Gullwing plastic surgery

Often good to do in conjunction with a facelift or other rejuvenating treatments.

As we age, the upper lip usually becomes longer, and sometimes it may be difficult to see the teeth when smiling. Then a so-called gullwing plastic surgery can be a good operation to look a little younger. Often good to do in connection with a facelift or other rejuvenating treatments. What we do is remove skin and fat just under the nose and thus get a lift of the upper lip – a lip lift. It is also possible to strengthen the cupid's bow of the lip at the same time, which makes the operation also appealing to younger men and women.

A gullwing/bullhorn plasty is usually done under local anesthesia. Skin that is shaped like a gullwing or bullhorn is removed along with the underlying fat. After the surgery, you can go home and then come back after a week to have the stitches removed. It then takes at least 1 year for the scar to mature. We also have laser treatment that can be used to shorten and improve scar healing.

Risks and complications

Common complications

• Transient swelling
• Worse sensation in the operated area
• Visible scar under the nose that fades over time

Unusual complications

• Permanent sensory disturbance on upper lip
• Visible scar or hypertrophic (thick) scar
• Bleeding (first day)
• Infektion

This is how the operation works

In the morning you will meet your plastic surgeon who will answer your questions and go over what will be done. You will then have your photos taken before being prepared for the operating room. If you wish, you will be given some sedative medication and then you will be given some dental anesthesia in the skin below your nose. The operation will then take about 30 minutes. Afterwards you will be given some tea/coffee before you go home.

After a week you will return to the clinic for a check-up and to remove the stitches. After 1-2 weeks it will have healed. It will then take a long time for the scar to mature and become nice and it is good to protect the scar with a piece of tape at first and then use a silicone stick with a sun protection factor so that the scar heals well. An even better alternative is to have laser treatment three times starting about 2 weeks after the operation.