Lip Lift in Dubai

A lip lift is considered when the upper lip has lengthened with age, when the distance from nose to lip is naturally long, when the upper teeth no longer show when the lips are slightly parted, or when fillers have stopped giving a natural result. The usual measurement is the philtrum — the distance from the base of the nose to the red line of the lip: when it is longer than about 15–18 mm, a lift is often the more appropriate option than another syringe of filler. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at the consultation, after an examination and a discussion of the proportions of your face.

• Subnasal (bullhorn) lip lift — the incision follows the natural crease at the base of the nose; the shape of the removed skin resembles bull horns, which is where the name comes from. The most common technique; the scar sits in the shadow of the nose.
• Corner lip lift — a small incision at each corner of the mouth, for corners that turn down; can be combined with the subnasal lift.
• Italian lip lift — two shorter incisions under each nostril instead of one continuous incision.

The technique, the amount of skin removed (usually 3–6 mm) and whether the corners are addressed are agreed at the consultation and recorded in the written plan.

The procedure takes about 45–60 minutes. The surgeon marks the incision with you sitting upright, local anaesthesia is given (sedation is available if you prefer), the measured strip of skin is removed and the incision is closed in layers with fine sutures. You leave the centre the same day with instructions and a follow-up date. Sutures are removed at 5–7 days.

Swelling and some tightness of the upper lip are expected in the first week; most people return to desk work within 3–5 days. The scar under the nose is pink for several weeks and fades over 6–12 months; sun protection is part of aftercare. Strenuous exercise is paused for two weeks. The final proportion of the lip is visible once the swelling has settled, usually at 6–8 weeks.

As with any surgery: bleeding, infection, delayed healing, asymmetry, a visible scar, temporary numbness of the upper lip, and the possibility that the amount of lift is more or less than expected. A lip lift does not treat lip volume, vertical lip lines or the lower lip. It is not performed during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with active skin infection in the area, or with a history of keloid scarring without a separate assessment. Individual results vary; all of this is discussed at the consultation before you decide.

A lip lift at ELEMENTAL costs from AED 15,000. The fee covers the surgeon, operating theatre time, local anaesthesia, surgical consumables, dressings and suture removal, and follow-up visits within 30 days. Sedation, if chosen, is quoted separately. A consultation with the plastic surgeon is AED 680 (Consultant Plastic Surgeon: from AED 750). You receive a written quote before the surgery date is booked, and nothing is added on the day. Prices updated: September 2026. Individual results vary.

The procedure is carried out by a DHA-licensed Specialist Plastic Surgeon at ELEMENTAL Day Surgical Center, 113 Jumeirah St., Jumeirah 1, Dubai. The centre holds DHA facility licence 5323888. Related pages: facelift, lip fillers, FaceTite and AccuTite, plastic surgery.

Am I a candidate for an upper lip lift?

The measurement that matters is the distance between the base of the nose and the top of the upper lip. When that distance is long, the upper lip looks thin and the front teeth are hidden at rest, and adding volume with filler makes the lip heavier without shortening it. The surgeon measures this distance, checks how much tooth shows when you speak and smile, looks at the shape of the nostril base, and examines the skin for scarring or previous surgery.

• Suited to people whose main concern is a long upper lip with little tooth show at rest, rather than lip volume alone.
• Suited to people who accept a fine scar hidden in the crease at the base of the nose, because there is no version of this operation without one.
• Not suited when the concern is volume — lip filler addresses that, and the two are sometimes staged together after healing.
• Not suited during active smoking, in poorly controlled diabetes, or where a keloid tendency has been documented, until that has been discussed.

The consultation, step by step

• Measurements. Nose-to-lip distance, tooth show at rest and on smiling, lip height and the position of the vermilion border, all recorded in the file with photographs taken in standard views.
• History. Previous rhinoplasty or lip surgery, filler and thread history with dates, cold sores, healing and scarring history, allergies, and your full medication list.
• The plan. Where the incision sits, how much skin is planned for removal in millimetres, the anaesthesia, and the follow-up dates.
• Written quote and time to think. The plan and the cost are given in writing; nobody is asked to decide on the day of the consultation.

Preparing for the day

• Antiviral cover is prescribed in advance for anyone prone to cold sores, since surgery around the mouth can provoke an outbreak.
• Anti-inflammatory painkillers, fish oil and vitamin E are usually paused on the surgeon’s instruction; prescribed medication is never stopped without the prescribing doctor’s agreement.
• Recent filler in the lip may need to settle first — bring the dates and the product name if you have them.
• Plan around visible swelling for the first one to two weeks, and around the sutures, which are usually removed at about five to seven days.

Recovery, day by day

Days one to three

Swelling of the upper lip and the base of the nose, tightness when speaking, and a sensation of stiffness when smiling. Cold compresses as instructed, soft food, and sleeping with the head elevated. The lip looks tighter and more everted at this stage than it will later, which is expected and not the result.

Days four to seven

Swelling begins to settle and the sutures are removed at the review. Speech is normal for most people by the end of the first week, and desk-based work is usually resumed within two to four days.

Weeks two to six

The scar in the nasal crease passes through a firm, pink phase before it fades — this is normal scar maturation, not a complication. Scar care is prescribed individually and may include taping, silicone gel or sun protection. Exercise resumes on the surgeon’s clearance.

Months three to twelve

Scar colour and softness continue to change for up to a year, and the final shape of the lip is judged at that horizon rather than at week six. How the scar matures varies from person to person and depends on skin type, genetics and sun exposure.

Lip lift, filler or corner lift — how the choice is made

The two operations and the injectable are not competing versions of the same thing. Which of them appears in your plan — and whether the answer is none of them — is decided at the examination.

Risks, stated plainly

A visible or widened scar; asymmetry of the lip or the nostril base; altered sensation in the upper lip; wound-healing problems, which are more likely in smokers; recurrence of cold sores; over-shortening, which is difficult to reverse, and under-correction, which may need revision. Each of these is explained with its likelihood in writing before you consent.

Follow-up

Reviews at about one week for suture removal, then at six weeks, three months and twelve months, with the same photographic views each time so the comparison is like for like. Scar care is reviewed at every visit rather than left to the internet.

What we do not claim

An upper lip lift changes proportion by millimetres, and millimetres are what the operation is planned in. We do not state a shape in advance or a scar that will be invisible. Individual results vary; suitability, the amount of skin removed and the type of anaesthesia are decided after examination by a DHA-licensed physician at 113 Jumeirah Street, Jumeirah 1, under DHA facility licence 5323888.