Q&A

At Golden Diamant, we recommend the Goldenview Lip Corner Lift to those with the following concerns: when the horizontal length of the lips is short, giving the impression of a small or stuffy mouth; when the corners of the mouth turn downward, looking droopy even with a neutral expression; when there is left-right asymmetry in the lips or mouth line; when a flat, straight mouth line is an insecurity; when working in service industries that require a smiling impression; and when the lip corners have drooped due to natural aging after age 50.

Lip corner procedures work by supplementing insufficient volume at the edges of the lips with filler, and modulating the strength of the muscles that pull the lip corners downward using Botox. Fillers are mainly used when you want to change the shape of the lip corners itself, while Botox is primarily used when you want the corners of the mouth to lift more when smiling or laughing. If the sagging is not severe, or if you feel a strong burden regarding surgery and scarring, non-surgical procedures can be considered first; however, because the effects diminish over time, periodic treatments are required. Conversely, if skin sagging around the mouth is severe, marionette lines are deep, and lower face fat sagging is also present, non-surgical procedures alone may have limitations, so a Lip Corner Lift—which recreates the shape and position of the lip corners through skin excision and muscle repositioning—is considered.

First, a small triangle-shaped piece of skin around the corner of the mouth is excised according to an individualized design. Next, the pull of the muscle that drags the lip corners downward (depressor anguli oris) is weakened, and the orientation of the muscles acting at both ends of the mouth corners is repositioned. Following that, the lip corner is lifted superolaterally (outward and upward) and finished with specialized micro-suturing to establish a new shape and position for the lip corners. Rather than simply incising, pulling, and stitching the ends of the lip corners, this surgery adjusts the activity and strength of the perioral muscles alongside skin excision to refine the angle of the lip corners and the horizontal length of the lips.

Lip Corner Lift is designed individually by varying the amount of resection and the angle of elevation according to each person's perioral shape. Before designing, we analyze the muscles that make up the perioral area along with the overall facial image to first identify the factors causing asymmetry or sagging. In addition, to find the natural angle of the lips, we observe the lip shape both when sitting and lying down before drawing the design. The most important principle in Lip & Perioral Surgery is avoiding overcorrection, and we aim for balanced and harmonious lip corners tailored to individual proportions.

Yes, the Goldenview Lip Corner Lift can adjust the elevation angle and incision amount to lift the lip corners while also adjusting the extension of the horizontal length of the lips. However, extending the horizontal length is not simply a matter of pulling and stretching the corners outward; we must evaluate not only the height of the lip corners, but also the direction they face and their connection to the lateral line of the upper lip. After a Lip Corner Lift, the horizontal length of the mouth becomes slightly larger and the lateral upper lip becomes slightly thicker than before, and once tissue is resected, it is difficult to restore to its original state. Therefore, we accurately identify what needs to be corrected and establish a plan before proceeding without excess. Results and recovery time may vary depending on the individual.

If the upper lip is thin or rolled inward, or if it has a triangular shape with a steep slope from the cupid's bow to the lip corners, performing a Lip Corner Lift alone may emphasize only the elevation of the corners, making them look like Joker lips. In such cases, considering the slope and thickness of the lips, a partial Lateral Lip Lift (a method of removing a portion of skin on the lateral upper lip to evert and lift the lip outward) is performed up to the lateral 1/3 point of the upper lip, ensuring that the connecting line between the lip corners and the upper lip flows naturally. If the triangular shape has an excessively steep slope or the upper lip is very thin, a Lateral Lip Lift (lateral philtrum reduction) may be performed instead of a partial lateral lift.

Yes. Because the skin around the mouth corners tends to fold and indent by the length of the excised skin, and pre-existing horizontal wrinkles that were hidden by the drooping lip corners may become visible after surgery, we prepare for this in advance during the surgical planning stage. In the Goldenview Lip Corner Lift, to reduce hollows and wrinkles around the mouth, we perform dermal grafting (a method of adding volume with dermis under the lip corners, which are prone to hollowing) and wrinkle-prevention incisions. You can choose between artificial dermis and autologous dermis, and autologous dermis is harvested from an area that is not externally exposed. Deep horizontal wrinkles are sometimes removed through a wrinkle excision of around 5mm. Results and recovery periods may vary depending on the individual.

The Goldenview Lip Corner Lift takes about 60-90 minutes and is performed under twilight anesthesia (sedation) or local anesthesia. At Golden Diamant, based on a single-head-director responsible care system, the head director personally conducts everything from lip design to surgery, and after surgery, you will recover in a private single-person recovery room.

Stitches are removed 4-5 days after surgery. Washing your face or showering is possible starting the day after surgery, and you can thinly apply the prescribed antibiotic ointment about 3-4 times a day. After surgery, we provide a customized after-care kit tailored to the procedure, along with prescriptions for scar prevention medication and scar treatment gel.

The effect of the Goldenview Lip Corner Lift is generally evaluated based on 1 month after surgery. However, for a while after surgery, the surgical site will feel hard and appear reddish, and several months are required for these symptoms to improve and for the area to become soft and natural. This is because the mouth area is constantly moving, so the healing process takes longer than other areas. During that period, it is advisable to avoid opening your mouth too wide or laughing broadly. Results and recovery periods may vary depending on the individual.

