Drooping corners of the mouth & corner of the mouth lift: info and facts
Relaxed or raised corners of the mouth signal calm, open-mindedness and friendliness. Drooping corners of the mouth convey sadness, tiredness and a prematurely aged appearance. Eight different muscles come together at the sides of the corners of the mouth. The common insertion of the muscles in this area is called the modiolus. The muscle whose tension predominates shifts the corner of the mouth in the respective pulling direction. Two muscles can raise the corner of the mouth: the zygomaticus major muscle and the levator anguli oris muscle. In contrast, the lowering of the corner of the mouth is controlled by the depressor anguli oris muscle and the platysma.
Do you also struggle with drooping corners of the mouth? Have you already tried facial yoga or creams, but without visible success? Do you want a youthful and aesthetic mouth area? CenterPlast is your specialist for treatment of the corners of the mouth. Please feel free to arrange an appointment for your individual consultation.
Finally achieve the look you want with a corner of the mouth lift:
- Rejuvenate your appearance
- Pleasing yourself again
- Increase attractiveness with an appealing mouth area
- Professional advice
What our patients say
Information at a glance
Operation duration
1 hour
Aftercare
6 weeks
Anesthesia
Local anesthesia / twilight sleep
Thread tension
after 7-10 days
Hospitalization
Outpatient
Socially acceptable
after 5 days
Costs
Additions or alternatives
Where do drooping corners of the mouth come from?
The shape of the upper jaw changes with increasing age. This lengthens the distance between the nose and mouth. The skin around the mouth is also subject to the ageing process. The skin becomes thinner and loses collagen. The skin’s elasticity decreases. Does this sound familiar to you? These changes are accelerated by cigarette smoking. One of the first signs of ageing is the drooping of the upper lip and the corners of the mouth. These changes cause the lips to lose their fullness. The skin above the upper lip hangs and wrinkles. The red of the lips becomes thinner. The face loses its youthful contours and the corners of the mouth droop. Patients whose corners of the mouth droop due to ageing or heredity can benefit from a correction of the corners of the mouth.
Lifting the corners of the mouth without surgery
The corner of the mouth is lowered by the predominant tension of a muscle, the depressor anguli oris muscle. If this is relaxed with the muscle relaxant, the corners of the mouth rise under the influence of the antagonists. The depressor anguli oris muscle, which lowers the corners of the mouth, lies 8-15 millimeters below the corner of the mouth. Two to four units of the muscle-relaxing active ingredient are injected superficially on each side. Depending on the severity of the drooping corners of the mouth, it is injected in one to three places. The effect lasts for four to six months.
Hyaluronic acid fillers give the lips more fullness and a beautiful shape. Upper lip wrinkles and lateral mouth wrinkles can be smoothed out. The targeted injection of filler below the corners of the mouth can lift sagging corners of the mouth. A very fine needle is used to inject 0.05 to 0.1 milliliters of filler along the red border of the lip on the side of the lower lip. Subsequently, 0.1 to 0.15 milliliters of hyaluronic acid are injected just below the corner of the mouth. Injections in this area are very effective for smoothing out vertical wrinkles at the corners of the mouth, the so-called marionette lines or mentolabial folds. Finally, 0.2 to 0.3 milliliters of filler are injected into the outer upper lip to give the corners of the mouth a natural, curved shape. The treatment only takes a few minutes and lasts for about six months.
Nasolabial folds or marionette lines can be improved with a thread lift. However, thread lifting is not suitable for lifting the corners of the mouth.
What can you expect during a consultation for a corner of the mouth lift?
The plastic surgeon will first listen to you carefully to understand your concerns. In addition to your specific concerns, you will also be asked questions in order to identify any risks in good time and take better precautions. Since many personal characteristics influence facial expressions, the investigation also covers other areas. The surgeon takes into account the texture of the skin, the facial muscles, the misalignment of the jaw, the length and depth of skin wrinkles, the volume of the lower lip and upper lip and the alignment and position of the corners of the mouth. Slight lateral unevenness of the lips, even when laughing, is not unusual but worth noting.
