What is lip reduction surgery?
Lip reduction, also called reduction cheiloplasty, removes a carefully designed amount of soft tissue from the upper lip, lower lip or both. The incision is commonly placed on the inner surface of the lip. The design may be a simple transverse ellipse or a more tailored pattern chosen to address central, side-to-side or asymmetric fullness.
The operation is not planned from lip width alone. Dr. Shahane examines the face at rest and while smiling, the amount of red lip show, upper-to-lower lip relationship, tooth and gum display, lip competence, chin projection, nose proportion and the patient's ethnic and personal facial characteristics.
Some patients seek correction of naturally prominent lips. Others have a congenital double lip, asymmetry, persistent enlargement after trauma or treatment, or an unsatisfactory result after a previous lip procedure. These situations do not all require the same operation.
Concerns that may be assessed
- Naturally prominent upper or lower lip
- Upper-to-lower lip disproportion
- Congenital or acquired double lip
- Stable asymmetry or contour imbalance
- Selected difficulty with comfortable lip closure
- Persistent enlargement after prior treatment