Any surgery involving an incision leaves a scar, which is the mark of that incision, and scarring is less a matter of 'whether it exists or not' than 'how noticeable it is.' The corner of the mouth moves frequently, has well-developed sebaceous glands, and is under relatively high tension, which requires meticulous surgery as well as postoperative care. The extent of scarring varies depending on individual skin characteristics and skin tone, precise suturing during surgery, and adherence to postoperative precautions and scar care. If you have had past wounds that did not heal well or have had significant scarring in multiple areas, you should carefully reconsider whether to proceed with surgery. Side effects such as bleeding, swelling, and scarring may occur, and the occurrence of side effects and recovery time may vary from person to person.

After surgery, we prescribe scar prevention medication and scar treatment gel along with a customized aftercare kit for each specific procedure. If the medical staff deems it necessary, a scar management program of up to 3 sessions—such as Fraxel laser—is conducted starting from week 2 after surgery. If scarring persists or additional treatment is required thereafter, our medical staff will directly examine the condition and guide you through the necessary methods among more than 6 types of lasers, more than 4 types of medical treatments, and stem cell therapy. While laser treatments cannot make all scars disappear, they are meaningful in aiding skin regeneration.

In addition to bleeding, pain, bruising, and swelling, potential issues that can arise from a Lip Corner Lift include the following: Because skin is removed and sutured under tension, skin puckering may occur along the new lip line, and depression where the lower-outer lip corner deepens can develop. Furthermore, hypertrophic scarring (raised scars), skin discoloration due to tension, linear scarring, worsening of perioral or surrounding wrinkles, and trismus (difficulty opening the mouth) caused by persistent tissue firmness can occur. We thoroughly explain these possibilities before surgery and focus on minimizing their occurrence. Side effects such as bleeding, swelling, and scarring may occur, and the occurrence of side effects and recovery time may vary from person to person.

It depends on the individual case. When the philtrum is shortened, the center of the upper lip lifts and tooth show increases, which can make the corners of the mouth appear relatively downturned. Therefore, if your lip corners are already turned downward before surgery, having a lip corner lift either concurrently or subsequently should be considered. In particular, if the lateral philtrum is long and the lip corners also point downward, lateral philtrum reduction addresses the 'vertical space' while the Goldenview Lip Corner Lift adjusts the 'horizontal direction and angle,' connecting the two lines. However, we do not recommend having both done simultaneously for everyone. If the lateral philtrum length is appropriate and only the lip corners are downturned, a lip corner lift alone may be sufficient. If the lip corners are already turned upward significantly, if there is substantial tooth show, or if there is a tendency toward protruding mouth, we take a more conservative approach.

Yes, cases where the corners of the mouth have sagged due to natural aging after age 50 are also candidates for the Goldenview Lip Corner Lift. As we age, the strength of the levator muscles that support the lip corners weakens and the fat layer around the mouth diminishes, causing the lip corners to droop through a complex combination of stretched skin and lost volume. Furthermore, sagging fat in the cheeks and chin can make marionette lines more prominent. If sagging skin around the mouth is severe, or if marionette lines are deep and accompanied by lower-face fat sagging, non-surgical lip corner procedures such as fillers and Botox alone may have limitations. Depending on your condition, a plan may be designed that combines a lip corner lift with lifting procedures or surgeries such as perioral Skin Boosters, skin-tightening lasers, thread lifting, or a mini-facelift.

Yes, you can. Rather than aiming to lift the lip corners significantly to create a smiling appearance, men often consider a lip corner lift to naturally extend a narrow horizontal width and correct left-right asymmetry. The most important aspect of a male lip corner lift is not overdoing it. Therefore, we generally design a lower lifting angle compared to women and make the change in the angle where the upper and lower lips meet as natural as possible.

Because a Lip Corner Lift works against gravity, fixation is not easy. Therefore, Goldenview Lip Corner Lift does not simply stop at incising, lifting, and suturing the mouth corners; it weakens the power of the depressor anguli oris muscles that pull the corners down, rearranges the direction of the muscles, and finishes with micro-suturing. However, even after surgery, your lip shape may change over time as skin sagging occurs with aging. Results and recovery periods may vary depending on the individual.

Goldenview Lip Corner Lift is conducted under the responsible care of a single head surgeon, who personally handles everything from lip design to the surgery. During the consultation, we do not look only at the height of the mouth corners, but also evaluate lip thickness, mouth corner direction, tooth exposure, chin tension, and nasolabial/marionette lines together. Because a Lip Corner Lift cannot be the same solution for every case, the process of accurately identifying your current lip structure and concerns is important, and we thoroughly explain the expected post-operative results, potential issues that may arise, and measures to address them.

It may or may not appear. Buccal corridors refer to an open, refreshed smile where dark spaces are visible inside the corners of the mouth when smiling. While a Lip Corner Lift can make the mouth corner area sharper and allow the corners to rise higher by weakening the depressor anguli oris muscles, for individuals whose muscles that pull up the mouth corners are relatively weak, the buccal corridors may not appear as prominently as expected. It is not possible to create prominent buccal corridors for everyone, so please understand that it simply increases the likelihood of buccal corridors being visible compared to before surgery, allowing the smile to look a bit more open and refreshed. Results and recovery periods may vary depending on the individual.