Lip Lift in Istanbul

If you are considering a lip lift, you have probably already spent hours reading — and found the same recycled marketing on every clinic’s website. This is the same honest, straightforward information Dr. Sürmeli gives his own patients before surgery. No exaggeration, no pressure — just what you would want to know before making this decision.

Dr. Mehmet Sürmeli, MD, FEBOPRAS · European & Turkish Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon · Member of ISAPS & ASPS · Licensed in Türkiye, Dubai (DHA) and Abu Dhabi (DOH)

What a lip lift actually does

A lip lift is a short operation that shortens the distance between the nose and the upper lip — the philtrum — by removing a precisely measured strip of skin just beneath the nasal base. As the lip lifts, more of the pink lip rolls outward into view, and in many patients the attractive slight show of the upper front teeth is restored.

This is the key distinction, and it is worth being clear about: a lip lift changes proportion and position. Fillers add volume. They solve different problems.

Why the upper lip lengthens

In youthful faces the distance from the base of the nose to the upper lip border measures roughly 11–13 mm. With age this distance steadily lengthens — often beyond 18–20 mm — while the lip itself thins and rolls inward. The effects are subtle but powerful:

• The upper lip looks long and flat, almost curtain-like over the mouth
• The visible pink lip narrows to a line
• The upper front teeth disappear behind the lengthened lip when the mouth is slightly open — youthful faces show 2–4 mm of upper tooth
• Bone changes contribute too: the upper jaw loses projection with age, reducing the support beneath the lip

Not everyone who benefits is older. Some younger patients simply have a naturally long philtrum with a thin upper lip — and for them a lip lift gives a proportion that fillers never can.

Lip lift or fillers? An honest answer

The guidance here is simple. A long upper lip is a proportion problem and needs a lip lift. A short but thin lip is a volume problem and may suit conservative filler.

Many patients arrive having been filled repeatedly, and unhappily — each round adding volume to a lip whose real problem was its length. If that sounds familiar, a lip lift may be the operation you were actually looking for.

Are you a good candidate?

A lip lift tends to suit you well if you have a long philtrum — typically over 15–18 mm, whether from ageing or simply how you are built — a thin or inward-rolled upper lip, or little upper tooth show that you would like restored. Good general health and realistic expectations matter, as does accepting a fine scar at the base of the nose in exchange for a permanent improvement.

It is not the right operation if you have a naturally short philtrum, since shortening it further looks unnatural. It is approached with caution if you have a strong tendency to thickened or keloid scars, and certain dental or skeletal patterns — including a pronounced gummy smile — are assessed carefully first. And if what you actually want is more volume, a lip lift will disappoint you; it refines proportion, and is not a substitute for what fillers do.

Smoking matters here. This operation depends on fine, clean wound healing at the base of the nose, and nicotine in any form — cigarettes, vapes, IQOS — works directly against that. Dr. Sürmeli asks for complete cessation for at least one month before and after surgery, and recommends three.

The operation

• Anaesthesia: local — you are awake and comfortable
• Duration: 45–60 minutes, as an outpatient
• Design: the excision is drawn as a “bullhorn” hugging the base of the nose, its width measured individually
• How much: typically about 20–30% of the philtral length — roughly 3–6 mm — and never more. Restraint is what keeps the result natural
• Closure: meticulous layered closure so the scar sits in the natural crease at the nasal base

Recovery — what actually happens

WHEN	WHAT TO EXPECT
First 2–3 days	Swelling and tightness around the nose and upper lip; discomfort is usually mild
Around day 5–7	Sutures removed; swelling noticeably reduced
Weeks 2–4	Presentable for normal social life; residual swelling still settling
2–3 months	Shape settles; the scar is pink but flattening
6–12 months	Scar continues to fade into the nasal crease; final result

The lifted position is permanent. What continues to change is the scar, which keeps improving well past the point most patients stop thinking about it.

Patient safety comes first — always

Case selection is careful. If your philtrum is already short, or if what you want is volume rather than proportion, you will be told so directly — even though it means declining the operation. Saying no to an unsuitable lip lift is part of the service.

Ready to talk it through?

Send your questions and photographs for an assessment. Dr. Sürmeli will measure your proportions and tell you plainly whether a lip lift, a filler, or nothing at all is the right answer for you.

Lip Lift FAQ

Will the scar be visible?
It is placed in the natural crease where the nose meets the lip, which is one of the more forgiving places on the face to hide a scar. It is pink at first and fades over 6–12 months. It is a real scar, permanently — but a well-placed one, and most patients consider it a fair trade.

Is the result permanent?
Yes. The philtrum has been physically shortened, so the change does not wear off the way filler does. Your face will continue to age normally around it.

Can I have a lip lift if I already have filler in my lips?
Usually yes, but timing matters and it is assessed individually. In some patients the honest recommendation is to let existing filler settle or dissolve first, so that the true proportions can be measured.

Does it hurt?
It is performed under local anaesthesia and most patients describe the recovery as tightness and swelling rather than pain. Simple painkillers are usually enough.

Will it make my lips bigger?
Not in the way filler does. It increases how much of your pink lip is visible by lifting and rolling it outward. If you want added volume, that is a different treatment — and it can be discussed separately.

Traveling from abroad? This is routine for us

A large part of this practice is international — particularly patients from the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. A lip lift is an outpatient procedure under local anaesthesia, so the stay is short: plan on about 7 days in Istanbul so your sutures can be removed here and the early healing can be checked before you fly. Our patient packages cover 4★/5★ hotel options, airport and clinic transfers, 24/7 support and your medications. Beyond Istanbul, Dr. Sürmeli also holds medical licences in Abu Dhabi and Dubai — for details about UAE consultations, please contact our patient representatives.

For patients from the UAE & the Gulf

Dr. Sürmeli is licensed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Abu Dhabi Department of Health (DOH) — and holds periodic consultation days in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Start with a free photo pre-evaluation, consult online or in the UAE, and have your surgery in Istanbul. Read the full guide for UAE & Gulf patients →