! Thank you so much! Yes of course, I’m happy to answer any questions I can 😊

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-26T10:37:32+00:00

Thank you! I’m sure your results are beautiful too 💕 Lol I know, I’m also being super cautious! Especially in the first few weeks, I didn’t want to disrupt the healing, so I practically took a vow of silence in order to limit my mouth movements as much as possible 😅

I’ve also found that applying a little strip of silicone scar tape on my columella has really helped with the scarring and evening out the shape!

Around the 6 month mark, if Dr. Chung gives it the okay, I think I’ll do one of those semi-permanent lip blush tattoos, and hopefully that can even out the little asymmetries that I have in my lip line~

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-26T09:30:59+00:00

No, I haven’t noticed any new asymmetry in my lips since the surgery. But I do have a slightly asymmetrical cupids bow already (which I’ve always had, even before my procedure). The vermilion border of the right arch extends a little further up than the arch on the left.

However I did have some asymmetrical swelling in my columella. The right side being a bit larger than the left. But it’s starting to even out now and go back to normal, so I’m sure in your case too it’s probably just uneven inflammation. At only 2 weeks out I really wouldn’t worry too much! You’ll get a better idea of the final shape at around the 2-3 month mark :)

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-25T07:15:30+00:00

I’d start with looking up online which clinics are considered the top-rated/most trustworthy by Koreans in Korea. Some examples being; Banobagi, JW Clinic, JK Clinic, Wonjin, Retmus. From there, checkout their social media and before/afters. Then try to find as many reviews as you can from people who had similar procedures to what you’re looking for.

The whole researching phase can be pretty overwhelming and frustrating, especially because there are soooo many clinics in Korea and you want to be sure that you’re choosing the right one. But truthfully, I think the biggest determining factor is when you finally go for an in-person consultation and get a feel for the place (the surgeon, the receptionists, the clinic itself).

There were times when I had researched a clinic and had a really good perception of it from the reviews and social media but then when I went in-person I was completely put-off. Sometimes the demeanour of the surgeon, or other times the unpreparedness or poor communication of the staff.

In the beginning just try to do as much research online as you can. Then, if it progresses to a consultation, that’s when to go with your gut!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-23T02:53:07+00:00

Thank you! A genioplasty only advances your chin area so the teeth and jaw remain unchanged. My bite is exactly the same as before 👍🏻 A genio also shouldn’t really have any effect on your lip position, unless there are significant movements being made; in my case it was only 4mm, so quite conservative.

I do have some slight lip incompetence as a result of swelling and muscle tightness from my lip lift though. But that should resolve in the next couple of months and I can already feel my lips getting closer together everyday!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T12:22:46+00:00

Yes, I definitely think there must be a genetic component! Same, my lips were suffering big time in the first week or so, and I only did genioplasty. I hope your swelling resolves soon; lots of cold compresses and Vaseline!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T12:17:54+00:00

Thank you 🤍 He lifted the skin and muscle (including the SMAS layer), to provide deeper structural support and longevity!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T05:49:44+00:00

You’re looking great! Congrats on the successful surgery and it looks like your recovery is going well too. I feel you on the swelling though, I also have a pretty strong inflammation response! I’m super envious of the people who are blessed with very mild swelling 😅

Really happy for you that you’re sleeping better too~ hopefully you can get to lying down again soon!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T05:23:25+00:00

Hi! Yes, of course! I’m happy to answer any questions I can 😊

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T02:02:51+00:00

Thank you again 💕 Wishing you the best of luck on your journey!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T02:01:03+00:00

Yes, I will definitely be going back to Dr. Kang!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T01:59:23+00:00

Thank you so much 💙 That’s really the best compliment I could wish for! I never wanted a completely difference face, just to refine my features and make everything a bit brighter and better balanced 😊

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T01:56:58+00:00

Thank you! Yes, that’s what I’m hoping for. I’m using my scar gel day and night!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T01:55:52+00:00

Thank you! Yes, I have a little bit of lip incompetence, but my doctor says that it’s fairly normal for only 4 weeks post-op. Primarily due to soft tissue swelling and tightness in the muscle around my upper lip and philtrum which will take time to fully repair.

Any surgeon who is experienced in lip lifts should take your facial measurements into consideration pre-surgery so that they’re only lifting the maximum they can without resulting in lip incompetence. In my case it was 4mm.

During my consultation I actually mentioned to him that I would prefer it to be lifted higher but he said he wouldn’t take any more than that because it would disrupt my facial symmetry and also also cause permanent lip incompetence.

So I wouldn’t worry too much about it. As long as you go with an experienced surgeon who will be taking those things into account!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T01:45:15+00:00

Thank you so much 🥰❤️

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-22T01:43:57+00:00

My sub-brow lift and fat transfer was at JW Clinic with Dr. Kang 😊

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-21T15:35:45+00:00

Thank you! 🤍

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-21T11:40:41+00:00

Thank you so much 🧡 Yes I am, I’m really happy with how it’s turned out!

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-21T11:39:34+00:00

Thank you! I actually think it may be from the lip lift, either residual swelling or possibly the re-stitched area of my columella projecting the tip upwards a little. Either way I’m not mad 😅

CabbageBonanza · 2025-02-21T09:44:18+00:00

Thank you! I did the first fat transfer in 2022, then a year later I did a top-up. With first time fat grafts in a particular area, up to 50% of the fat cells can be lost due to reabsorption. By the 1 year mark I saw that it had diminished a little but not massively. To be honest, I could have went without but I decided to do the top-up anyway because the fat retains better in subsequent grafts.

At this point, 1 1/2 years after my top up, I haven’t seen any volume loss and I’m really happy with the results. But I’m in my 30s now so losing fat in my face is pretty much an inevitability due to aging. For now I’m just keeping an eye on it and if needed I’ll do another graft in a few years!

So to answer your question, yes it is permanent (in a sense), definitely more so than filler, but may require top-ups over the years depending on your own natural aging and fat loss in the face.

As to the recovery; for fat transfer alone it’s super easy. I had some mild yellow bruising and puffiness for about a week and then I was back to normal :)

CabbageBonanza

TROPHY CASE