After an exact diagnosis has been made and your expectations have been discussed, solutions are developed. Since many parameters influence a treatment result and every person is unique, there is no standard solution for everyone or every woman. As plastic surgeons specializing in the field of facial surgery, we can offer you the most suitable treatment for you from the possible conservative and surgical methods. During the consultation, you will be shown which goals can be achieved with the respective treatment. As every treatment is associated with certain risks, the pros and cons of the procedure and the treatment costs will be discussed with you in detail. As questions occasionally arise after a comprehensive consultation, we always offer a second consultation before a procedure.
How is a corner of the mouth lift performed?
The corners of the mouth are lifted during a short procedure under local anesthesia. An overnight stay in the clinic is not necessary. Before the procedure, the new position of the corners of the mouth is marked with a fine marker. The surgical plan is meticulously recorded, measured and checked several times. The local anesthetic is injected using a very fine cannula. The previously marked excess skin is removed under magnifying glasses. A small part of the muscle that lowers the corner of the mouth is removed. The skin is meticulously closed with very fine stitches. Staple plasters are applied, which are renewed the very next day. Before you leave the clinic, you will be given a report in which, among other things, precise behavioral measures are recommended. It also lists follow-up appointments and a telephone number where you can reach your surgeon at any time in an emergency.
What are the risks of a corner of the mouth lift?
Every treatment also involves certain risks, which will be discussed with you in detail in advance. The correction of the corners of the mouth is accompanied by a scar, which in the vast majority of cases heals well and is barely visible after a few months. Scars may be raised and reddened in the first few months. Microsurgical techniques and fine suture material prevent the formation of bulging scars. Scars may be visible despite consistent care. Cortisone injections can be helpful in reducing scar growth. Perfect symmetry is always aimed for, but cannot be guaranteed 100 percent. If you have already had cold sores in the past (herpes inflammation), cold sores can return after an operation. In these cases, the preventive use of Acyclovir should be considered. The risk of a wound healing disorder or inflammation is less than one percent, but generally increased in smokers 1 .
What should be considered after a corner of the mouth lift operation?
Young patients in particular occasionally experience more pronounced scarring. Various measures can reduce this risk. A fine, tension-free suture, staple plasters, scar massages and consistent sun protection have a positive effect on scar formation. Opening the mouth wide, for example when yawning or laughing, should be avoided for four weeks after the operation. The skin sutures are removed between the sixth and seventh postoperative day. You should wait until the tenth day after the procedure before applying make-up.
How much does a corner of the mouth lift cost?
On our costs page, we provide information on the scale and composition of costs. The duration of a procedure and the amount of treatment required vary depending on the findings. Following the initial consultation, we can draw up an offer tailored to your needs.
AUTHOR
Dr. Adelana Santos Stahl
Our aim is to offer optimal, discreet and precise treatment based on our extensive expertise in the field of plastic surgery.
Dr. Adelana Santos Stahl has a unique international perspective with a female view of plastic surgery. Your individual and detailed approach is the key to the beautiful and natural results. Having trained in Brazil, one of the largest and best-known countries for aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery, she understands her patients’ desire to look and feel their best.
She completed her medical studies and training as a specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery in Brazil. In 2009, she also successfully passed the German equivalence examinations for the state medical examination.
Two years later, in 2011, she received the German and in 2012 the EU specialist certification (EBOPRAS) for plastic surgery. From 2009 to 2013, she deepened her knowledge of aesthetic and reconstructive facial surgery with world-renowned representatives of plastic surgery such as Professor Gubisch at the Marienhospital and Madame Firmin in Paris.
A VDÄPC Fellowship (continuing scholarship for graduate students) in Switzerland, France and the USA has further enriched her professional experience. Dr. Santos Stahl is active in various renowned professional associations. In addition to the DGPRÄC and DGBT, she is also a member of the Brazilian Society of Plastic Surgery – SBCP.
She is also the author of several scientific articles and, together with her husband, is dedicated to research and clinical studies in the field of plastic surgery.
She has been based in Saarbrücken since 2019.
- Jeong T.-K., 2020, Plast Reconstr Surg Glob Open ↩︎
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